Waste

Green Gridirons: University of Wisconsin

By |

A football stadium may have green grass but does it have green habits? Each week, Great Lakes Echo highlights a Big Ten football stadium’s attempts to do the most to impact the environment the least. All schools have information on the stadium’s diversion rate – the amount of waste recycled instead of put in a landfill. Stadium: Camp Randall Stadium

School: University of Wisconsin

Built: 1917

Capacity: 80,321

2012 diversion rate: 33 percent

Scouting report: Each game day, community and student volunteers create awareness about the importance of conservation efforts at the university like recycling and compost bins, said Meredith Keller, student programs coordinator at the university’s office of sustainability. The stadium saw a significant increase in diversion rate from 3 percent at the start of the season to 33 percent during the last game, said Keller.

Waste

Green Gridirons: University of Maryland

By |

A football stadium may have green grass but does it have green habits? Each week, Great Lakes Echo highlights a Big Ten football stadium’s attempts to do the most to impact the environment the least. All schools have information on the stadium’s diversion rate – the amount of waste recycled instead of put in a landfill. Stadium: Byrd Stadium

School: University of Maryland*

Built: 1950

Capacity: 54,000

2008 diversion rate: 41 percent

Scouting report: Maryland’s “Feed the Turtle” program began in 2008 to expand food composting and recycling at home football games. The program’s name refers to the mascot of the school, a terrapin.

Waste

Green Gridirons: Indiana University

By |

A football stadium may have green grass but does it have green habits? Each week, Great Lakes Echo highlights a Big Ten football stadium’s attempts to do the most to impact the environment the least. All schools have information on the stadium’s diversion rate – the amount of waste recycled instead of put in a landfill. Stadium: Memorial Stadium, or “The Rock”

School: Indiana University

Built: 1960

Capacity: 52,929

2012 diversion rate: 54 percent

Scouting report: During the 2012 football season, Indiana University achieved their goal of increasing their 37 percent diversion rate to 54 percent. Volunteers also handed out recycle bags in tailgate areas to keep the waste down.

Waste

Green Gridirons: Northwestern University

By |

A football stadium may have green grass but does it have green habits? Each week, Great Lakes Echo highlights a Big Ten football stadium’s attempts to do the most to impact the environment the least. All schools have information on the stadium’s diversion rate – the amount of waste recycled instead of put in a landfill. Stadium: Ryan Field

School: Northwestern University

Built: 1997

Capacity: 47,130

2012 diversion rate: 39 percent

Scouting report: Ryan Field began recycling bottles and cardboard on game day in 2008. Most recycling collections come from tailgate lots, said Julie Cahillane, Northwestern’s manager of recycling and refuse.

Waste

Green Gridirons: University of Iowa

By |

A football stadium may have green grass but does it have green habits? Each week, Great Lakes Echo highlights a Big Ten football stadium’s attempts to do the most to impact the environment the least. All schools have information on the stadium’s diversion rate – the amount of waste recycled instead of put in a landfill. Stadium: Kinnick Stadium

School: University of Iowa

Built: 1929

Capacity: 70,585

2012 diversion rate: 52 percent

Scouting report: The Iowa Recycling Team has united with other school organizations to keep game days clean before, during and after football games. During pregame activities, 26 recycling bins are placed at the gate entrance of Kinnick Stadium for fans to drop their materials as they enter, according to Eric Holthaus, recycling coordinator at the school.

Waste

Green Gridirons: Purdue University

By |

A football stadium may have green grass but does it have green habits? Each week, Great Lakes Echo highlights a Big Ten football stadium’s attempts to do the most to impact the environment the least. All schools have information on the stadium’s diversion rate – the amount of waste recycled instead of put in a landfill. Stadium: Ross-Ade Stadium

School: Purdue University

Built: 1924

Capacity: 62,500

2012 diversion rate: 18 percent. Scouting report: The university’s sustainability program received a $120,000 grant in 2012 to focus on tailgate recycling and diverting waste from landfills, said Michael Gulich, director of sustainability at the university.