The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
‘Bleed orange, live green’ at Baseball, Softball weekend games
04.27.2016 | Baseball, Texas Athletics, Softball, Bleed Orange. Live Green.
Texas Athletics strives to divert 90 percent of waste generated at baseball, softball games April 29-May 1.
This weekend, help the Longhorns bleed orange and live green, as Texas Baseball and Softball host Zero Waste Weekend. Please do you part to help us divert 90 percent of the waste generated at UFCU Disch-Falk Field and Red & Charline McCombs Stadium from the landfill by sorting items into recycling and composting containers.
Texas Athletics, in conjunction with the University of Texas, promotes and supports sustainability. We make sustainability a priority in all endeavors and encourage fans to do their part to create a clean and sustainable gameday environment. As part of our "Bleed Orange, Live Green" campaign, Texas Athletics is committed to helping to reach a campus-wide zero waste goal by 2020.
Several initiatives began this year to push us towards that goal. For instance, this spring, BASF sponsored "Sustainable Saturdays" at home baseball and softball games. This effort assists baseball and softball fans to recycle and compost as well as learn more about how Texas Athletics is promoting sustainability at our events and facilities.
"Texas Athletics is aiming to be zero waste by 2017 — that means 90 percent diversion from the landfill at all Athletics events," Texas Men's Athletics Director Mike Perrin said. "This is an ambitious goal, but with the support of sponsors like BASF, events like Sustainable Saturdays, and participation from Texas fans, we can do it."
BASF's support advances the ongoing work of the Sustainability Squad, a team of athletics volunteers who assist fans as they sort recycling and compost at gameday facilities. The Squad is easy to spot in bright green T-shirts. Look for them monitoring our recycling and compost bins and handing out stickers to fans at our sustainability stations every week.
The Sustainability Squad also exists to educate patrons about recycling and composting positive effects and best practices. In addition, every game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field features a sustainability tip, which is featured on the videoboard and in a public address announcement. These tips provide ideas about how to integrate sustainability into everyday life, and cover a wide range of topics, from water usage to local plant life.
BASF also provides support for the Sustainability Squad during the football season. With their help, we diverted 48 percent of waste in 2015 and placed 25th nationally in the Gameday Recycling Challenge.
"The sponsorship that BASF has with Texas Athletics for Sustainable Saturdays is very exciting. To be part of a program that makes a difference on campus and in Austin by reducing waste and enjoying sports at the same time is truly a win-win for all of us," said Tom Yura, BASF Senior Vice President and a proud Texas Ex.
