Macalester College
IN-4: Green Athletics

New sustainability student workers in the Athletics Department have spearheaded a growing sustainability culture within athletic programs the Leonard Center. There are now two plastic bag collection points in the Leonard Center and old sporting equipment is donated to club teams or thrift stores. All concession stands use compostable materials and dishware and does not sell bottled water. During events, extra trash, compost, and recycling bins are placed out for fans to use. Bleacher sweeps after events include separation of compostables and recycling from trash, and special signage is posted on training carts as to where their contents go (for example, that the disposable gatorade cups are compostable). The building manager ensures that lights and sound are at appropriate levels for safety and performance, and are turned off or down to resting levels after the event. Looking forward, the distribution of the reusable dry-erase Auspens for athletics coaches and staffers is in its early stages. The Athletics fields are included under the campus-wide sustainable landscaping master plan (https://www.macalester.edu/sustainability/living-laboratory/landscaping/sustainablelandscapeplan.pdf). Students in the Sustainability and the Campus class have recommended sustainability actions for the Athletics Dept (and many have been implemented). Student papers are here: https://www.macalester.edu/academics/environmentalstudies/courses/courseprojects/citiessustainability2011/AthleticSustainability.pdf https://www.macalester.edu/academics/environmentalstudies/courses/courseprojects/pdf/ENVI202-LeonardCenter2016.pdf