Summary of DI Global Finals

Destination ImagiNation participants helped to make the 2008 Global Finals the greenest DI event yet! Highlights from the event include:

Zero Waste Lunches

The outdoor lunches held at Presidential Court and the Pedestrian Mall Wednesday through Saturday were designated “zero waste.” By serving only materials that could be recycled or composted the need for trash cans was eliminated. DI participants disposed of waste at staffed waste disposal locations. Each disposal location included a sign with information about the event, a compost container, and a beverage recycling container. UT staff and volunteers helped participants dispose of material in the proper container.

Results:

• More than 1,200 pounds of plastic bottles and aluminum cans recycled!

• More than 2,500 pounds of food and paper waste composted!

Tray-less Dining Friday

On Tray-less Dining Day trays were removed from all Dining Services locations. The elimination of trays saved more than 3,600 gallons of water and reduced food waste substantially!

Recycling

DI participants recycled cardboard at all Challenge Site locations. Participants and DI staff members broken down cardboard and removed all packing material. In all more than 3,600 pounds of cardboard were recycled during Global Finals!

Waste Diversion

The 1-800-GOT-JUNK guys recycled 6.5 tons of cardboard, plastic, and PVC pipe from DI Challenges held at the Knoxville Convention Center during the event.

Green Dining

UT Dining Services Made Orange Green for DI participants through sustainability efforts including:

• Recycling plastic, metal, glass, cardboard, and paper at all dining facilities
• Serving Fair Trade certified drip and espresso coffee at all dining retail locations
• Using refillable condiment dispensers rather than individual bottles
• Lighting dining locations with energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs
• Donating waste cooking oil to the UT Biodiesel program
• Composting all Starbucks coffee grounds on campus
• Hosting zero waste lunches at Presidential Court and on the Pedestrian Mall
• Eliminating the use of trays during Tray-less Dining Friday

Thank you!

The UT Conferences Green Team would like to thank everyone who helped make our environmental efforts successful. The UT facilities staff helped in keeping composting and recycling bins clear, and the entire Make Orange Green staff did a wonderful job. Thank you to 1-800-GOT-JUNK for removing the cardboard and prop waste.

Most of all thanks to all of the DI Global Finals participants for making this a much more environmental event.

New Yorker’s recycle!

Ben C. of New York and other DI’ers pitched in to make Green Friday a huge success. They enjoyed “trayless” lunches and recycled aluminum cans, bottles, and biodegradable utensils throughout Global Finals.

Some of the raw, uncomposted numbers:

The following is information for our Zero Waste site.

Wednesday:

• Compost total: 400 lbs
• Recycling estimate: 120 lbs.

Thursday:

• Compost total: 880 lbs.
• Recycling estimate: 400 lbs.

Friday:

• Compost total: 610 lbs
• Recycling estimate: 280 lbs.

You could be a winner…

In honor of Green Friday the UT Conferences Green Team is giving away prizes to any DI kids that can answer any one (1) of the following “Green” questions:

1. Recycling one ton of aluminum cans saves how many barrels of oil?
2. What is a CFL and how does it help the environment?
3. Which material is endlessly recyclable: paper, aluminum or plastic?

You may already know the answers, if not you can find them on this blog or in the links at right.

Post your answers below in the comments or email them to us here. Be sure to include your first name, DI team, hometown and state.

Green Friday efforts unfold…

• Biodegradable utensils and plates are used at all facilities.
• Condiment dispenser are used to eliminate individual packets.
• Trayless lunches are served at all sites to reduce washing.
• Composting continues are the zero waste lunch.
• Cardboard recycling continues.

We’ll celebrate your efforts today–Green Friday!

This year DI is taking the University of Tennessee’s campaign slogan,
“Make Orange Green,” to a new level.

Things you’ll see on Green Friday:

• Members of UT Conferences sporting their spiffy new “Green Team” T-shirts.
• Trayless lunches in all cafeterias serving DI lunches.
• Biodegradable silverware (made of corn)  for lunch at World’s Fair Park.
• Another zero-waste lunch served by UT Dining Services/ARAMARK.
• Props used in Challenges at the Knoxville Convention Center will continue to be recycled by 1-800-GOT-JUNK in Knoxville.

More than 3,000 pounds of cardboard, plastic, and PVC pipe had been recycled through Thursday afternoon.

Over four days at Global Finals participants are expected to recycle and compost more than 4 tons of material!

Thank you for recycling, composting, and

Making Orange Green!

——-

“Over the past five years The University of Tennessee, Knoxville campus
has taken large strides to “green” campus operations,” says Sarah Surak,
sustainability and public relations manager for UT Facilities Services.
“These strides have been recognized on the local, regional, and national
level. The University has served as a model and educator for campuses
throughout the state and nation. It is always exciting when a group such
as DI is ready to take on the challenge of Making Orange Green.”

The University of Tennessee is home to a regionally and nationally
recognized recycling program. Recycling more than 1,000 tons of material
each year the UT Recycles program serves as a model for programs across
the state and the southeast. Along with recycling paper, plastic,
aluminum, and cardboard UT also composts leaves, collects material
during residence hall move-out, and facilitates one of the largest
stadium recycling programs in the country!

A gorilla-sized compost pile*

From one lunch site on Wednesday, we had 340 lbs of compost, 120 lbs of
plastic/aluminum recycling, and only 60 lbs of trash, of which about
half came from trash cans that were already there but that we didn’t
cover up, so they filled up more with trash.

Let’s keep it up!

*Male gorillas range in size from 310-440lbs in the wild.

Cardboard recycling

Kellen Moore of 1-800-GOT-JUNK in Knoxville recycles cardboard from DI props Wednesday at the Knoxville Convention Center (KCC). The University of Tennessee and Destination ImagiNation encourage DI teams participating in Challenges in the KCC to take advantage of this recycling opportunity.

CAN we do it?

• Plastic Bottle and Aluminum Can Recycling

On campus all plastic bottles and aluminum cans are recycled together (co-mingled). Recycling bins for plastic bottles and aluminum cans are located in all campus buildings. Additionally recycling bins will be available in all dining areas (both indoors and out).

• Paper Recycling

Paper recycling bins are located in all campus buildings. Paper of any thickness can be recycled in campus bins. Please do not recycled soiled paper.