Green Daily

I asked Bruce about the environmental aspects of your average athletic event. Here's what he told me:

Recycling bins are becoming more prevalent at events, but they're not common.
"Two race directors I've talked to say they have put recycling bins out at races, but that athletes (runners and triathletes, in this case) threw trash in them anyway," Bruce said. "The main issue with recycling is to mark the barrels and if possible, have volunteers directing traffic and also make sure the race announcer reminds people to use the recycling bins."

Participants in the Boston Marathon used 1.4 million cups at the aid stations in 2007. In 2008, that number was close to 2 million.
"Those cups are supplied by Gatorade and a water bottling company. They are used once and thrown away. The Boston Marathon [officials], to the best of my knowledge, sent all of these cups to landfill.

The cups are typically lined with polypropylene to keep them watertight. Polypropylene is a #5 plastic that can be recycled, but many recycling centers don't accept #5 plastics."

These statistics are startling, but Bruce is confident in his company's ability to improve the system. Athletes for a Fit Planet teams up with event organizers and helps them "green" their events in four main areas:

1. Reduce, reuse and recycle - (this one is pretty self-explanatory)
2. Carbon neutrality - this applies to what transportation methods athletes use to get to the events, where they stay during the race, how they get around, etc).
3. Leave no trace - This concept is similar to the motto that many hikers abide by during their excursions - to leave the outdoor area around you exactly as you found it. But Bruce says that this is the absolute minimal response. A more robust solution, he says, would be to become an "active participant" in the environment by working with land owners to determine how the event's location can be improved by planting or donating shrubs, for instance.
4. Green the supply chain - (this one is also fairly self-explanatory, and involves how products, food, and drink are delivered to the races. For instance, event coordinators could make an effort to utilize organic, local businesses for their products, such as disposable water cups).

Finally, what can you do to help?