Hot dogs and beer are almost synonymous with sporting events. Unfortunately, so is garbage. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that sports fans produce 39 million pounds of trash per year. You can’t predict if your team will win or lose, but you can usually count on its dumpsters being full.

Things work differently at Loyola University Chicago’s Gentile Arena, where all events are “zero waste.” Nearly all products available for purchase in the arena are either recyclable or compostable, leading to a landfill diversion rate of 70 to 95 percent. And since landfills are a sizable contributor to climate change, the slower they grow, the better.

These Zero Waste Games began in 2012 as a once-a-year initiative led by Loyola Chicago’s student government; in 2019, students and fans advocated to expand it to every sporting event at the arena.

“Our zero waste games represent so many of Loyola Chicago’s values — transdisciplinary collaboration, experiential learning, and a devotion to solving some of the greatest challenges facing society,” says Nancy Tuchman, PhD, founding dean of Loyola’s School of Environmental Sustainability. “Because it’s done through our very popular sports program, it also has an element of fun and camaraderie. We are showing the world how to continue the traditions we cherish in new ways that protect both people and the planet.”

Here’s how Zero Waste Games work — and how Loyola Chicago classrooms are getting in the game and connecting the local work to a larger movement to clean up sports and entertainment.

Students lead the process

• Before the game, Loyola Chicago works with the concessionaire to purchase items that are easy to compost or recycle — everything from plates and napkins to boats, trays, cups, and foil wrap. Everything you’d see at a regular stadium is something you’d see at Gentile Arena — just a more sustainable version.
• During the game, student interns with Loyola Chicago’s Office of Sustainability manage the zero waste process. They recruit and train peers and faculty to help fans dispose of their items properly at special stations. These volunteers are ambassadors for sustainability at Loyola Chicago more broadly.
• After the game, student-managed volunteers sweep the stands for items that have been left behind and deposit them into the special recycle and compost bins before the professional cleaning crews come in. They also weigh the materials to measure their collective impact.

“For Loyola, our zero waste games are not just a step in our overall commitment to sustainability; they are an opportunity to engage the Rambler fans and our guests in caring for our common home,” says Aaron Durnbaugh, the university’s Director of Sustainability. “For our students and student-athletes, it’s a chance to learn more about the impacts of large events, sustainability coordination, and how to engage around these topics.”

Thanks to Zero Waste Games, Loyola Chicago kept more than 1,000 pounds of waste out of landfills in the 2023-24 academic year.