How Michigan State University, Others are Cleaning Up Tailgating

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): Sporting events have become a priority at MSU and other universities seeking the best way to engage the public with sustainability initiatives. Tailgaters create two types of waste: recyclables and nonrecyclable waste, according to a recent study in the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education.

University officials clean up the waste generated by tailgaters on Sundays following game days, said study author John Kerr, a professor in MSU’s Department of Community Sustainability. In addition, some tailgaters and other people around campus collect recyclable waste, like bottles and cans, to make money. Kerr highlighted a mix of formal rules and informal efforts to encourage sustainability during tailgates.

For example, banning drinking games, limiting tailgating hours and access to some previously used spaces are formal rules implemented 15 years ago to reduce tailgate waste. Since then, informal efforts, including the “green your tailgate” initiative, have encouraged a shared understanding of acceptable behavior and social norms at football tailgates. That initiative provides community members with tips to make their tailgates more sustainable, like ditching paper plates and plastic cutlery. Kerr concluded that Michigan’s bottle law, which turns empty cans into a source of income for those willing to collect them, makes recycling a priority for tailgaters and those who pick up the empty cans.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantage.com