UTC to Launch Green Game Recycling Pilot
UTC students will collect and sort recyclables at Finley Stadium after the November 7 Homecoming football game against Mercer.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Football
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The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Environmental Studies program and Osprey Initiative will launch a Green Game Recycling Pilot Project at Finley Stadium during Homecoming on Saturday, November 7. Students will collect and sort recyclables following the 1 p.m. game against Mercer University.
Why it matters
The pilot adds a student-engagement and data-collection component to recycling efforts at the stadium. Results are expected to inform additional recycling projects across the UTC campus in Chattanooga.
The pilot is scheduled for the 1 p.m. kickoff of the Homecoming game on November 7, 2026, with post-game collection to follow. No volume targets for collected recyclables were disclosed.
The players
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
UTC is a public university in Chattanooga, Tennessee, whose Environmental Studies program is running the pilot project.
Osprey Initiative
Osprey Initiative is UTC's sustainability program that provides the mobile sorting tables and supports the Give Five program funding the effort.
The details
After the game, UTC students will collect recyclables from blue-bagged bins around Finley Stadium and inside the stadium, then sort materials using Osprey Initiative's mobile sorting tables. The pilot is supported by Osprey Initiative's Give Five program and a grant from American Water awarded to UTC's Environmental Studies program.
Timeline
Saturday, November 7, 2026, 1 p.m.: UTC plays Mercer University at Finley Stadium during Homecoming.
November 7, 2026, after the game: Students collect and sort recyclables around the stadium.
Roadmap
The pilot extends Finley Stadium's existing partnership with TriStar Beverage, which directs proceeds from recycled aluminum cans to Habitat for Humanity. It adds a student-run collection and data-gathering layer to that established arrangement.
Fans attending the Homecoming game against Mercer on November 7 can participate by placing recyclables in designated blue-bagged bins around Finley Stadium. Students will handle collection and sorting after the 1 p.m. kickoff.
The takeaway
Fans attending Homecoming can help the pilot by using the blue-bagged bins around the stadium for recyclables. The effort gives students a hands-on role in campus sustainability.
What happens next
Results from the Green Game pilot are expected to be used to inform additional UTC recycling projects following the November 7, 2026 game.
Further reading
Explore more Football coverage from Chattanooga.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Chattanoogan.
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