The Green Grove interns and manager from left to right: Jillian Cowart, Grace Haines, Kendall McDonald and Kay Kay DeRossette
The Green Grove Initiative is a community service opportunity where representatives introduce our recycling program to all tailgaters and make game day recycling a positive experience for all. This campaign educates fans, students and visitors how to be good stewards of their resources while enjoying the most cherished spot on campus. Our Game Day volunteers help give out green recycling bags to tailgaters and spread enthusiasm for our program.
How it works
Tailgaters can recycle aluminum cans, plastic bottles and containers, as well as plastic cups like Solo cups in green bags or in recycling bins across the Grove and Circle. Volunteers are on campus every home game day to pass out the bags, but tailgaters can also pick up the bags at bag dispenser stations on the Union Plaza and in the Circle. The bags can be left at the tents and will be collected by Landscape Services. Volunteers can also help sort the recyclables on Mondays following home games. The sorting experience is a great way to observe our Game Day impact on our resources and campus and also reinforces the importance of recycling.
Community support
The Green Grove campaign is made possible by many different partners of the Ole Miss community. In addition to the bags distributed by the Game Day volunteers, Landscape Services sets up recycling stations along with all of the colorful trash cans all over the Grove and the Circle for fans to recycle their waste. Their assistance and support allows the Game Day Recycling program to function smoothly and effectively.
Also, the campaign works closely with Ronald Delbridge and others at the Oxford Recycling Center in transporting and sorting the recyclables collected. Their contribution offers students and faculty the chance? to see the full extent of the program’s efforts. By educating our Ole Miss community on the Game Day Recycling program, we hope to keep the Grove a clean and healthy environment to last for many years to come.
Grace Haines is a junior international studies major and Green Grove intern in the UM Office of Sustainability. She can be reached at hghaines@go.olemiss.edu.