UC Berkeley participated in the 2017 Pac-12 Zero Waste Bowl & GameDay Challenge, where universities from the Pac-12 Conference competed to divert the most waste from landfill at a selected football game. The competition is scored based not only on diversion rate but also on fan engagement, innovative promotional tactics and partnerships with businesses and different campus departments.
The Cal v University of Arizona homecoming football game on October 21, 2017 was selected for the Pac-12 Zero Waste Bowl & GameDay challenge. Local students from San Leandro High School and American High School, coordinated by StopWaste, and Cal student athletes volunteered to trash talk with fans, sharing tips on how to correctly sort and reduce waste. UC Berkeley's Cal Zero Waste also worked with Vegware and Cal Dining to provide compostable products for all club level concession stands. The challenge was made possible through many partnerships and efforts to promote zero waste practices. UC Berkeley’s participation in the Zero Waste Bowl further aligns campus partners with the UC Zero Waste by 2020 goal.
