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CHARLOTTESVILLE-The Virginia Athletics department is working with UVa Sustainability on a Game Day Challenge this Saturday (Oct. 16, 6 p.m.) when the Virginia football team hosts North Carolina at Scott Stadium. The Game Day Challenge is part of the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s WasteWise program and is designed to promote waste reduction and increase awareness of waste reduction programs. Approximately 80 colleges and universities are participating in this year’s Challenge.

During the month of October, the participating schools will implement waste reduction programs during a home football game. Schools will track and report recycling and waste data that will then be used to rank the schools. The Environmental Protection Agency will announce the winning schools in November.

Following the Virginia-North Carolina football game on Saturday, recyclables will be weighed and compared to the total amount of trash generated. UVa Sustainability is competing in the category for the highest recycling rate per person attending the game.

UVa Recycling recovered about 14,160 pounds of bottles and cans following the Cavaliers’ home football game with Florida State on Oct. 2. That amounted to about 0.38 pounds per person. Last year’s winner in that category recovered 0.229 pounds per person.

Approximately 100 student volunteers will be deployed on Friday and Saturday to assist with the Game Day Challenge effort. Wearing blue shirts with the words “‘HOOS RECYCLE,” student volunteers will deliver bags to tailgaters across Grounds, encourage fans to recycle, and explain the contest.

UVa Recycling also plans to set up extra recycling containers for Saturday’s game. Volunteers will be stationed near recycling containers encouraging people to recycle. Announcements will also be made on the stadium’s public address system with a graphic displayed on the “Hoo Vision” video board.

This is UVa’s first participation in the Game Day Challenge. The Challenge started last year with eight schools.

For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/wastes/partnerships/wastewise/challenge/gameday/

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