Ithaca College

The College placed first among NCAA Division III schools in the Diversion category of the Game Day Challenge, diverting 70%  of solid waste generated at  the Cortaca Jug 2011 game to recycling.

The Game Day Challenge is a friendly competition for colleges and universities to promote waste reduction at their football games. This Challenge is an initiative of EPA’s Waste Wise program. (Havard University mistakenly listed their football program as competing in Division III)

During the challenge, colleges and universities implement waste reduction programs during home football games. Schools track and report waste reductions and disposal data that is used to rank the schools. Students from the Sustainability Principles and Practice class organized the effort with support from REMP EcoReps and ICES volunteers. Students designed a sticker they placed on clear plastic bags for recycling that they distributed to Tailgaters in campus parking lots prior to the game. The bags were collected by the IC Grounds Department and sorted at the Tompkins County Recycling Center.

Students also made posters and, wearing bright green t-shirts, reminded spectators to use the trash and recycling bins provided inside Butterfield Stadium. On Sunday morning following the game, volunteers gathered to clean up the Stadium and were impressed with how little litter was on the ground and how well attendees had used the appropriate trash and recycling bins.

Thank you to all of you who participated in the Game Day Challenge 20012, a Bomber victory!