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Iowa Recycling Team Diverts 57 Percent of Waste at Kinnick Sept. 15

Iowa Recycling Team Diverts 57 Percent of Waste at Kinnick Sept. 15

Delta Tau Delta members help with recycling outside Kinnick Stadium on Sept. 8

September 20, 2012

The Iowa Recycling Team scored big at the Iowa vs. Northern Iowa football game Sept. 15, the Iowa Recycling Team, diverting 57 percent of the waste generated from the landfill.

The team collected 6,020 pounds or more than 3 tons or of recyclable materials and 1,120 tons of food waste for the game. This is up from  4,700 pounds of recyclable materials and 620 pounds of food waste collected during the Iowa vs. Iowa State game Sept. 8, when 40 percent of the waste was diverted from the landfill. See our Facebook page for photos from both games.

University of Iowa Athletics, Facilities Management, the Office of Sustainability, Waste Management, ARAMARK, the Delta Tau Delta fraternity, and the ECO Hawk student organization make up the Iowa Recycling Team, which is aiming for a 60 percent diversion rate this season.

The diversion rates are up the the baseline set last season at the Iowa vs. Michigan game Nov. 5, when approximately 25 percent of the waste generated was recycled.

Delta Tau Delta members and other volunteers staffed recycling stations at the Kinnick gates, helping fans sort their recyclable materials in 24 gold-top containers. Seventeen containers were set in the concourse areas, adding to the Coca-Cola bottle-shaped bins already in place.

ARAMARK and Iowa Memorial Union Catering gathered food and kitchen waste in the concession stands and Press Box areas for composting.  During the post-game cleanup on Sundays, the recycling team helps students to sort recyclable materials from the stadium. Waste Management then hauls the materials to a City Carton recycling facility.

The Iowa Recycling Team will be working at all Hawkeye home football games. Fans can do their part by recycling plastic bottles, cans, plastic souvenir cups, paper cups, coffee cup holders and lids, popcorn buckets, cardboard and paper. Items not accepted include bags, glass, food or food-covered containers.

This game day recycling program is part of the UI’s 2020 Vision sustainability goal diverting 60 percent of waste from the landfill by 2020.

Students and others  are encouraged to join the Iowa Recycling Team to help make Kinnick greener. For information about volunteering, see http://sustainability.uiowa.edu/gameday-recycling/ or contact the Office of Sustainability at 319-335-5517 or recycle@uiowa.edu.