MU
tailgaters making new tradition
Whitney
Wallace, Posted Sept. 21, 2006
Just imagine 4.25 tons, 8,500 pounds or 77,000 drink containers
– in less than 48 hours. These staggering amounts roughly
equal 6,416 12-packs consumed and recycled by crowds of MU
tailgaters during the first two home games of the season.
That’s right, in less than two full days, Mizzou fans
recycled 4.25 tons of aluminum cans, plastic and glass bottles.
These empty drink containers could have been tossed in the
trash and had a direct negative affect on the environment.
“That material would have ended up in the landfill,”
said Phil Shocklee, associate director of Campus Facilities.
While tailgating has been a long-lasting, popular attraction
at home football games, another tradition outside the stands
of Faurot Field is now underway to making history. During
the first two home games, tailgaters have worked with volunteers
to fill recycling bins with leftover drink containers. This
environmentally-friendly project, known as Tiger Tailgate
Recycling, is in its second year here in Columbia. According
to Shocklee, the project is a cooperative effort between Sustain
Mizzou, Anheuser-Busch Recycling, Campus Landscape Services,
Intercollegiate Athletics and the City of Columbia.
Sustain Mizzou is a student organization and is the main component
of the Tiger Tailgate Recycling Program. “Sustain Mizzou
focuses on creating a more sustainable way of life at Mizzou
through local action and public education,” Adam Saunders,
past president of the organization, said.
Because of this ambition, students involved in Sustain Mizzou
work each home game to continue the new Tiger Tailgate Recycling
tradition. These students work in shifts taking bags to tailgaters.
They also work with employees of Campus Landscape Services
to empty the 250 large event recycling bins when full. These
bins were provided through generous donations from Mid-Missouri
Solid Waste Management District, Anheuser-Busch Recycling
and Campus Landscape Services. Anheuser-Busch Recycling also
supports the program by donating the bags delivered to each
tailgating party. Once the game is complete and tailgaters
head home, the recycled items are taken by the City of Columbia.
The items are then sorted and recycled accordingly.
So as Saturday game days begin, nearly 50 student volunteers
will continue working hard to ensure fans take the opportunity
to recycle. According to Steve Burdic, solid waste and recycling
manager for Campus Landscape Services, the student volunteers
aren’t the only people excited to get involved. “Fans
are very interested in helping,” Burdic said. “When
it comes to bags, some fans even bring their own blue bags
from home.”
Now as fans have even more to look forward to as they gather
with friends to fire up the grills and get into the true tailgating
spirit. “My personal goal is to make Mizzou one of the
leading recycling universities in the world,” said Burdic.
He said MU has been one of the leading universities with the
Tiger Tailgate Recycling program. This continuous effort is
definitely an investment into the future of the environment.
So while fans are rooting for Tiger Football with a 3-0 record,
it also seems the Tiger Tailgate Recycling program is giving
MU fans one more thing to cheer about.
