KNOXVILLE – As part of Tennessee’s ongoing effort to improve the gameday experience for the 2012 football season, the Vols have announced a cooperative initiative with UT Recycling designed to reduce campus waste and increase the collection of recyclable materials.
Before each home football game this season, volunteers from UT Recycling will distribute separate recycling (blue) and trash (clear) bags to every vehicle that enters a parking lot, as well as other tailgating locations on the University of Tennessee campus.
Recyclable materials to put in the blue bags include aluminum and steel cans, glass bottles, plastic cups and bottles, newspapers and cardboard. Trash and recycling boxes will also be located along sidewalks and the most highly trafficked areas of campus.
Fans are encouraged to tie up and leave their recycling and trash bags near their vehicles so that the UT Recycling crews can begin pick-up upon the start of the game.
“Vol fans can help keep the campus and our environment clean by using the new clear and blue bags in tailgate areas,” UT Recycling coordinator Jay Price said. “Every cup, bottle, can, box or newspaper off the ground and recycled also saves the University of Tennessee time and money.”
During the 2011 football season, UT recycled an average of 10 tons of material and distributed 500 recycling boxes and 500 trash boxes per home game The goals for this season are to recycle 15 tons and distribute 5,000 trash and 5,000 recycling bags per home game in tailgate areas.
Since 1993, the University of Tennessee Athletic Department has partnered with Eastman Chemical Company, Waste Connections, and Food City in the Good Sports Always Recycle (GSAR) program.
The GSAR program recycles stadium cups from all arena and athletics events and coordinates a statewide recycling education program.
Along with game day recycling, the program also supports recycling at 10 schools each year in Tennessee. Schools with outstanding recycling programs win a donation of $500 and are recognized at a football game in November. For more information visit www.eastman.com/gsar.
(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)