Scarlet, Gray and Green Continues to Build Momentum in Year No. 3 – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | General
Despite damp conditions, significant amount of recyclable material collected on Illinois home date
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State University’s Scarlet, Gray and Green sustainability program continues on in its third year during the 2009 football season. With more than 12 tons of recyclable materials collected at the soggy Illinois home date Sept. 26, the initiative is approaching 40 tons through three home games this season and almost 190 tons total during 17 home dates since 2007.
Despite damp conditions Sept. 26, SG&G gathered 4.63 tons of material inside Ohio Stadium and nearly doubled that figure with 8.36 tons collected in the tailgate lots surrounding the Horseshoe on campus.
At the USC game Sept. 12, SG&G established a record for tailgate recycling, taking in more than 11 tons of material from the lots surrounding Ohio Stadium. SG&G exceeded its own expectations for the 2009 opener vs. Navy Sept. 5, when the campaign gathered more than 10 tons of recyclable materials, marking 114 percent of its goal.
During 17 home dates the past three years, the program has collected roughly 150 tons of recyclables inside Ohio Stadium and almost 60 tons outside the venue.
At each home game, tailgaters receive white plastic recycling bags to encourage collection of bottles, cans, paper and cardboard. Fans then can deposit the bags into scarlet recycling dumpsters located in tailgate lots on campus.
Several new SG&G initiatives have been introduced this year as 12 solar-powered recyclable-compacting receptacles have been deployed around the Fan Fest area south of St. John Arena and near the north rotunda of Ohio Stadium.
The trial for a “zero-waste” concession stand also made its debut Sept. 5 in Section 19A of Ohio Stadium. In cooperation with stadium concessions provider, Sodexo Sports & Leisure Services, compostable serving containers are being tested at 19A to determine its feasibility as an alternative to non-compostable serve ware. Using compostable serve ware will eliminate refuse by converting all food products and serving containers into compostable or recyclable materials.
Pedal Instead
The “Pedal Instead” program provides bicycle valet service during the Ohio State home football games. The corral took in more than 450 bikes vs. Navy Sept. 5, fully utilizing a new overflow area reserved on the basketball courts just south of Drake Union. Against USC, that number again topped the 400 mark. Numbers for the Illinois game were not reported at time of this release.
The main Pedal Instead Bike Corral is located on the south side of Woody Hayes Drive on the east side of the bike path. Bicyclists are provided with a “claim check” and can retrieve their bicycles after the game. Donations for the service are accepted.
About Scarlet, Gray and Green Home Game Recycling Program
The collaborative recycling effort between the Ohio State Department of Athletics and Office of Business and Finance began in January 2007. The University initiated a sustainability program both in the stadium and at the tailgating lots to help address the amount of trash generated on campus at Buckeye football home games.
Recycling is one element of the University’s Scarlet, Gray & Green sustainability program. In fall 2009, a grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources will be used to purchase recycling containers for all classroom areas. Additional efforts include:
- Campus bio-diesel conversion
- Green office supplies
- Energy-saving lights
- Green Building Design Construction
- Building energy audits
- Implementation of energy conservation projects
