The UO Ducks And All That Gas

The University of Oregon may be No. 1 in the Pac-12 football standings but has come up dead last in the zero waste management category for the last four years. Pac-12 campuses compete during football and basketball seasons to strive for zero waste and sustainability at home games. UO failed to rank in any category the last four years.

The UO is one of the city of Eugene’s Climate Collaborative Partners who are responsible for helping the city reach its Climate Action Plan 2.0 carbon reduction goals by 2030. Sending 28 tons of waste by 57,000 fans per football game to the Short Mountain Landfill contributes to methane emissions. The landfill is the largest carbon emitter in Lane County next to transportation.

It’s unfair to blame just the university. The city should have been calling them out on this since 2017, when the CAP was formulated. Go Ducks, but in a more sustainable direction. 

Jim Neu

Eugene