Appalachian State University
EN-5: Outreach Campaign

ASU Recycles, in collaboration with several other campus departments, develops and implements the 'Recycle At The Rock' program. On game days, tailgaters are asked to utilize green recyclable bags to collect their bottles, cans and clean cardboard from their tailgating site. Once full, these are left behind and Appalachian State staff collect the bags from the tailgate lots to be recycled. Volunteers assist ASU Recycles staff with the distribution of these bags. In addition, over 75 recycling bins are placed throughout the stadium area on game days, and the recycling left behind in the stadium is also separated out by a contracted clean-up crew as well.

Education and outreach is one of the keys to the success of this campaign. Through this campaign, we have been able to utilize our volunteers to educate students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members about the importance of waste reduction, recycling, and sustainability. Not only do our game day volunteers have the opportunity to outreach while distributing the bags, but our student interns have the opportunity to outreach to many classes while recruiting for volunteers. There is also a massive training effort involved with our volunteers prior to game day as well. Before this campaign began, all the recycling from tailgating and the stadium was thrown away. We have diverted over 9 tons of material from the landfill last football season, through over 100 volunteers passing out over 30,000 bags. In addition, we have been able to reach an audience of thousands at every home game.

A “zero waste” commitment has begun at Appalachian State University with the goal of diverting 90 percent of all waste from landfill disposal by 2022. As part of this commitment, single stream recycling and mini-bin waste collections initiatives will be implemented. These initiatives are a collaborative effort between the Office of Sustainability, Building Services and the Physical Plant. In keeping with the zero waste commitment of Appalachian, Athletics is partnering with the Physical Plant and Office of Sustainability to develop a zero waste stadium plan, being implemented in the 2014 football season. The stadium game day waste collection will consist of 15 zero waste zones for the collection of compost and recycling throughout the concourse areas. These zones will have ample signage and zero waste attendants at each location to ensure attendees are educated and aware of which container to use when discarding their waste. The group is working with the concessionaires to ensure the products they use are either compostable or recyclable. The condiment areas will consist of bulk condiments rather than individual packets. The clean up of the stadium post game will also work to separate waste for recycling or composting.

The university currently diverts 42 percent of its waste annually from a landfill by recycling, reducing and composting. An Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP) Program has been implemented. Through this program, the university will be required to purchase environmentally preferable products when price and quality are comparable. The development of an EPP work group will involve collaboration of many different stakeholders across campus. One such example of the effects of the EPP program, is the option for EPP ink toners and cartridges (http://materials.appstate.edu/sites/materials.appstate.edu/files/EPP%20Announcement.pdf). As part of the Zero Waste Commitment the Office of Sustainability published a comprehensive waste audit report in spring 2014 (http://zerowaste.appstate.edu/sites/zerowaste.appstate.edu/files/FINAL%20exec%20summary%20feb%202014.pdf) to be used as a planning tool in identifying potential areas of improvement and as a educational tool for explaining how our current waste-stream is managed. The study concludes that ASU has the potential to divert up to 88% of its waste stream.

Don't Throw it Away (DTiA). This campaign encourages students living in on-campus dorms to donate used items. Most anything is accepted, from shower caddies, lamps, futons, clean carpets, clothes, and non-perishable food items! Volunteers collect items from designated drop-off zones and organize them for sale at "The BIG Sale" held on-campus at the beginning of every fall semester. Funds raised from the sale go to 3 non-profit organizations to help them increase energy efficiency. This year alone over $20,000 was raised, and over $100,000 total since the program began in 2001.