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Blue Devils to Host Climate Commitment Game on Thursday
11/1/2023 9:00:00 AM | Field Hockey, Football
DURHAM – Duke Athletics and Sustainable Duke are partnering to host a Climate Commitment Game on Thursday, Nov. 2 when the Blue Devils welcome Wake Forest to Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
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The game will highlight Duke Athletics' partnership with the Duke University Climate Commitment, as well as serve as a pilot program for sustainable athletic operations for the future.Â
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Duke Athletics has been working toward being a sustainable leader, dating back to its Zero Waste Initiative. Between 2014 and 2019, the Zero-Waste initiative has diverted 70 percent of waste generated from home football games with an 80 percent average diversion rate during the 2019 season. This means that nearly 300,000 pounds of waste were either composted or recycled instead of going to a landfill. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a halt in sustainability efforts. The 2023 season marks the return of sustainable gameday initiatives.
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"We are dedicated to doing our part to integrate sustainable solutions and use our platform for positive impact," Duke Vice President and Director of Athletics Nina King said. "All of us, from our student-athletes, coaches, and staff to our alumni and fans have a unique leadership role to play in this important work."
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This work is seen with the Blue Devils' new "Leave it in the Bowl" initiative to support proper waste-stream sorting by Duke's sustainability team. For Thursday's game, Duke will be adding a compost stream in addition to its usual recycling and waste sorting that they've executed all season. New to the 2023 season, to assist with the increased waste sorting, the concourse also features reverse vending machines for recyclables. Additionally, student volunteers will be in Blue Devil Tower helping fans to properly discard their items.
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Sustainable Duke is stepping in once again to lead volunteering efforts on Thursday.
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"Sustainable Duke is incredibly proud to partner with athletics to host Duke's first Climate Commitment Game," Director of Sustainable Duke Lindsay Batchelor said. "Since 2014, the university and dedicated student-athletes have worked hard to reduce the impact of Duke's athletic events and the efforts have paid off. Now we are thrilled to align athletics with the Duke Climate Commitment for an even greater positive impact. We are beyond thankful to the Duke community for its leadership and cannot wait to see what the future holds!"
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The collaboration with Sustainable Duke and Duke Athletics took off this past spring with student-athletes showcasing their passion about reducing waste and taking better care of resources. Led by field hockey forward Alayna Burns and football cornerback Brandon Hersh, the Blue Devils implemented the Duke Sustainable Athletics Group, which is a cohort of athletes dedicated to leading on-campus sustainability-inspired action. Through the "Devils Doing Good Shoe Drive," that was held earlier this year, the group worked directly with the athletics operations staff to collect 591 pairs of unwanted shoes. Of those shoes, 308 were recycled at Nike Cary via the Nike Grind Program, which repurposes end-of-life shoes into various new materials. The other 283 shoes were donated to Fleet Feet Durham via the MOORE Foundation Group, which distributes shoes to developing countries while funding conservation and agricultural projects in Ghana in the process. The group has future plans to continue the shoe drive semesterly and emphasize the habit of "Duke Athletics never wastes a shoe." In the fall of 2023, the group organized the first sustainable athletics event with the Bleed Blue Live Green Field Hockey Game.
Despite him being on the field Thursday night, Hersh is behind all the green planning for gameday.
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"It's exciting to be a part of a world-class university and athletic department that recognizes that there is a substantial opportunity for sports to lead the way in promoting sustainability," Hersh said. "With the platform and reach of sports, at both Duke and across the country, we can make a difference by making our operations more sustainable and encouraging fans and partners to do the same. The Climate Commitment Game here at Duke is an important step in the right direction".
Â
Burns' mission to unite athletes and staff for climate action has been met with full support from Duke Athletics. This past summer, Burns and Hersh attended the Green Sports Alliance Summit in Seattle, Wash., where they learned about athletic facility best-practices.
Â
"I learned how powerful the sports platform is for driving societal change, and Duke Athletics is recognizing the opportunity we have to raise awareness and lead action," Burns added. "University programs and venues are responding to the professional green leadership in various ways, and our Duke Climate Commitment Game and evolving long-term plans are so exciting. The future looks bright, green, and blue here for Duke."
