Special Events

Mission

As part of our education and outreach mission, the Special Event Recycling process provides waste management alternatives at University events and venues.  Our intention is to heighten awareness and demonstrate proper waste management techniques to our University community and the public. To request recycling for a special event, contact Al Matyasovsky at least two weeks beforehand.

Trash to Treasure

• Unwanted items are collected from residential students in April and sold to benefit the local United Way.
• The Trash to Treasure sale is held each May at Beaver Stadium.
• Collection barrels for donations are placed in residence halls during the last week of spring semester.
• Specific areas in the dorms are designated for rugs and furniture.
• Penn State and United Way volunteers sort the goods and man the sale.
• The 2008 sale generated about $50,000 for the local United Way agencies.
• Almost 75 tons are diverted from our landfill annually
• Over 4 tons of food was donated to local emergency food programs.

For more information, visit  www.hfs.psu.edu/treasure

Beaver Stadium Recycling Effort

- A recent program has increased Penn State's football game recycling to 112 tons in 2008.

- This amount far surpasses the traditional rate of 30 tons of recyclables collected per season.

- Each football game produces about 50  to 100 tons of waste, depending on the opponent and scheduled time.

- The STATERS (Students Taking Action to Encourage Recycling) student group hands out blue bags for tailgaters for recycling collection.

- With landfill fees at $70 per ton and recycling rates at $12.50 per ton (averaged), this program lowers the University's landfill costs.

- Proceeds from the sale of football game recycling are donated to the local United Way, amounting to more than $54,000 by 2008.

Post-Game Recycling Volunteer Effort 

- After football games, student volunteers help to collect recyclable plastic bottles from inside the stadium.

- This crew receives training.

- All proceeds from the sale of these bottles support the United Way.

Bryce Jordan Recycling Effort

• Recycling bins are placed around the Bryce Jordan Center, the University’s 16,000 seat Indoor Center

• From this passive capture method, Penn State has diverted 13 tons from our landfill in 2005, raising $1,100 for United Way.

Four Diamonds Recycling Event

- Annually, Penn State students organize a dance marathon to benefit the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State’s Children’s Hospital in Hershey, Pennsylvania. 

- This year, over $4.2 million was raised for this charity, most from the marathon, though the collection of aluminum cans in the 9 weeks prior to the February event generated additional dollars. 

- To read an article about the event, see the June 2002 issue of News and Views.

Newspaper Readership Scholarship

- Penn State’s Newspaper Readership Program offers free newspapers to students, as well as scholarship dollars.

- Operating since 1997, students have had access to  the New York Times, USA Today and the Centre Daily Times.

- This program generates 1.6 tons of newspapers for the waste stream daily. 

- The University’s housing and janitorial services collect newspapers placed in recycling bins, and markets them through Onyx Waste Services. 

- The net profits are donated to Penn State’s Scholarship funds. 

- Over the past nine years, over $70,000 has been generated for scholarships by this program. 

- For more details, please click here

Special Events Recycling

- University event organizers on campus can request recycling, and possibly composting.

- Annually, we set up special special recycling bins for the following events:

• Ag Progress Days,
  
• Ag Alumni tailgates and graduation luncheon
  
• Earth Day,
  
• Arts Festival,
  
• Fourth Fest,
  
• Special Olympics
• Zero Waste Tailgate.
• To request recycling at an event, please contact Al Matyasovsky

Recycling Tours

- Find out how Penn State's recycling program operates. Guided tours are offered by Al Matyasovsky, director of the program. 

- Al  visits other universities and colleges to share our knowledge and practices; the lessons learned are reciprocal.

- Last spring, the Recycling Program joined with Penn State’s Center on Sustainability to offer joint tours of the Center for Sustainability and recycling sites.

- If you are interested in taking a tour of Penn State’s Recycling facilities, please send an email to LCH7@psu.edu, and we will notify you of upcoming tours.

100 Ton Glass Challenge

- Students are encouraged to recycle glass in their residence halls. 

- For every ton over 100 tons, the tip fee value of the materials at $70 per ton will be donated to Residence Life for their discretionary use. 

- Individuals from the Opportunity Network for Employment (O.N.E.) program are employed for this effort.