The UW-Madison Athletic Department, Student Athlete Advisory Committee, and Rethink Wisconsin are working to boost recycling during Badger football games this fall.

According to Vince Sweeney, senior associate athletic director for external relations, Rethink Wisconsin formed as a student organization last fall in response to students’ completion of an environmental studies class with professor Jack Kloppenburg.

The organization collaborated with women from the UW-Madison rowing team to begin the recycling campaign.

Maria Davis, fifth year student and leader of the campaign, said the recycling effort started in the boathouse last fall.

“We tried to start a recycling initiative in the boat house but then we wanted to go bigger and see what we could do,” she said. “Professor Kloppenburg got word of what we were doing and got us together with the other students from his class.”

The students from the environmental studies class and women from the rowing team contacted the athletic department to broaden the recycling initiative during this season’s home football games.

“We are trying to educate people about the green movement going on in our society … the athletic department is taking their part in trying to do this as well,” Davis said. “By recycling at the games we are setting a standard for other students.”

The recycling program began its efforts in Camp Randall this fall with the introduction of over 100 bins for disposing of plastic bottles.

“We don’t expect to change the world, but we think it’s a nice gesture to try and educate our public,” Sweeney said. “We all need to pitch in and think a little different than what we have thought in the past.”

The long-term goal of the campaign is to reach all athletic complexes on campus and continue to educate students on the importance of recycling.

For more information students can visit www.rethinkwi.org.