Fans at an upcoming University of Michigan basketball game will receive free water bottles made from recycled PET collected in 2024 during a university football game at an event called the Recycle Bowl.
Recycled PET used for new bottles of Absopure-brand water was recovered during the 2024 Recycle Bowl on Nov. 2 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor. The used plastic was part of more than 44,000 pounds of recycled material, including paper, wood and metal, collected during a game against the University of Oregon Ducks.
"We put a lot of effort into diverting as much waste as possible from landfill at Michigan Stadium," said Paul Dunlop, Michigan associate athletic director for facility operations and capital projects, in a statement. "Our zero-waste initiative is one of many ways the Athletic Department supports campuswide efforts to advance sustainability.
The Recycle Bowl collected the most material ever for a university recycling event.
"To have our efforts rewarded by setting a new record at this year's Recycle Bowl is a great opportunity for us to showcase our commitment and dedication to sustainable practices," Dunlop said.
The Recycle Bowl received support from the University of Michigan Athletic Department, Absopure, Amcor Rigid Packaging, Clean Tech, Husky Technologies, National Association for PET Container Resources, Penn Color and Plastipak.
"Our three goals for the Recycle Bowl are to create recycling habits, grow recycling awareness and ultimately improve recycling rates," said Eric Roegner, president of Amcor Rigid Packaging, in a statement.
Attendees at the Feb. 21 basketball game between Michigan and Michigan State in Ann Arbor will receive new water bottles make with the recycled content.