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New England Colleges Challenged to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle at Football Games

Release Date: 09/21/2010
Contact Information: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

(Boston Mass. - Sept. 21, 2010) - As part of EPA’s 2010 Game Day Challenge, colleges from across New England and the country are competing to see who can reduce, reuse, and recycle the most waste at football games. Registration for the competition is open until Sept. 30.
On Sept. 23 EPA is hosting a free informational webinar from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. EDT to discuss the 2010 Game Day Challenge. Colleges and universities can learn about the Challenge and find out what your school would have to do to participate. In addition, experts from around the country will talk about their Game Day waste reduction programs, what works, and what doesn't. Participation is free but registration is required because space in the webinar is limited (further details below).

Any college or university in the U.S. with a football team can compete, and register through September 30. The challenge is for schools to design a waste reduction plan for one home football game in October and measure the results. Schools can collect common materials for recycling including paper, beverage containers, cardboard, and food to be donated and composted. The amount of waste generated and recycled will determine the winner.

Schools can win in several categories:
- Least amount of waste generated per attendee;
- Greatest greenhouse gas reductions;
- Highest recycling rate;
- Highest rate of food donation and composting;
- Highest combined recycling and composting rate

Winners will be announced in November and will be publicized on EPA’s website.

In last year’s Game Day Challenge, Harvard University edged out University of Colorado for first place in per capita recycling by achieving a diversion rate of 57.9 percent. The competition is sponsored by EPA’s WasteWise program, a voluntary program through which organizations eliminate costly municipal solid waste and select industrial wastes, benefiting their bottom line and the environment. Launched in 1994, the program has more than 2,700 members.

More information:

- Register for the Game Day Challenge: https://my.re-trac.com/gameday

- EPA’s Game Day Challenge: http://epa.gov/gameday/

- Free Game Day Challenge Webinar on September 23, 2010 https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/977370451

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