The need to reduce waste produced by live events, particularly sporting events, has been an ongoing industry mission for years. And as college football season gears up for its final showdowns, schools are continuing to tackle their biggest opponent—trash.
One such effort, the Campus Race to Zero Waste's GameDay Football Zero Waste Touchdown Challenge, tasks participating colleges and universities to reduce the waste footprint of their home games and tailgating events through efforts including reduction of single-use plastics use, food waste recovery, use of reusable products, recycling, and more. The program is governed by RecycleMania, in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation.
To enter, schools submit data from one home game with entries being judged per capita to account for different attendance numbers. The competition honors schools in four categories: recycling, food organics, waste minimization, and outdoor cleanup.
"Continuous communication and education to staff, vendors, fans, and all personnel involved in Gopher Gameday is ongoing to share the impact each individual can make in achieving a more sustainable future for our campus. It takes everyone being committed to waste reduction efforts to see the positive results that we continue to see year over year within the stadium," Seifriz said.Photo: Courtesy of the University of Minnesota
“We are always eager to collaborate with our peers and share in friendly competition that encourages a more sustainable future for our campus,” said Jeff Seifriz, associate athletics director of facilities and capital projects for the University of Minnesota. “We take great pride in our overall sustainability platform, which prioritizes numerous initiatives related to energy, waste reduction, stormwater management, and water usage.”
When it comes to game day operations, Seifriz said that his team works closely with their partners at Aramark Sports & Entertainment, who oversee all food and beverage concessions and catering within Huntington Bank Stadium.
“This relationship has emphasized sustainable product sourcing for both Aramark and subcontracted vendors to ensure that the products and materials we bring into the stadium meet our sustainability goals. Each offseason, we actively review all new product offerings to ensure that they fit our overall sustainability plans and waste reduction priorities,” he explained.
Huntington Bank Stadium (formerly known as TCF Bank Stadium), which was completed in 2009, is the first football stadium—collegiate or professional—to have become LEED certified.
During the 2023 football season at the Coliseum, the landfill diversion rate was 91.74%. The venue diverted 69.32 tons of waste from entering landfills.Photo: Courtesy of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
"Every game, the Coliseum strives to divert at least 90% of the waste generated within the building, and the Zero Waste Game is no exception," said Matthew Buswell, director of stadium operations at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. "[We] use the Zero Waste Game as a platform to inform our fans and attendees about the sustainability work happening behind the scenes that makes the game that much more enjoyable. ... By having a Zero Waste Game, we hold ourselves accountable to back up our sustainability efforts and stay focused on our core mission to sustainably provide our fans with a great experience."
During this year's game, beverages were served in Better for All's reusable, renewable, and certified home-compostable cups, which are made from Kaneka Biopolymers' Green Planet PHBH, a material made by fermenting plant seed oils.
Coca-Cola Zero-branded Better for All cups are being used during the 2025 basketball season at USC.Photo: Courtesy of Better for All
Raegan Kelly, head of product and founding partner of Better for All, explained that, besides the positive environmental impact, the brand’s compostable cups can also help reduce operational costs for stadiums as well as offer revenue opportunities via sponsors.
“The environmental benefits of PHA (the material Better for All cups are made from) offer added benefit to sponsors, allowing them to connect their brands with truly environmentally sustainable materials and products in the minds of attendees and in media coverage.” Plus, Better for All cups can be thrown into the compost bin with food scraps, paper waste, and fiber containers; no need for an additional bin, she added.
"The biggest hurdle when it comes to reducing waste at sporting events is ensuring that our waste streams are uncontaminated before entering the waste compound to be sorted," Buswell said.
"When we have a variety of materials that need to be hand-sorted, it reduces our efficiency on the back end and lengthens the sorting process. This becomes an issue when we have back-to-back events or when we have to complete our sort in a timely manner. Additionally, it increases our landfill weight, which is a razor-thin margin given that only 10% of the waste generated can be landfill or we don't hit the zero-waste threshold. Therefore, doing the work of procuring the right materials, like reusable cups and compostable service ware, greatly increases our efficiency, lack of contamination, and success of achieving zero waste."
During USC football games, beverages are served in Better for All's reusable, renewable, and certified home-compostable cups.Photo: Ling Luo
“Stadiums are complex ecosystems with many stakeholders—fans, vendors, operations teams, and waste management crews—all of whom need to work together to make sustainability initiatives successful. Each group has unique needs, from fans requiring clear signage and accessible systems for composting to vendors needing cost-effective and reliable alternatives to single-use plastics and waste management teams needing processes that streamline collection and diversion,” Kelly said.
“Solutions like compostable PHA cups that don’t require any behavioral change from consumers are key to overcoming these challenges.”
