University of North Carolina Athletics
Sustainable Athletics At UNC: Thursday
January 28, 2016 | General
Sustainable Athletics at UNC
GoHeels.com will look at an area of sustainability each day this week as the site highlights portions of the UNC Athletics Sustainability Report.
Monday: Introduction/Energy
Tuesday: Water
Wednesday: Recycling
Thursday: Transportation & Purchasing
Friday: Service
Transportation
Transportation plays a large role in daily operations on UNC's campus. Grounds workers, bus drivers, and other employees involved in campus motor fleet are turning towards more environmentally friendly methods of transportation.
In 2009, UNC made efforts to eliminate all traditional, unblended gasoline by transitioning to E85 in its buses and motorcar fleet. E85, which is composed of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, greatly reduces the amount of greenhouse gases (CO2) emitted into the environment. With hundreds of employees and staff at UNC who use the motor fleet, this was a great way to tackle excess emissions.
UNC Athletics is consistently becoming more and more sustainable through its changes in transportation. Although many of the athletic teams travel via aircraft, fuel-efficient vehicles are being purchased for transportation to local events, when possible, as well as to and from airports. Utility vehicles, such as mowers, golf carts, and gators, which are operated in all athletic venues, are switching to electricity as budget allows, which drives down costs and prevents harmful emissions.
In March 2013, in an effort to reduce parking problems and traffic congestion during UNC athletic events, the Town of Chapel Hill added 15 new diesel electric hybrid buses to its fleet. These additions were funded through a $9 million grant from federal, state, and local agencies, which includes UNC and the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro. The new buses replaced some older buses and increased the fuel efficiency by approximately 100% from 2.5 MPG to 5 MPG. To lessen the amount of traffic on game days, as well as reducing the amount of emissions given off on campus, these buses are also used to transport fans from the UNC's nine Park-and-Ride lots to their designated athletic venue.
Purchasing
The UNC Athletic Department strives to incorporate green techniques into the culture of all sports on campus. In order for sustainable actions to be carried out effectively, purchases must be made to reinforce these goals throughout various programs and departments. To a large extent, UNC Athletics has made many contributions to improve sustainability and green efforts on campus.
In both the 2012 and 2013 seasons, the UNC men's basketball team purchased Nike “Hyper Elite” uniforms, which offered lightweight performance through recyclable materials. The Hyper Elite jerseys are made from at least 96% recycled polyester while the shorts are made of 100% recycled polyester. Each uniform is constructed from an average of 22 recycled plastic bottles. Using recycled polyester helps reduce dependency on petroleum, allows for less waste production, and reduces toxic emissions from incinerators. It is expected that these purchases by the UNC Men's Basketball team will spread to other teams, allowing athletes to play a role in sustainability while representing the University at games and competitions.
In many of UNC's athletic venues, such as Kenan and Boshamer Stadiums, many of the supplies that are used in offices and stadium facilities are made of recyclable materials. Paper, napkins, and toilet tissue are made of both recycled-content products and post-consumer content, such as cardboard, plastics, and newspaper. The purchase of these recycled materials in UNC facilities ultimately reduces the demand for natural resources, diverts paper from landfills, and creates new jobs in the recycling industry.
Inside Boshamer Stadium, home of UNC baseball, the grounds workers utilize natural and organic fertilizers into their regular upkeep of the field. The purchase of natural and organic fertilizers is beneficial to the environment because they encourage the growth of beneficial organisms by limiting harmful chemicals that impair root development. Also, the organic material keeps the soil more friable. This improves the health of the grass and field because it is better able to hold in moisture, oxygen, and nutrients. Additionally, hybrid lawnmowers used at Boshamer Stadium reduce greenhouse gases (CO2) associated with conventional lawnmowers.
