This year, Notre Dame has a new football tradition – Game Day Recycling. The sheer scale of a Notre Dame football game day can overwhelm even the most seasoned ND fan; the amount of waste generated can be equally astounding. “This is just a huge opportunity here to reclaim material that we previously have thrown out,” said Dan Skendzel, Director of Administrative Services.
This year’s Game Day Recycling builds on a pilot program from the 2007 season that provided recycling bags for tailgaters in the Library and White Field lots. “Our first weekend out in the parking lot, we were wary of how the tailgaters would react,” said Lourdes Long ’09, remembering last year’s program. “But each and every Saturday the ND alumni and visiting fans were enthusiastic and supportive.”
This year, students are passing out recycling bags in each of the tailgating lots at every game. Additional bags are available at recycling stations placed on lampposts. Recycling bins are available across campus and in the stadium and, as always, all recyclables go in the same bin.
The program got off to a highly successful start at the San Diego State game on September 6th. Over 24,000 pounds of recycling were collected – seven times as much as was collected during the entire season last year. According to Amy Coughlin, who led the Game Day Recycling planning committee, the success was due to the collaboration of many different departments on campus, including Athletics, Security, and Warehouse and Delivery. “Campus really came together for this,” said Coughlin. “Everyone was hugely supportive of the program.”