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"Let's Tackle Recycling" at December Steelers Home Games

"Sporting events provide a great opportunity to reinforce the importance of recycling, and education is a key component of this campaign," said Dave Mazza, Regional Director of the Pennsylvania Resources Council. "PRC and its campaign partners are encouraging people to recycle at away from home venues by making recycling easy and convenient."

Alco Parking attendants will distribute large blue recycling bags to fans as they enter six designated parking lots located along General Robinson Street. Tailgaters will be encouraged to place all bottles, cans and plastic containers in the bags during their pre-game parties. A recycling team will circulate throughout the lots to provide additional recycling bags, help collect filled bags and generally encourage fans to recycle.

"Recycling saves energy, conserves resources and reduces the need for new landfills," according to Beth Schmitt, Alcoa's Director of Recycling. "Aluminum is infinitely recyclable. It takes 95% less energy to make a can from recycled aluminum than from raw materials, and the energy saved from recycling just one pound of aluminum could power an average home for four days."

The campaign's "Let's Tackle Recycling team" members will staff a drop-off station located outside the stadium on General Robinson Street.

"Recycling can be fun, so we're joining the party atmosphere outside Heinz Field by setting up the world's largest recycling cornhole game at the drop-off station," said Mazza. "Stop by to try your luck - and skill - at tossing a giant 30-gallon bag filled with recyclables through a hole that's more than two feet wide."

In addition to awarding prizes to those winning the cornhole contest, team members will pass out a raffle ticket to each individual dropping off a blue bag of recyclables. One grand prize winner each week will win a Steelers souvenir item.

Each game's collection effort will benefit a local non-profit organization that will receive the proceeds from marketing the recyclable materials collected at the event (minimum donation to non-profit of $500 per game).

"Volunteers from North Side non-profit agencies will work as 'green team' members at the events," said Mazza. "Manchester PTA will serve as our partner for games on December 12 and 23, and Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church will team up with us on December 19."

"Let's Tackle Recycling" is sponsored by PRC and the Alcoa Foundation in partnership with Alco Parking, City of Pittsburgh Environmental Services, Greenstar, Pittsburgh Steelers and the Sports & Exhibition Authority. For more information, visit www.prc.org or call 412-488-7490, x243.

RECYCLING FACTS

• Aluminum can recycling saves about 11.5 billion kilowatt-hours per year. That's enough electricity to light a city the size of Pittsburgh for six years.
• An aluminum can is recycled into a new can and back on store shelves within 60 days.
• Glass can be recycled indefinitely - it does not deteriorate when recycled and reprocessed.
• Recycling one ton of plastic saves 685 gallons of oil.

Pennsylvania Resources Council, Inc.
Mary Beth Mueller, 412-351-7702