ASU defeats Wildcats, waste in double overtime victory

The Wildcats weren’t the only thing that met defeat at this past weekend’s men’s basketball game; the 10,754 attendees to the ASU vs. UA game at Wells Fargo Arena on Feb. 14 also defeated waste, with a total waste diversion rate of 87 percent.

ASU is reporting the rate as a part of the RecycleMania Game Day Basketball Challenge.

As a part of Sun Devil Athletics’ Zero Waste Initiative, a mere 197 pounds of trash was sent to the landfill out of 656 pounds of recycled and 708 pounds of compostable materials. With its adoption of the Zero Waste Initiative, Sun Devil Athletics was named one of the top-10 athletic departments for sustainability last August by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The term “zero waste” refers to a 90 percent diversion rate of trash from landfills, which is achieved by recycling and composting. In order to achieve that goal, most items purchased inside Wells Fargo Arena are either recyclable or compostable. 

In addition to Wells Fargo Arena, Packard Stadium, Farrington Stadium and Sun Devil Stadium have transitioned into zero-waste facilities. Zero Waste is just a small part of ASU’s overall commitment to sustainability, which includes campus-wide recycling efforts, green curriculum, and green building practices.

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