Jan. 15, 2015
THE FLATS – More than 25 tons of materials were diverted from landfills by Georgia Tech’s gameday recycling program during the 2014 football season. In seven years of the program, more than 137 tons of materials have been diverted from landfills.
By comparison, a typical residential garbage truck can hold between nine and 11 tons of waste. Since the start of the program, Georgia Tech has diverted enough recycled materials to fill approximately 14 residential garbage trucks.
According to some of the most recent statistics provided by the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces almost 1,600 pounds of garbage per year. Through the gameday recycling program, Georgia Tech was able to divert an average of 4.17 tons of materials per game – the equivalency of waste produced by five people in one year.
The program, which started at Georgia Tech in the fall of 2008, targets tailgating areas and Bobby Dodd Stadium. Because of the previous years’ successes, the size of trash cans placed outside the stadium were able to be decreased, resulting in thousands of dollars in cost savings.
“It has been exciting to work with the Georgia Tech Athletic Association this year to see the gameday recycling program expand,” said Cindy Jackson, the Associate Director for the Office of Solid Waste Management & Recycling. “Their dedicated commitment has made this a breakthrough year.”
In addition to the Georgia Tech Athletic Association’s partnership, other programs collaborating on the campus-wide recycling efforts are:
- Office of Solid Waste Management & Recycling
- Institute Communications
- Georgia Tech Alumni Association
- Student Success Center
- Sodexo
- IMG Sports Marketing
- Georgia Tech Police
- Georgia Tech students
- Georgia Tech fans
Georgia Tech recorded a diversion rate of 31.3 percent, while ranking tops among participating ACC schools in the reduction of organic materials.
“Our collaboration with the Athletic Association and Sodexo was essential in Georgia Tech placing first among ACC schools for Organics Reduction in the 2014 Game Day Recycling Challenge,” said Jackson.
Last year, Georgia Tech ranked first in the ACC (and 16th nationally) for waste minimization.
Since the program’s campus launch in 2008, Georgia Tech has expanded its gameday efforts each year, incorporating student volunteers, composting in the suites, picking up recyclables within the stadium bowl, and giving tailgaters blue bags to collect their recyclables.
| GEORGIA TECH GAMEDAY RECYCLING NUMBERS (2008-2014) | |||
| YEAR | TONS DIVERTED | GAMES | AVG/GAME |
| 2008 | 11.7 tons | 7 | 1.67 tons |
| 2009 | 19.3 tons | 6 | 3.22 tons |
| 2010 | 21.0 tons | 6 | 3.5 tons |
| 2011 | 24.1 tons | 7 | 3.44 tons |
| 2012 | 23.1 tons | 7 | 3.3 tons |
| 2013 | 13.2 tons | 7 | 1.89 tons |
| 2014 | 25.02 tons | 6 | 4.17 tons |
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