As college football season heads underway, our minds head toward tailgating, chips and dips, and most likely a good beer or two; however, what we do not think about is the amount of waste college football produces. In 2016 alone 34,800,919 people attended 808 home division one NCAA football games, an average of 43,070 people per game (Brock). While collegiate sporting venues have made conscious efforts toward sustainability, the University of Missouri published on August 30th, 2017 their results in regards to their own 2014 study analyzing waste. The study encompassed five home 2014 football games. Of these games, the team audited landfill designated waste collected data on the number of garbage bags removed during and after the games which they separated into categories based on their contents. Of the 47.3 metric tons of waste, 29.6 metric tons was food with 17.7 metric tons generated inside the stadium.
After compiling the results, the University of Missouri defined zero waste as “‘designing and managing products and processes to systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and materials’” which they sought to compost or recycle ninety percent of that waste. To achieve this goal the university set six action goals this year: donate unsold food, switch materials that were not compostable or recyclable, understand food demand, reduce the use of red meat, have more recycling bins, and education for attendees (Sossamon).
In light of this research, I am curious as to how effective the University of Missouri’s plan will be. Over the next football season, Mizzou will need to repeat their research to see their effectiveness and implementation. Additionally, I am curious on what impact the educational component will hold. How will the university complete education? Will they use posters and will the posters be accessible to those who first language is not English and/or those who do not hold a high school diploma or GED? How many categories will they recycle? Will they recycle grocery bags and plastics one through seven? Several questions linger in regards to Mizzou’s plan, but regardless one must start somewhere.
In regards to the quality of the article itself, the source is credible, as it comes out of an academic institution. Consequently, the language of greenhouse gases, toxic waste, and audits are beyond the common layperson; thus they are inaccessible. Granted, the article also includes a video explaining the research to alleviate some of the academic jargon and reach those who may be visually impaired.
(February 2018)
Works Cited
Brock, P. “NCAA Football Attendance.” NCAA.org – The Official Site of the NCAA, NCAA, 12
Apr. 2017, www.ncaa.org/championships/statistics/ncaa-football-attendance. Accessed 4 Sept. 2017.
Sossamon, Jeff. “News Bureau, University of Missouri.” MU News Bureau Atom, 30 Aug. 2017,
nbsubscribe.missouri.edu/news-releases/2017/0830-mu-study-reveals-ways-in-which-colle
giate-sports-venues-can-move-beyond-zero-waste/. Accessed 4 Sept. 2017.
