The University of Michigan sets new Recycle Bowl record for largest recycling event in school history

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan fans can now proclaim they are among the nation’s “leaders and best” at college football gameday recycling.

Wolverine fans who attended the Nov. 2 game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor against the top-ranked Oregon Ducks helped achieve the largest recycling event in the University of Michigan history.

Together, they collected a new record of more than 22 tons of recyclable materials at pre- and postgame tailgate parties and during the game inside the stadium as part of the school’s second-ever Recycle Bowl.

The Recycle Bowl is an innovative campaign aimed at growing recycling awareness among college football fans for recycling at the game and during tailgate festivities. It is supported by partners including The University of Michigan Athletic Department, Absopure, Amcor Rigid Packaging, Clean Tech, Husky Technologies, National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR), Penn Color and Plastipak.

“Michigan Athletics is pleased to once again participate in the Recycle Bowl,” said Paul Dunlop, Associate Athletic Director for Facility Operations and Capital Projects.

“We put a lot of effort into diverting as much waste as possible from landfill at Michigan Stadium,” Dunlop said. “Our zero-waste initiative is one of many ways the Athletic Department supports campus-wide efforts to advance sustainability. To have our efforts rewarded by setting a new record at this year's Recycle Bowl is a great opportunity for us to showcase our commitment and dedication to sustainable practices.”

Michigan’s total this year surpassed the 20 tons (or 40,000-plus pounds) of recyclable materials processed during its inaugural Recycle Bowl in 2023.

During the 2024 Recycle Bowl, Michigan Athletics collected more than 44,000 pounds of reused or recyclable materials, including PET plastic bottles, aluminum, paper, cardboard, wooden pallets, composting and food donations. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—easily identified by the #1 on the container—is a type of polyester plastic that's strong, lightweight, and recyclable. PET, the most recycled plastic in the world, is used to package food and beverages, including water, juices, and carbonated soft drinks. It's also used for health, beauty, and cleaning products.

“Our three goals for the Recycle Bowl are to create recycling habits, grow recycling awareness and ultimately improve recycling rates,” said Eric Roegner, President, Amcor Rigid Packaging, one of the event’s sponsors.

“It’s a tremendous platform that allows sports fans to embrace a cause that truly resonates with the global community: building a more sustainable world and achieving true circularity by increasing recycling participation,” Roegner said. “The Recycle Bowl is a great reminder to us all that when we all recycle — whether at home, at the tailgate or at the game — it’s the planet that wins.”

Showcasing the circularity of PET packaging, which can be endlessly recycled, and the benefits of recycling, the PET plastic collected from the Nov. 2 game will be turned into new water bottles by Michigan-based Absopure. Those bottles will be distributed for free to fans at Michigan’s Feb. 21 basketball game against Michigan State University at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor. 

A zero-waste Michigan Stadium supports the University of Michigan’s deep commitment to sustainability within its education, research and operations. Michigan Stadium has a 20-year recycling tradition and is committed to diverting recyclable and compostable materials from landfills.

On any given Saturday during a Wolverine football game, the more than 111,000 people who filter in and out of Michigan Stadium generate approximately 6.5 tons of recyclable materials, such as cardboard pizza boxes, aluminum cans and plastic bottles and containers. They also produce approximately 2 tons of compost, including specially designed compostable food trays, napkins, coffee lids, soda cups, cheese cups and lids, deli wraps, popcorn bags, spoons, forks, knives, straws and food waste that Michigan Athletics serves to patrons through its Michigan Stadium food and beverage vendors.

In fact, the national trade publication Waste 360 featured Michigan Stadium as one of the top college football stadiums in the country for its recycling efforts. The story noted that “once Michigan Stadium is filled to the brim in blue and maize, attendees will see plenty of signage pointing them to containers for recycling and composting, food and beverages are served in compostable containers, cups, and trays, and after the game you can find cleanup crews sorting waste before it’s sent off to the proper facility.” 

The compostable items taken Nov. 2 from Michigan Stadium were delivered to WeCare Organics LLC in Ann Arbor for sorting. All recycling materials were taken to the Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority.

Michigan Athletic’s Recycle Bowl announcement comes as the Great Lakes State’s recycling rate has hit an all-time high for an unprecedented third consecutive year. At its current pace of improvement, Michigan is on track to achieve the state’s goal of a 30% recycling rate by 2029.

According to the most recent analysis by the Michigan Dept. of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, Michigan’s recycling rate has risen from 14.25% before 2019 to 21% last year and over 23% now.

