The Big House Keeps 75% of Game Day Trash Out of Landfills Through Zero Waste Program

Michigan Stadium kept 87 tons of materials from landfills in 2024. The waste program hit a 75% reduction mark, sorting 65 tons for recycling and 22 tons of food scraps during football games.

"Every season and every game, we produce a tremendous amount of waste," said Alison Richardson, senior project manager of the Zero Waste program, according to WEMU.

The stadium uses a simple two-bin setup - blue for recycling, green for food scraps. Each Sunday after games, 400 people show up at dawn. They sort through bins by hand, making sure items end up in the right spot.

Local groups handle the sorted materials. Western Washtenaw takes care of recycling, while Ann Arbor's facility turns food waste into compost. U-M's student farm gets some of this rich soil for growing dining hall produce.

In 2024, Food Gatherers received four tons of unused stadium food. By keeping waste from dumps, these steps cut carbon output by 34 tons last season.

The work started under President Mark Schlissel's green plan. Staff switched to earth-friendly food containers, made bin signs clearer, cut back on throwaway items, and placed helpers near trash spots.

Since 2017, the Big House - which fits 107,601 fans - has stopped 500 tons of waste from hitting dumps. The first years showed strong results: 88% less waste in 2017, followed by 89% in 2018.

Yet new issues have come up. When teams travel farther for games, it hurts the air more. Studies show the Big Ten expansion doubled travel pollution since 2010.

This work fits into bigger school plans. Michigan wants to cut waste by 90% - that's what it takes to officially say "zero waste."

"We're consistently at 75% at the stadium. That's not 90%, but I think that's pretty impressive, given the size and complexity of the crowd and the venue," Richardson said.