Saturday marked the beginning of the Recycling at the Rock Initiative where every home football game, tailgaters will be provided with green bags in order to dispose of their garbage in a more environmentally friendly way.

This is the first year for the initiative.

Last year Housing and Residence Life sponsored “Go Green on Game Day,” a program which assisted in cleaning the inside of the stadium.

Former Solar Club president Quint David and graduate industrial technology major Anna E. Erwin stand in front of the mountain of bottles collected at Kidd Brewer Stadium after Saturday’s game. Check online at theapp.appstate.edu for the online exclusive. Photo Special to The Appalachian

However, this initiative is intended to provide the information necessary for visitors, students, and parents to do their part in protecting the environment. 

The operations of this event are due to the hard work of several campus organizations, volunteers, and the people of Appalachian State University Recycles Program.

The program partners with the campus community to promote sustainable resource management practices and to conserve earth’s natural resources.

The program is located in Appalachian’s physical plant and provides recycling containers, information and pick up services to all academic and administrative buildings.

Jennifer B. Maxwell, resource conservations manager for the plant said she is excited for the upcoming year and hopes everyone takes advantage of this opportunity.

“Assisting with preservation of the environment is important and beneficial to future generations,” she said. “Recycling is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to help the environment.”

Maxwell said many new features are available to tailgaters during pre-game activities, such as the green zone, which will be located in Thelma C. Raley Hall parking lot.

“Environmentally conscious examples will be on display such as the Driving Appropriate Innovative Sustainability Energy Education trailer [DAISE], and solar ovens, along with information about our program,” she said.

Maxwell said the advantages of recycling are beneficial to everyone, but Appalachian will save approximately $60 per ton of trash that’s recycled, as opposed to land filling. 

“This initiative is about further enhancing the Appalachian commitment to sustainability, and a statement to visiting schools to follow our lead,” she said.

Anna E. Erwin, industrial technology graduate student and recycles program and outreach intern said students have really stepped up their efforts this year.

“The athletic department has assisted in placing recycling containers at all gates and every concourse marked with ‘Recycle Here’ banners, and the ASUSES [Appalachian State University Sustainable Energy society] is signed on to clean the inside of the stadium following home games,” she said.

Erwin said she was happy with the success from the first week, but there is room for improvement.

“One problem came with people using the green bags in order to throw away their regular trash, volunteers quickly began to hand out black bags for garbage along with the green bags in order to show the significant difference,” she said.

Erwin said she hopes each week more groups will participate and want more presentations and activities inside the green zone.

Senior advertising major Kathryn “Katie” Stokes said she did not attend the first game of the season, but is aware of the initiative and recycles at her own apartment on a regular basis.

“Students do take recycling serious,” she said. “My friends and I will definitely participate in this initiative.”

Event organizers said it is intended for at least one campus organization to help each week, along with student cooperation in order to make a serious impact on the Appalachian community.

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