About AmcorAmcor is a global leader in the development and production of responsible packaging solutions for various industries, including food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home and personal-care, and more. Collaborating with leading companies worldwide, Amcor protects products and consumers while differentiating brands and enhancing supply chains through a range of flexible and rigid packaging, specialty cartons, closures, and services. The company remains committed to creating increasingly lighter weight, recyclable, and reusable packaging with a growing percentage of recycled content. With a global workforce of 44,000 employees, Amcor generated $15 billion in annual sales in fiscal year 2022, operating across 220 locations in 43 countries, listed on NYSE: AMCR and ASX: AMC.

About Michigan Athletics

The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving, and applying knowledge, art, and academic values and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future. Ranked as the country's number one public research university, the University of Michigan offers more than 275-degree programs across 19 schools and colleges. With more than 48,000 students on the Ann Arbor campus hailing from 50 states and 139 countries, Michigan's Go Blue Guarantee tuition program guarantees free tuition for families with incomes $65,000 and under. One out of every four in-state undergraduates pay no tuition to attend the University. Michigan athletic teams have claimed 57 team national championships and 329 individual national champions over the years, beginning with football's 1901 national title. The history of Michigan athletics includes the famous winged helmet, 415 Big Ten Conference championship teams, 172 Academic All-Americans, 183 Olympic medals, and much more.

About Absopure

Founded in 1908, Plymouth, Michigan-based Absopure is a family-owned home and office refreshment delivery services provider, offering direct delivery of water and coffee-related goods throughout the Midwest. The company provides a variety of bottled waters—including natural spring, steam-distilled, purified drinking, vapor distilled with electrolytes and alkaline—in an assortment of sizes ranging from individual bottles and cases to five-gallon jugs. Absopure water is also available in thousands of retailers across the country.

About Clean Tech

Clean Tech was founded in 1989 to reclaim the plastic in water containers and other post-consumer packaging. Clean Tech’s leaders knew that recycling would extend disposal capacity, save money in disposal costs and conserve natural resources. They saw further growth opportunity in the business’s potential for creating new jobs and providing a reliable, cost-effective resource for the manufacturing industry. This modern recycling center initiated the company’s entry into the environmental movement more than 30 years ago. Clean Tech recycled 2 billion bottles in 2007 alone at its Dundee, Michigan facility. It now recycles more than 10 billion bottles per year globally and continues to invest in recycling technology and operational improvements.

About Husky

Since 1953, Husky Technologies^TM has been pioneering technologies that enable the delivery of essential needs to the global community with industry-leading expertise and service. A global leader, Husky is powered by teams of exceptional people in more than 40 locations with valued customers who operate in over 140 countries. By focusing on sustainably sourced feedstocks, material reuse and the exclusive use of medical-grade polymers, Husky continues to be committed to enabling the circular economy now and into the future.

About the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR)

Founded in 1987, the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) is the industry association for the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic packaging industry in the United States, Canada and Mexico. NAPCOR is dedicated to promoting the PET package; to overcoming hurdles to the successful recycling of PET; and to communicating the attributes of the PET container as a sustainable package. Learn more at https://napcor.com/.

About Penn Color

Penn Color is a third-generation privately held global manufacturer of market-leading color and additives. With a workforce of over 700 dedicated employees spread across North America, Europe, and Asia, Penn Color is committed to a leadership role in the global color and additive industry. Penn Color will continue to grow its global footprint in all regions of the world, continue to create and innovate, and continue the commitment to exceed the expectations of our customers. Learn more at www.penncolor.com.

About Plastipak PackagingFounded in 1967 by William C. Young, Plastipak has stood as a pioneer in the design and manufacturing of innovative plastic packaging solutions for more than 50 years. Today, Plastipak Packaging, a wholly owned subsidiary of Plastipak Holdings Inc., is a global leader in the rigid plastic packaging and bottle-to-bottle recycling industries. We operate 40 manufacturing sites in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia through which we produce more than 40 billion units annually. Our customers include some of the world’s most respected and recognized consumer brands within the aerosol; food and beverage; consumer cleaning; personal care; and automotive, industrial, and agricultural product markets. With global headquarters in Plymouth, Michigan, Plastipak holds more than 1,500 patents for our state-of-the-art package designs and manufacturing processes. Plastipak’s development of award-winning technologies and commitment to sustainability reflect our passion for Packaging the Future.