University of Maryland Strives to Become 'Zero-Waste' Campus

The Diamondback

With the move to the Big Ten attracting more people to sporting events, this university has had to accommodate an increase in waste.

As a part of the Drive to Zero Waste initiative, a joint effort of Intercollegiate Athletics, Facilities Management and Dining Services, university officials are making efforts to turn all athletic facilities on the campus into “zero-waste” facilities, diverting 90 percent of waste from landfills to composting and recycling stations, starting with Byrd Stadium.

“It’s a very ambitious project,” said Andrew Muir, Sustainability Office spokesman. “But I think it’s going to take some time in terms of not only educating people, but also dealing with the larger crowds that they’re going to be getting.”

The initiative, which will add new waste-sorting stations in athletic facilities, received a $40,000 grant from this university’s Sustainability Fund. The stations will reduce the amount of materials going to landfills and provide the compactors needed to handle the compost, said Student Government Association sustainability director Ori Gutin.

The junior environmental science and policy major said a key component of the initiative is a plan to educate students about composting and recycling at all sporting events.

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