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Sustainability

Athletics and Events

Sustainable Athletics

Joining the Big 12 Conference in 2023, BYU's athletics programs have an outsized influence, but their environmental impact doesn't have to be.

Public transit

Through a BYU partnership with the Utah Transit Authority (UTA), BYU community members can ride local transit systems for free with a BYU ID. This includes the Utah Valley Express bus, or UVX (currently free for everyone, not just BYU affiliates), which stops at BYU's football stadium, basketball arena, and baseball/softball fields and just a few blocks away from BYU's athletic center, pool, indoor track, and tennis courts. With a hybrid electric engine, the UVX runs continuously to destinations in Provo and Orem, including Frontrunner stations, making it easy for fans to travel to games sustainably.

Water conservation

Thanks to a capstone project led by soil and turf professors, groundskeepers, and students, BYU's football stadium uses water-wise turf and specialized soil sensors that help prevent overwatering.

Recycling

BYU recycles cans and bottles at every home game, raising awareness among fans and visitors and supporting student clubs, who receive funding for cleaning the football stadium and diverting recyclables from the waste stream. At one home game alone in 2021, BYU recycled 18,000 plastic water bottles—about 900 pounds of plastic.

Other Campus Events

The ins and outs of a successful activity extend to dining, waste, travel, and beyond. BYU Sustainability aims to help campus entities shift toward more sustainable experiences.
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Low-waste and no-waste activities

BYU Sustainability advocates for and supports the following best practices:

  • Conducting audits, such as the one pictured here at the Students for International Development Club's annual Hunger Banquet, to identify challenges and assess progress toward waste reduction goals.
  • Requesting china, cutlery, glasses, napkins, and tablecloths that can be washed and reused, a typical offering of BYU Catering—or for informal events, inviting participants to bring their own water bottles.
  • Requesting an appropriate number of recycling bins for the size of the event, providing visible signage as well as verbal instructions, and positioning friendly volunteers near trash cans and recycling bins to help sort materials and engage participants.
  • Avoiding throwing away unserved food that can be enjoyed by students, employees, or individuals in need.
  • Using QR codes to link to digital materials that reduce demand for printed materials, such as agendas and programs.
  • Encouraging shared and active transportation to and from the event.
  • Serving healthy foods with minimal packaging.

Sustainable attitudes and behaviors

  • Consulting the Office of Belonging's Statement on Belonging for all events and ensuring that every participant feels welcomed, respected, and loved.
  • Beginning or ending events with a prayer that gives thanks to Heavenly Father for the land that sustains us.
  • Inviting student or employee groups involved in sustainability at BYU to share materials or make announcements about their efforts.
  • Thanking participants for their own efforts to care for the earth and one another, as counseled by President Russell M. Nelson.
  • Acknowledging ancestral stewards of the land. Utah is the ancestral home of the Ute, Diné (Navajo), Paiute, Goshute, and Shoshone peoples.

Upcoming Events

See Current Opportunities for upcoming events and activities with campus and community partners.