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PA Resources Council: New Tailgating Ritual At Steelers Games-- Recycling
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Tailgating at Steelers football games is a tradition for thousands of fans and part of that ritual is drinking plenty of beverages - and that leaves plenty of empty cans and bottles.

            Now the Pennsylvania Resources Council and the Alcoa Foundation are trying to make recycling all of those empty containers a new tradition. 
            The Allegheny Front’s Ryan Delaney was at the kick-off to the new recycling program and filed this radio report.
            At the final three Steelers home games of the 2010 regular season, the Pennsylvania Resources Council and its partners will collect recyclables at tailgating parties outside Heinz Field. 
            The “Let’s Tackle Recycling” campaign – funded by the Alcoa Foundation – will gather aluminum cans, glass containers, and plastic bottles and cups on December 19 (Steelers vs. Jets) and December 23 (Steelers vs. Panthers).
            “Sporting events provide a great opportunity to reinforce the importance of recycling, and education is a key component of this campaign,” said Dave Mazza, Regional Director of the Pennsylvania Resources Council. “PRC and its campaign partners are encouraging people to recycle at away from home venues by making recycling easy and convenient.”
           Alco Parking attendants will distribute large blue recycling bags to fans as they enter six designated parking lots located along General Robinson Street. Tailgaters will be encouraged to place all bottles, cans and plastic containers in the bags during their pre-game parties. A recycling team will circulate throughout the lots to provide additional recycling bags, help collect filled bags and generally encourage fans to recycle.
            “Recycling saves energy, conserves resources and reduces the need for new landfills,” according to Beth Schmitt, Alcoa’s Director of Recycling. “Aluminum is infinitely recyclable. It takes 95 percent less energy to make a can from recycled aluminum than from raw materials, and the energy saved from recycling just one pound of aluminum could power an average home for four days.”
            The campaign’s “Let’s Tackle Recycling team” members will staff a drop-off station located outside the stadium on General Robinson Street.
            “Recycling can be fun, so we’re joining the party atmosphere outside Heinz Field by setting up the world’s largest recycling cornhole game at the drop-off station,” said Mazza. “Stop by to try your luck – and skill – at tossing a giant 30-gallon bag filled with recyclables through a hole that’s more than two feet wide.”
            In addition to awarding prizes to those winning the cornhole contest, team members will pass out a raffle ticket to each individual dropping off a blue bag of recyclables. One grand prize winner each week will win a Steelers souvenir item.
            Each game’s collection effort will benefit a local non-profit organization that will receive the proceeds from marketing the recyclable materials collected at the event (minimum donation to non-profit of $500 per game).
            “Volunteers from North Side non-profit agencies will work as ‘green team’ members at the events,” said Mazza. “Manchester PTA will serve as our partner for games on December 12 and 23, and Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church will team up with us on December 19.”
            “Let’s Tackle Recycling” is sponsored by PRC and the Alcoa Foundation in partnership with Alco Parking, City of Pittsburgh Environmental Services, Greenstar, Pittsburgh Steelers and the Sports & Exhibition Authority. For more information, call 412-488-7490, x243.
            NewsClips: Steelers Tailgating Ritual: Recycling
                                Program Encourages Steelers Tailgaters To Recycle

12/20/2010

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