Millersville, Pa. – Millersville and Shippensburg in the annual Homecoming game Saturday at Chryst Field at Biemesderfer Stadium . Fans that attend the game get to compete as well, just in a different way. Fans all across the country that attend college football games at 75 other venues will be tracked to see which school can reduce the most waste.
The 2011 Game Day Challenge is sponsored by and is part of the EPA's WasteWise program. Colleges and universities that take part in this competition implement waste reduction programs during the home football games. Participants will track and reports waste reduction and disposal data.
This is the determining factor in deciding where Millersville finishes among the 76 competing colleges and universities. Waste Management will bring in the trash compactors, weigh trash and calculate the school's total for submission.
The goals of the competition for this Saturday are to: lower waste generated at college football games; increase participation by students, faculty, staff and community in waste reduction programs; and heighten awareness of waste reduction programs. There are five different categories to be won in this challenge.
The first category that can be won is in Waste Generation. This award goes to the school with the lowest per capita waste generation and was won last year by Ithaca College and the University of Tennessee at Martin.
The second winner comes in the Diversion Rate category. The winner in this category is the school with the largest overall recycling rate. Last year's winner in this category was the University of California, Davis.
Third is the Greenhouse Gas Reduction category, which goes to the school with the largest greenhouse gas reduction. The 2010 winner in this category was the University of Central Oklahoma.
Recycling is the fourth category to be won, as the school with the largest recycling rate wins that category. The recycling winner from a year ago was also the University of Central Oklahoma. They took two of the five categories.
Finally, the fifth category is Organics Reduction. The winner in this category is the school with the largest organic reduction rate. Marist College won this category last year.
Come out Saturday to support the Marauders as they take on the Red Raiders on Homecoming. And don't forget, fans, when you throw something away in the trash, you are in a competition of your own.
