UNC Charlotte Sets Sustainability Standard With Zero-Waste Stadium

Since 2013, Jerry Richardson Stadium at UNC Charlotte has kept a staggering amount of waste from landfills through its zero-waste initiative. The stadium's recycling and composting work stops 84 percent of trash from ending up in dumps.

Students kicked off this green push by demanding the new stadium meet strict waste standards. The 90 percent target for keeping items from landfills stands way above what most places achieve: just 32 percent nationwide.

"We're a leader now in the college arena because we do it consistently for every game and we're getting over 80 percent diversion per game," said Shannon Caveny-Cox, zero-waste coordinator, according to Inside UNC Charlotte.

The stadium took bold steps by pulling out every trash can from its walkways. Now fans must pick between green or blue bins for their waste. Yellow-shirted students watch these spots during games, showing people where things go.

Take the recent North Carolina matchup: workers saved nearly four tons of stuff from the dump. The next morning, teams sort through it all: drinks, food scraps, paper goods, and more.

"When I'm working, I don't really notice the impact because I'm running back and forth from the trash cans, moving bags and sorting trash," said Logan David, a junior civil engineering major. "It doesn't really hit until someone sits down and does all the numbers and they realize we stopped three tons of waste from going to the landfill."

Five states handle the sorted materials, but most stays close to cut costs. Old bottles turn into new clothes and carpets. Used foam becomes fresh insulation and picture frames.

Food seller Chartwells makes sure fans can recycle or compost everything they buy. The Honors College pitches in too: students show up after games to sort through it all.

Mason Wood, studying engineering as a junior, pushed the program further. His grant brought special bins to the soccer field. "As someone who grew up playing soccer and cares deeply about sustainability, this was more than just a project for me," Wood said.

With local dumps getting full, timing matters. Caveny-Cox puts it straight: "If we start running out of space in the landfill, then we have to figure out, are we trucking it to another place or can we actually reuse our waste?"