Ralphie's Green Stampede spring semester recap
Ralphie’s Green Stampede, a partnership between the ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Environmental Center, ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä AthleticsÌýand Facilities Management, completed another successful basketball season. Ralphie’s Green Stampede had student volunteers at more than 20 men's and women's basketball games in the 2021-22 season. Volunteers educated Buffs fans about zero waste and how to be a sustainable Buff at home, workÌýand play. RGS also helped achieve a record 91% diversion rate at the Buffs’ final home game against Arizona.
Zero Waste students (left to right)ÌýMoe, EmilyÌýand MaytalÌýpose at a sustainability table at the ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Events Center
for the 2022 green basketball game. More than 200 fans visited the sustainability table at the green game.
At the sustainability table, fans could take a pledge to reduce their environmental impact and play a recycling
game in order to win prizes like bamboo utensils, water bottles, t-shirts made from recycled water bottlesÌýand bike
lights. Here an RGS student, Claire, and RGS program manager, Angie, hand out prizes.
At the sustainability table, Environmental Center student Maytal taught both Colorado and Arizona fans about
proper recycling sorting by having them play a game modeled on corn hole.
After the games ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Recycling students sort and audit all the waste from the game on folding tables at the event
center in order to minimize the waste sent to landfills.
At our green game, the Buffs’ upset win over Arizona on Feb.Ìý26, we diverted 91% of the waste from landfills,
including 1,200lbs of bottles and cans for recycling and 1,500lbs of organic waste sent to a compost yard.
At sorts, ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Recycling students like Makayla (left), work with ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Athletics staff like sustainability coordinator
Alex Hoots (right) to audit the waste from concessions staff to ensure that they are following proper sorting
procedures. Students follow up with training for staff.
Ralphie’s Green Stampede MVP Lucas (center-left) poses with four of the volunteers he recruited and trained
this season to help make ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä basketball zero waste.