January 30, 2008

SIX TONS OF RECYCLING AMASSED AT ROSE BOWL GAME

Football fans know the USC Trojans amassed 633 yards of total offense at the Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1, but how many know that at that same game the city of Pasadena’s efforts amassed nearly six tons of trash for recycling?

That’s the equivalent of 51 USC football players, based on the team’s current average weight.

In collaboration with Rose Bowl Stadium, L.A. Conservation Corps and SCS Engineers, the city collected more than 81,000 beverage containers. Nearly 93,000 people attended the 94th Rose Bowl Game.

Based on estimates, recycling diverted more than 21,000 aluminum cans, 51,000 plastic bottles and 9,000 glass bottles from going to the landfill. More than 2,300 pounds of cardboard was also collected from stadium vendors.

The program’s success was due in large part to outreach efforts to stadium vendors and event managers prior to pre-game activities. The city of Pasadena and L.A. Conservation Corps dispersed bins throughout the event area, Coca-Cola donated recycling bins for the stadium concourse and Allan Company provided cardboard recycling services. L.A. Conservation Corps handed out recycling bags to tailgaters and collected single-serving beverage containers from special events, parking lots and stadium seating area.

Through a grant to the city of Pasadena, SCS Engineers was retained to design, implement and manage a comprehensive recycling program for materials generated in the stadium and during pre-game activities, including alumni celebrations, tailgate parties, corporate celebrations and media tents.

In accordance with a city ordinance to divert 50 percent of the waste stream, L.A. Conservation Corps estimates 70 percent of the bottles and cans generated throughout the pre-game activities and stadium were collected for recycling.

The city provides a number of efficient reuse and recycling collection programs to protect the community’s health, reduce waste and ensure the city is aesthetically pleasing.

For more information call (626) 744-4721.