This year’s Campus Race to Zero Waste competition, running now through March 23, will tip off on February 7 at Bender Arena with the 10th Annual Sustainability-themed Men’s Basketball game. "Go Green," but wear red, white, and blue to cheer on the men's basketball team, presented by Platinum Level official game sponsor, DAVIS Construction. The game is planned each year by AU Athletics, Facilities Management's Energy & Engineering and Grounds teams, and the Office of Sustainability, and is also joined this year by the Office of Parking and Commuter Services.   

Attendees will be able to celebrate AU’s sustainability accomplishments and efforts across campus by engaging with environmental student organizations, including AU Beekeeping Society, AU Outdoors, Wonk Trade, Food Recovery Network, PeaceJam, AU’s Sunrise Hub, the Kogod Sustainability Club, and the Community Garden. AU’s Zero Waste team also will be on hand to help fans sort their waste into either compost, recycling, or landfill trash bins.

At the pre-game sustainability fair and fanfest, AU students can enjoy free food samples from Chartwells and AU’s Airlie Berkshire Farm, featuring sustainably grown, organic ingredients. Students can also enter a free raffle to win a weekend night stay at the Airlie Hotel and Conference Center and the grand prize of an electric scooter, with safety kit courtesy of AU Athletics and the Office of Sustainability.

“AU’s energy infrastructure and efficiency projects have played a key role in aiding the university’s resilient and sustainable operations in the past decade, and I look forward to celebrating our advancements at the Sustainability Awareness Basketball Game,” shared Juan Allen, Energy Conservation and Efficiency Manager.

“The sustainability awareness basketball game is always an educational and fun night for our fans, alumni, and students. It’s an event that Athletics takes pride in hosting and looks forward to each year. It’s an opportunity to help tell the impressive stories and achievements of our community in this critically important space of social responsibility, while also showing school spirit," said Robert Sherman, Assistant Athletics Director for Marketing and Corporate Partnerships.

AU students receive free admission to the game with an AU ID, and AU faculty, staff, alumni, and fans receive $5 off per ticket when using the online coupon code GREEN24.

As the semester continues, join the Zero Waste Office, the Office of Sustainability, and the entire American University community as we participate in the Campus Race to Zero Waste competition. Run by the National Wildlife Federation, the annual eight-week national competition is an opportunity for the AU community to come together to reduce the amount of waste produced on campus.      

The competition focuses on the following categories:

• Overall diversion – tracked and reported based on weighing the recyclables, trash, and organics produced on campus on a weekly basis.
• Food organics competition – food waste minimization efforts will be reported on a weekly basis. Last year, thanks to our Compost Crew, AU placed 10th out of 93 universities in this category, and it’s where we expect our stiffest competition from other universities. 
• Per capita recycling – a ranking of universities and colleges based on recyclables per capita reported on a weekly basis.
• Electronics waste – tracked and reported based on the collection of scrap electronics during a one-month period.
• Case study – a report will be written about AU’s best practices after the competition and submitted to the competition’s organizers at the National Wildlife Federation.

“The Campus Race to Zero Waste competition aligns with AU's goal of zero waste by 2030 and challenges our whole community to join our waste reduction, recycling, and compost efforts. The more people who choose reusable utensils and use the compost bins, the higher we'll rank each week and the closer to zero waste we'll grow,” said AU’s Director of Sustainability Megan Litke.

Events to keep an eye out for include a clothes-mending workshop at the Makerspace in the library; Office of Sustainability tables with games and giveaways across campus throughout the competition; and an office supply swap for faculty and staff during spring break. More events and opportunities will be announced soon.

For your part, here are some quick and easy ways to do your part during the competition and throughout the year:

• Know how to sort your waste on AU’s campus. Check the signs or review our sorting guides.
• Decrease your use of disposable plastics. Invest in a reusable water bottle, utensil set, and/or coffee mug for eating on-the-go.
• Practice upcycling, reusing, or donating items like school supplies, clothing, and home goods.

AU will compete with colleges and universities across the U.S. and Canada and doing well in the competition depends on the participation of everyone on campus, so be sure to sort your waste properly and to join in on all the planned opportunities and events.

Winners of the competition will be announced on April 27.

To learn more about Campus Race to Zero Waste as well as AU’s sustainability efforts, visit the Sustainability website, sign up for their newsletter, and be sure to follow on Instagram (@thegreenau and @zerowasteau).

In addition to DAVIS Construction’s presenting Platinum Level sponsorship of the evening, the Eagles also extend appreciation to the following corporations for their support.

Gold Level: 

• Airlie Hotel and Conference Center and Airlie Berkshire Farm
• Chartwells
• Donohoe Construction Company

Silver Level: 

• The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company

Bronze Level: 

• Aramark Higher Education
• E.C. Ernst Electrical Contractors
• HBW Construction
• Siemens Industries, Inc.