In 2016, the University of Michigan set an ambitious goal to achieve zero waste at home football games and divert 90% of game day waste from the landfill. The Zero Waste Stadium Program launched in the 2017 season as a collaboration among Athletics, the Office of Campus Sustainability, U-M Waste Management Services, campus sustainability partners, volunteers, and stadium concessions. Now in its seventh season, the program has achieved a 75% diversion rate, donates around half a ton of food each game, and launched a new partnership with the U-M Campus Farm. The program continues to evolve, and the 90% target remains. With efforts ranging from recruiting student group volunteers to reducing portion sizes to minimize food waste, the Big House is steadily moving closer to becoming a more sustainable venue with each game day.
Progress So Far
First, let’s talk about how the Zero Waste Stadium Program works. Before each game, a team of six to seven interns educate concession staff on proper waste sorting practices. The Office of Campus Sustainability (OCS) recruits volunteers to assist fans at compost and recycling bins during the game, ensuring correct disposal of waste. This initiative can be particularly challenging, especially after hot games with large crowds or on rainy days when leftover trash becomes soggy and difficult to sort. After the game, more volunteers return early on Sunday mornings to hand-sort the waste left behind in the stadium. This labor-intensive process takes 4 to 6 hours and ensures that recyclables and compostables are properly separated, resulting in the cleanest waste stream possible.
On game days, fans have two disposal options: composting and recycling. Almost everything sold in the stadium—ranging from hot dogs and nachos to food packaging—must be either compostable or recyclable. While the stadium makes efforts to minimize waste, a few exceptions exist, such as merchandise packaging and items brought in from outside the stadium, which are challenging to eliminate entirely. To guide fans in disposing of their items correctly, the stadium features signage throughout the venue. However, the most effective way to encourage proper behavior is by having a volunteer stationed at the bins to provide personal direction on waste disposal.
Piloting New Approaches
Last year, the Office of Campus Sustainability piloted a new composting initiative by sending the compostable waste from one game to the U-M Campus Farm. This year, they’re expanding the program to include compost collected from four U-M football games. The goal is for the Campus Farm staff to incorporate this compost into their soil and use it to grow food—closing the loop and transforming game day waste into a source of nourishment.
Diverting Plastics and Donating Food
Soft plastics, like plastic wrap and bubble wrap, can’t be recycled through the regular stream and must be handled separately. The Office of Campus Sustainability aims to divert these materials, which are common in concession packaging, such as ice bags. After game days, these plastics are collected and sent to Recycle Ann Arbor for proper processing.
Challenges Along the Way
Even with a 75% waste diversion rate, challenges remain. One-quarter of game day waste still ends up in landfills, made up of back-of-house materials and bathroom waste. And, of course, the weather plays a role—rainy games see an uptick in non-recyclable ponchos, and hot days mean more bottles and cups to recycle. OCS is also working to ensure smaller vendors are on board with using recyclable materials, and they regularly spot-check what’s being sold to make sure it meets their standards.
It’s not just a matter of sorting waste but educating fans and vendors. As said before, OCS has learned that the most effective way to reduce contamination is to station people at the bins to guide fans. But recruiting volunteers is no easy task. OCS is always on the lookout for student groups to join, and as an incentive, their group can earn $500 per game for their time and effort. Contact OCS to learn how to get involved at ocs_contact@umich.edu.
Sophia Wasson is a Planet Blue Student Leader with Student Life Sustainability.