The upcoming football game against the Virginia Cavaliers Friday, Oct. 11 will be the University of Miami’s first official “green game.”
During the tailgate, volunteers will educate students on recycling, hand out reusable water bottles and recycling bags. The Energy and Conservation Organization board partnered with Category 5 for a sustainable rally towel giveaway at the student fan zone tailgate.
To encourage recycling in Greek life, fraternities attending the green tailgate are competing to see which organization can recycle the greatest amount of aluminum cans by weight. Bags from the tailgate filled with cans will be weighed after the game, determining the green winner.
Cameron Markovsky, a Green Athletics Intern, said, “We hope to have one Green Game a semester, as sustainability is very prevalent these days.”
Created through a partnership with Parley For the Oceans, players will be sporting Adidas uniforms made from recycled ocean plastic. Parley is a global network made of brand, organization and government leaders that collaborate to raise awareness on the beauty and fragility of the oceans. The projects they create aim to put an end to their destruction.
Last year, the Hurricanes team wore Adidas x Parley jerseys for the season opener against Louisiana State University.
Fans are encouraged to “white out” the game, dressing in white to support the cause. Greek life, student government and LGBTQ+ organizations are sponsoring the event.
The Green Game was planned by Alia Giolitti, the chair of Sustainable Tailgating for ECO board, and Teddy Lhoutellier, the campus sustainability manager. They encourage students to get involved in supporting the team while reducing landfill waste and single use plastics.
“This is a very unique event, and it is the first of its kind at UM. However hopefully it will kickstart a conversation about sustainability in athletics,” Giolitti said.