University of Washington, Seattle
IN-4: Green Athletics

The University of Washington Department of Athletics is committed to a sustainable future through innovative programs, ever-increasing waste diversion goals and sustainable building practices. UW's football program is committed to Zero Waste, and has waste diversion outreach programs at every home game. The Athletics Green Team recruits volunteers who are stationed throughout Husky Stadium and tailgating areas before and during games to encourage proper recycling and composting and educate fans on Zero Waste and other sustainability efforts. During the 2018 season, every football game featured the "Green Minute" during a second-half break, where customer service team members walked through each section collecting recyclable materials while in-stadium announcements and video board displays provided information on UW Athletics' sustainability and Zero Waste efforts. For the past several seasons, UW Athletics has worked with concessionaires to ensure all serviceware and food packaging is recyclable or compostable, and has diverted more than 80% of all waste from the landfill the past two seasons through recycling and composting. Husky Stadium is certified LEED Silver after a 2012 renovation. During construction, over 95% of construction waste was reused or recycled. Concrete removed from the lower bowl was crushed on site and reused for fill under the current structure. The stadium was renovated using Salmon Safe practices, using two large retention ponds to filter all waste water before entering Lake Washington. Additionally, existing trees and shrubs were saved and replanted on site after construction. More info: https://gohuskies.com/sports/2014/8/19/209613684.aspx Husky Stadium is located next to the University of Washington light rail station, and communications with fans encourages the use of light rail or other public transit options. Fans can take express buses to UW football home games from area Metro Park & Ride locations, and many regular bus routes serve the stadium as well. UW also provides a free bike valet for fans who bike to the games using the regional Burke-Gilman Trail which runs directly past the stadium. The Athletics Green Team has many community engagement efforts, including gameday activities. In addition to volunteers helping educate about recycling/composting throughout the Zone, volunteers staffed a sustainability info table in the Fan Zone, and the Green Team worked with Coca-Cola to introduce a bottle launch game, giving volunteers a fun, interactive point of engagement to talk about proper recycling, composting and sustainability in general. Fans who visited the table could also follow UW Athletics' Sustainability social media channels for a chance at free tickets, given out via social media posts during the game. The Green Athletics social media channels use a plush Husky toy as a visual mascot named Eco, and fans are encouraged to take selfies with Eco, and pictures of Eco are used to help draw attention to informational posts on the channels. Green Team volunteers also circulate throughout tailgating areas using the "Go Green Huskies cart" – a golf-cart style vehicle. Volunteers handed out blue bags for recycling throughout the tailgating areas while providing information on proper recycling/composting, and also encouraging fans to follow the Green Team's social media channels for prize chances. In 2018, for the first time, student-athletes were featured in a video spot shown during home football games. The student-athletes were from tennis, basketball, volleyball, track and field, and crew and encouraged fan to help them keep Husky Stadium sustainable for future generations of Huskies. Outside of football games, the Green Team regularly tables at events across campus with outreach materials on UW Athletics' sustainability efforts, and at least one game each season for each varsity sport is designated a "Green Game" where sustainability is featured with educational materials and prize giveaways.