Tailgate Recyclers 2011 Cap Successful Season

Mecklenburg County > County News

1/9/2012

The Carolina Panthers have a lot to be smiling about after the end of the 2011 football season, and so do the folks who have worked hard all season outside the stadium to keep the recyclable stuff out of the trash on game days.

For the third year in a row, Panthers Tailgate Recycling Partners played a huge part in helping to keep recyclable items out of the garbage outside the stadium. Volunteers gave parking-lot partiers (typically known as “tailgaters”) yellow recycling bag as they entered their usual parking lots prior to the game. Before heading into the stadium, the tailgaters were instructed to leave bags (and collapsed cardboard if not in the bag) at the curb to be picked up by the City of Charlotte’s Special Services teams. The collected material was then sent for processing at Mecklenburg County’s Metrolina Recycling Facility.

This season, thanks to the efforts of volunteers and sponsors, more than 31 tons – about 62,000 pounds worth -- of recyclable material has been diverted from landfills. That’s about the same weight as five adult elephants, three school buses, or an empty railroad car. It also means that out of all the trash collected outside the stadium, more than 30 percent was diverted to recycling.

“It’s been a job well done for Panthers fans, our sponsors, and volunteers,” said Jake Wilson, executive director of Keep Mecklenburg Beautiful, a partner in the recycling effort.

Other Panthers Tailgate Recycling Partners include Bojangles’, the City of Charlotte Solid Waste Services/Special Services, Charlotte Center City Partners, Charlotte Checkers, Hands On Charlotte, Rubbermaid, Providence High School, and the Carolina Panthers. The partnership hopes to continue to increase awareness and participation by increasing communication and education efforts.

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