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Duke Athletics Continues Zero Waste Initiative
1/7/2020 12:25:00 PM | Football, Athletics
DURHAM, N.C. – Duke Athletics reached its highest single-season percentage with an 80 percent diversion rate during its season-long Zero Waste initiative for home football games. Â
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Zero Waste is achieved when 90 percent of waste is diverted from landfill.
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"I think it's important to note just how far the Zero Waste Game Day program has come since its inception in 2014," Duke's Recycling & Waste Reduction Coordinator, Morgan Bachman said. "Rocketing from 51 percent to 80 percent diversion in only six seasons really tells a story of commitment to key success factors like packaging reduction, post-sorting and participation from fans. We've plucked the low-hanging fruit, and now we're moving on to tackle more complicated obstacles that very few of our peer institutions are similarly facing. This requires pioneering solutions and thinking outside the box, and we're up for the challenge."
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For the season, a total of 52,703 pounds of waste were collected with 20 percent (10,669 pounds) transported to landfill. The remaining waste was diverted through composting and recycling efforts. The Blue Devils achieved an average of 80 percent diversion during the 2019 season, including five games with greater than 80 percent.
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Duke registered a season-best Zero Waste game on Oct. 5, 2019 against Pittsburgh when 6,706 pounds of waste were collected and only 909 pounds went to landfill for a 86 percent diversion rate.
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"What is most special about our Zero Waste Game Day Operation is the amount of buy in we have across the board," Duke's Associate Director of Athletic Facilities, Game Operations & Championships, Matt Hess added. "Support from administration, Coach Cutcliffe and the football team, Duke facilities management department, athletics staff, our students and fan base are what makes our program go. This is what propels us to increase our annual diversion rate year after year. These rising averages push us toward a more sustainable environment with educated consumers. The amount of resources and effort put into this initiative is a direct reflection of Dukes commitment to excellence."
Â
The goal is to continue the zero waste success that began during the 2014 season. The program, which is organized by Athletics Facilities, Game Operations and Championships, and supported by Sustainable Duke and Duke Facilities Management, has led to more than 83,500Â pounds composted and more than 194,000Â pounds recycled during home events.
Â
The Zero Waste Game Day initiative began in 2014 with the athletic department teaming with Liza Schillo, a graduate student attending the Nicholas School for the Environment at Duke, Arwen Buchholz from Duke Sanitation and Recycling and Tavey Capps from Duke Sustainability. With Buchholz, Capps and Schillo's assistance, a plan was formulated to divert waste generated in the stadium away from the landfill through recycling, composting and source reduction.Â
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In the 2015 season, Duke became the first school in the ACC to achieve a zero waste game day when it diverted 94 percent of recyclable and compostable materials in a game against University of Pittsburgh.
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Season-By-Season Breakdown
Year  Total LBS Recycled  Total LBS Composted  Total LBS Landfilled  Diversion Rate
2014Â Â Â Â 39,940Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4,760Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 42,260Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 51%
2015Â Â Â Â 22,380Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 9,800Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 26,200Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 55%
2016Â Â Â Â 46,740Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 22,840Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 19,440Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 78%
2017Â Â Â Â 53,060Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 19,000Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 24,542Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 75%
2018Â Â Â Â 14,914Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 19,420Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 16,820Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 79%
2019Â Â Â Â 17,234Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 24,800Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10,669Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 80%
Â
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Zero Waste is achieved when 90 percent of waste is diverted from landfill.
Â
"I think it's important to note just how far the Zero Waste Game Day program has come since its inception in 2014," Duke's Recycling & Waste Reduction Coordinator, Morgan Bachman said. "Rocketing from 51 percent to 80 percent diversion in only six seasons really tells a story of commitment to key success factors like packaging reduction, post-sorting and participation from fans. We've plucked the low-hanging fruit, and now we're moving on to tackle more complicated obstacles that very few of our peer institutions are similarly facing. This requires pioneering solutions and thinking outside the box, and we're up for the challenge."
Â
For the season, a total of 52,703 pounds of waste were collected with 20 percent (10,669 pounds) transported to landfill. The remaining waste was diverted through composting and recycling efforts. The Blue Devils achieved an average of 80 percent diversion during the 2019 season, including five games with greater than 80 percent.
Â
Duke registered a season-best Zero Waste game on Oct. 5, 2019 against Pittsburgh when 6,706 pounds of waste were collected and only 909 pounds went to landfill for a 86 percent diversion rate.
Â
"What is most special about our Zero Waste Game Day Operation is the amount of buy in we have across the board," Duke's Associate Director of Athletic Facilities, Game Operations & Championships, Matt Hess added. "Support from administration, Coach Cutcliffe and the football team, Duke facilities management department, athletics staff, our students and fan base are what makes our program go. This is what propels us to increase our annual diversion rate year after year. These rising averages push us toward a more sustainable environment with educated consumers. The amount of resources and effort put into this initiative is a direct reflection of Dukes commitment to excellence."
Â
The goal is to continue the zero waste success that began during the 2014 season. The program, which is organized by Athletics Facilities, Game Operations and Championships, and supported by Sustainable Duke and Duke Facilities Management, has led to more than 83,500Â pounds composted and more than 194,000Â pounds recycled during home events.
Â
The Zero Waste Game Day initiative began in 2014 with the athletic department teaming with Liza Schillo, a graduate student attending the Nicholas School for the Environment at Duke, Arwen Buchholz from Duke Sanitation and Recycling and Tavey Capps from Duke Sustainability. With Buchholz, Capps and Schillo's assistance, a plan was formulated to divert waste generated in the stadium away from the landfill through recycling, composting and source reduction.Â
Â
In the 2015 season, Duke became the first school in the ACC to achieve a zero waste game day when it diverted 94 percent of recyclable and compostable materials in a game against University of Pittsburgh.
Â
Season-By-Season Breakdown
Year  Total LBS Recycled  Total LBS Composted  Total LBS Landfilled  Diversion Rate
2014Â Â Â Â 39,940Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 4,760Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 42,260Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 51%
2015Â Â Â Â 22,380Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 9,800Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 26,200Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 55%
2016Â Â Â Â 46,740Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 22,840Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 19,440Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 78%
2017Â Â Â Â 53,060Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 19,000Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 24,542Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 75%
2018Â Â Â Â 14,914Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 19,420Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 16,820Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 79%
2019Â Â Â Â 17,234Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 24,800Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 10,669Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 80%
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