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#GoDuke
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The game will highlight Duke Athletics' partnership with the Duke University Climate Commitment, as well as serve as a pilot program for sustainable athletic operations for the future.Â
Â
Duke Athletics has been working toward being a sustainable leader, dating back to its Zero Waste Initiative. Between 2014 and 2019, the Zero-Waste initiative has diverted 70 percent of waste generated from home football games with an 80 percent average diversion rate during the 2019 season. This means that nearly 300,000 pounds of waste were either composted or recycled instead of going to a landfill. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a halt in sustainability efforts. The 2023 season marks the return of sustainable gameday initiatives.
Â
"We are dedicated to doing our part to integrate sustainable solutions and use our platform for positive impact," Duke Vice President and Director of Athletics Nina King said. "All of us, from our student-athletes, coaches, and staff to our alumni and fans have a unique leadership role to play in this important work."
Â
This work is seen with the Blue Devils' new "Leave it in the Bowl" initiative to support proper waste-stream sorting by Duke's sustainability team. For Thursday's game, Duke will be adding a compost stream in addition to its usual recycling and waste sorting that they've executed all season. New to the 2023 season, to assist with the increased waste sorting, the concourse also features reverse vending machines for recyclables. Additionally, student volunteers will be in Blue Devil Tower helping fans to properly discard their items.
Â
Sustainable Duke is stepping in once again to lead volunteering efforts on Thursday.
Â
"Sustainable Duke is incredibly proud to partner with athletics to host Duke's first Climate Commitment Game," Director of Sustainable Duke Lindsay Batchelor said. "Since 2014, the university and dedicated student-athletes have worked hard to reduce the impact of Duke's athletic events and the efforts have paid off. Now we are thrilled to align athletics with the Duke Climate Commitment for an even greater positive impact. We are beyond thankful to the Duke community for its leadership and cannot wait to see what the future holds!"
Â
The collaboration with Sustainable Duke and Duke Athletics took off this past spring with student-athletes showcasing their passion about reducing waste and taking better care of resources. Led by field hockey forward Alayna Burns and football cornerback Brandon Hersh, the Blue Devils implemented the Duke Sustainable Athletics Group, which is a cohort of athletes dedicated to leading on-campus sustainability-inspired action. Through the "Devils Doing Good Shoe Drive," that was held earlier this year, the group worked directly with the athletics operations staff to collect 591 pairs of unwanted shoes. Of those shoes, 308 were recycled at Nike Cary via the Nike Grind Program, which repurposes end-of-life shoes into various new materials. The other 283 shoes were donated to Fleet Feet Durham via the MOORE Foundation Group, which distributes shoes to developing countries while funding conservation and agricultural projects in Ghana in the process. The group has future plans to continue the shoe drive semesterly and emphasize the habit of "Duke Athletics never wastes a shoe." In the fall of 2023, the group organized the first sustainable athletics event with the Bleed Blue Live Green Field Hockey Game.
Despite him being on the field Thursday night, Hersh is behind all the green planning for gameday.
Â
"It's exciting to be a part of a world-class university and athletic department that recognizes that there is a substantial opportunity for sports to lead the way in promoting sustainability," Hersh said. "With the platform and reach of sports, at both Duke and across the country, we can make a difference by making our operations more sustainable and encouraging fans and partners to do the same. The Climate Commitment Game here at Duke is an important step in the right direction".
Â
Burns' mission to unite athletes and staff for climate action has been met with full support from Duke Athletics. This past summer, Burns and Hersh attended the Green Sports Alliance Summit in Seattle, Wash., where they learned about athletic facility best-practices.
Â
"I learned how powerful the sports platform is for driving societal change, and Duke Athletics is recognizing the opportunity we have to raise awareness and lead action," Burns added. "University programs and venues are responding to the professional green leadership in various ways, and our Duke Climate Commitment Game and evolving long-term plans are so exciting. The future looks bright, green, and blue here for Duke."
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#GoDuke
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Players Mentioned
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