Missouri State University will compete in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 2011 Game Day Challenge during the Homecoming football game on Oct. 29. Colleges across the country are competing to see which schools can reduce, reuse and recycle the most waste as part of this program, and the champions will be crowned in December.

The schools participating in the challenge design a waste reduction plan for one 2011 regular season home football game 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 which school is the greenest on the gridiron.

Evan Clark, a sophomore biology student at Missouri State, is coordinating the effort for the university. “Missouri State’s participation in the EPA Gameday program is important for not only raising awareness but also increasing our sustainability as a university. Having a recycling program at a big event like a home football game also allows the university to inform and engage with the community on sustainable practices,” Clark said.

Winners will be announced in several categories, including:
• Least amount of waste generated per attendee
• Greatest greenhouse gas reductions from diverting waste
• Highest recycling rate
• Highest organics reduction rate (i.e., food donation and composting)
• Highest combined recycling and composting rate

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. Reducing waste generated at collegiate sporting events can save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Last year, more than 75 participating schools kept 500,000 pounds of waste out of landfills, which prevented nearly 940 metric tons of carbon dioxide from being released equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 180 cars.