Zero Waste: Aggie Stadium

Aggie Stadium

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UC Davis' Aggie Stadium inaugural foot ball season went green in its operations for 2007-2008, working to parallel the efforts and the success of the recycling implemented during the stadium's construction. The Athletics department, Sodexho, and R4 collaborated to strive for a "Zero Waste Stadium" by developing a concessions menu that eliminated the presence of plastic cup tops, straws, and candy wrappers which end up sitting in landfills as trash. The outcome was a high percentage of recyclables and compostables compared to trash. A commendable 61 percent diversion rate was achieved over the season, almost matching the 85 percent attained during Aggie Stadium's assembly process.

For the 2008 season, R4 will continue to set up and service stations throughout the stadium, collecting recyclable items and compost matter and working to prevent contamination as well as to educate fans about ongoing Zero-Waste efforts. Restrooms will now be included in the recycling process, providing compost bins for used paper towels. With the environmentally friendly goals of Aggie Stadium already in place, R4 is taking full advantage of the opportunity to communicate not only with UC Davis Students, but also with both local and visiting sports fans. Click on the Volunteer Link above to help out!

Compost, Cardboard, and Trash rates for the last football season.

As you can see in the pie chart on the right, our stadium is not 100% zero waste…yet. But with our efforts, and your help, we can realize zero waste.

In football season 08, we have seen dramatic improvements in our waste elimination. At first, the stadium was producing:

• 1210 lbs of trash
• 489 lbs of compost
• 200 lbs of cardboard

However, in the last football game of the 08 season, the stadium produced

• 810 lbs of trash
• 1171 lbs of compost
• 1000 lbs of cardboard!

The total weights from the 08 season where:

• 5590 lbs trash
• 3349 lbs compost
• 4700 lbs cardboard

How venders can make our stadium zero waste:

Venders should use:

• Biodegradable utensils
• Biodegradable cups and lids
• Paper based wrappers and containers for food

Our Catering Guide lists some suppliers who sell biodegradable utensils, containers, and bags. But note that most food items can be served in paper products, which can be obtained in any food store.

All food should be sold in paper-based wrappers or paper-boats.

If soda is not sold in cans or bottles, it need to be in a compostable paper cup--no plastic cups.

Another tip: sell foods that do not require packaging, like pretzels.

How stadium-goers can make our stadium zero waste:

Stadium-goes can help us by:

• buy food from venders who sell their products in compostable containers
• throw used paper towels in the paper bin after using the bathrooms
• read the signs on the compost and bottles & cans bin to prevent contamination
• volunteer

Your used paper towels from the bathroom go in the paper bin!

Read the signs on the compost and bottles and cans bins!

What is wrong with this bottles and can bag? Answer is below.

What is wrong with the last photo of a bag from the stadium? Answer: paper cups and paper food wrappers should go in the compost bag, while the plastic wrappers should go in trash. Do not make us sad, read the sign on the bin and dispose of your items appropriately.

How R4 set up the Stadium.

R4 is dedicated to making the stadium zero-waste. Below is a summary of all the things we did:

First, we set up conveniently placed bottles and cans, and compost bins around the stadium.	Every bin set came with poster boards describing what is allowed in each type of bin. Also, in order to reduce contamination, R4 staff and volunteers monitored stations.	We also set up recycling stations in the bathrooms, the concession stands, and in the press box. Above is a photo of a paper recycling station in a bathroom.

At the end of the day, our compost carts were full!