Pro Bowl Recycles!

As you go to bed tonight, after cheering on your favorite players in the National Football League's annual Pro Bowl, sleep knowing that the event was considered a "carbon neutral" event. The Pro Bowl game as well as the Pro Bowl Tailgate Party will also promote recycling, with the help of the Boys and Girls Club of Hawai'i and Honolulu Recovery Systems.

As part of the Environmental Protection Agency's Recycle on the Go program, the NFL's Pro Bowl will be a nationally televised event that will draw attention to and promote recycling. The EPA has set a goal to increase the nation's recycling rate to 35%, and national events such as the Pro Bowl is being viewed as a showcase for the program. Last year's Pro Bowl was also part of the Recycle on the Go program.

This year, the goals have been increased to reflect not only the need to urge more people to recycle, but also to build on what was recycled last year. The new goal is to recycle over 12,000 cans and bottles, with the help of the Boys and Girls Club of Hawai'i. The cans and bottles will also earn more than $600 in deposit refunds, which will go to the Boys and Girls Club. The cans and bottles targeted come from the parking lots where tailgating activities are held. This year, more parking lots are included in the recycling program

Susan Bodine, the assistant administrator of the EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, credits the Pro Bowl exposure for exhibiting not only the importance of recycling, but also how easy it can be. She told the Environmental News Service that the "EPA and our partners are working to build on this success by showing Americans that public events can be recycling events."

In addition to recycling, the 2007 Pro Bowl will also be considered a "carbon neutral" event. Green energy developer, Community Energy, will donate renewable energy credits to offset the Pro Bowl's greenhouse gas emissions, including the electricity used and other waste generated. The EPA will assist in determining the amount of credits needs to offset the Pro Bowl's activities. Community Energy is also going to match the deposit refund amount that will be going to the Boys and Girls Club as well.

The NFL will also be planting trees at local schools to offset carbon emissions from this year's Pro Bowl, as reported in the Honolulu Advertiser. Furthermore, Aloha Stadium, where the annual event is held, will be meeting with EPA officials after the Pro Bowl to determine how the stadium can be made even more "green" for next year.