Mount Union to join EPA Game Day Challenge

Staff report

Alliance

The University of Mount Union will participate in the EPA Game Day Challenge during its last home football game today against Baldwin-Wallace College at Mount Union Stadium.

Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. The challenge is a friendly competition to encourage colleges and universities to focus on reducing waste, recycling and composting as much waste as possible.

The challenge, which is a part of the EPA’s WasteWise program, was developed to encourage schools to think about the items sold in their football stadium and how those items are disposed of after they are used.

Before the game, Mount Union student volunteers will be educating fans on what can and cannot be recycled and composted. During the game, there will be a series of waste stations set up inside the stadium where volunteers will help fans sort their waste into three separate cans — recycling, composting and garbage.

This marks Mount Union’s first time participating in the challenge, and its goal is to have an overall diversion rate of 50 percent as well as open the discussion for expanding recycling and composting programs at all major sporting events.

Awards will be presented to colleges and universities in five categories:

Waste Generation: the school with the lowest per-capita waste generation.

Diversion Rate: the school with the largest overall (combines trash, recycling and composting data) recycling rate.

Greenhouse Gas Reduction: the school with the largest greenhouse gas reduction.

Recycling: the school with the largest recycling rate.

Organics Reduction: the school with the largest organic reduction rate.