Conservation Cowboys Initiative Launches with Waste

The University of Wyoming Department of Athletics and the Campus Sustainability Committee will host the first UW “waste-less” athletic event when the UW men’s basketball team faces New Mexico Saturday, Feb. 25. The event will launch the Conservation Cowboys initiative, which aims to reduce waste and resource use at athletics facilities and events.

“Trash Talkers” -- student, staff and faculty volunteers -- will help fans sort recyclables from waste materials inside the Arena-Auditorium. The volunteers will help to increase the volume of materials collected for recycling, reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill and audit the remaining waste to evaluate next steps for reducing waste at athletic events.

A “Mount Trashmore” effort will allow volunteers to quantify both recyclables and waste by collecting, bagging, weighing and piling bags to display in the arena waste collection area after the game.

The Campus Sustainability Committee received a $1,000 grant from Rocky Mountain Power to support the pilot waste-less game. The grant will provide game-day support and stipends to the three student organizations that rally the most Trash Talkers.

Following the Feb. 25 pilot, the athletics department and the Campus Sustainability Committee will pursue their joint Conservation Cowboys effort to make waste and resource reduction an ongoing practice at all athletic events.

For more information about waste, recycling and sustainability at UW, visit www.uwyo.edu/sustainability.