LEVERAGING THE POWER OF SPORT TO LEAD IN SUSTAINABILITY.
About Sustainable Wolfpack
What is Sustainable Wolfpack?
Sustainable Wolfpack is the NC State Athletics Initiative to utilize the passion of NC State fans to better the entire Wolfpack community, including environmentally and socially. Sustainable Wolfpack works to reduce waste, conserve energy, educate fans, and improve the overall health and wellness of our planet and people. To learn more about the specific actions taken by the Sustainable Wolfpack Initiative, explore the pages below!
Sustainable Wolfpack Goals
These goals are the most targeted areas that NC State Athletics focuses on under the umbrella of Sustainability. Each of the goals is inspired by one or more of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
- Lead Collegiate Sustainability: Lead the NCAA and ACC in implementing innovative environmental, social, and economical sustainable athletic systems.
- Apply Sustainable Operations: Adapt facilities and everyday working and game day operations to be more sustainable and provide cost savings.
- Utilize Corporate Partnerships: Collaborate with corporate partners to spark new ideas and maximize Sustainable Wolfpack initiative impacts.
- Give Back to the Community: Support and build relationships with community partners while they embark on their path to sustainable development.
- Encourage Student Leadership: Create academic partnerships that leverage the opportunity to utilize campus as a classroom and invoke students/student-athletes to be leaders in sustainability.
- Continuously Educate: Educate the NC State Athletics community through consistent Sustainable Wolfpack updates and statistics.
United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals
NC State is committed to supporting the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals through its personal Sustainability initiatives. These goals help NC State to cover as many areas of Sustainability as possible and make Sustainability something everyone can relate to. View the image to read about all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, or learn more at https://sdgs.un.org/goals.
The Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries – poor, rich and middle-income – to promote prosperity while protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection.un.org
Ways our Wolfpack is Making a Difference
NC State Athletics won the 2024 Most Sustainable Award in recognition of their commitment to climate action and sustainable initiatives. This recognition was awarded due to numerous sustainable initiatives, such as limiting energy and water use, implementing recycling programs, LEED Certifications, an organization-wide investment in sustainability, and the measurement and tracking of these efforts to showcase long-term impact and success. Below lists just a few of the impactful ways that they have made a difference.
1. Game Day Sustainability Initiatives
- Composting Programs: The Zero Waste Wolfpack and the Sustainable Wolfpack intern spent the 2024 Football Season tackling the composting efforts at Carter-Finley Stadium! With a focus on the main concourse and The Dail Club, they composted over 18,184 pounds of compost during the past season. This was a 285.9% increase from the prior year!
- Paperless Pressbox: Thanks to the Sustainability Fund at NC State, NC State Athletics has replaced the use of over 17,000 pieces of paper a season with electronic tablets. These tablets improve efficiency and reduce waste.
- Sustainable Wolfpack Games: Every sport has one game dedicated to educating fans about Sustainability at NC State. There are sustainability-themed giveaways, activities, announcements, and collaborations! Check out when these games are coming up on our calendar near the bottom of this page.
- Trash Sorting on Game Day: Along with the composting programs, NC State Waste Reduction and Recycling's Zero Waste Wolfpack help fans sort their waste and place it in the appropriate bin on game days! They also distribute recycle and landfill bags throughout tailgate lots to eliminate litter and minimize waste contamination.
- Digital Ticketing: Elimination of paper tickets and envelopes to reduce waste and carbon emissions with the implementation of fully mobile and contactless ticketing.
- Food Donations and Corporate Partners: Food and donations collected at various athletic events to support NC State's Feed the Pack Pantry and the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC. Also, Collaboration with our corporate partners, such as Food Lion Feeds and SACK to Give Back.
- Recycled Team Apparel: Adidas, in Collaboration with Parley for the Ocean provide 2021 “Light it Red” Football Jerseys and Pants made from recycled polyester and nylon. As of 2023, all of Pack Football's Uniforms are made with recycled materials.
- Football's Annual Ag Day: Promotion of the connection between NC State and the agriculture, agribusiness, and biotech industries in North Carolina with the support of corporate partnerships. For more info, Click Here.
2. Campus Collaboration
- NC State Sustainability Office (Campus as a Classroom): NC State Athletics has partnered with the NC State Sustainability Office to hire a year-long intern focused on Sustainability within the Athletics department. This intern focuses on marketing Sustainability to fans and overseeing the success of the composting programs. This partnership began in 2021 and has already made a great impact. Read more about a past NC State Athletics Sustainability Intern collaboration, HERE.
- Waste Reduction and Recycling Office (Zero Waste Wolfpack): The joint effort of the Zero Waste Wolfpack Interns, its volunteers, and the Sustainable Wolfpack Intern to sort waste and contribute to the success of the Carter-Finley and Dail Club composting programs.
- College of Natural Resources: Created a living lab for reviewing sustainability game day practices and offering researched solutions. Immersive videos were created to educate fans and facility staff/volunteers about recycling and composting at Carter-Finley Stadium. The videos are utilized in facility and marketing courses. Watch one of the videos below!
- NC State Dining: Local vendors and food trucks are on site at home football games and NC State Dining provides meals to TowneBank Center and other areas.
- NC State Compost Facility: Collections of compostable materials from athletic events are taken to the NC State Compost Facility & Research Cooperative, where the material is processed and later used on campus as nutrient-rich soil amendment to grow produce and close the loop with organic waste management.
3. Facility Enhancements
- Carter-Finley Stadium & Doak Field: Installed LED stadium lighting for decreased energy usage and improved game day experience. Read the baseball story HERE and the football story HERE.
- Wendell H. Murphy Center: Installed solar panels on the top of the Murphy Center in coordination with Powerhome Solar. Read the Story.
- J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center: Replaced all indoor stadium lighting with LED fixtures and lighting timers that use half the energy in partnership with NC State Energy Management. Read the Story.
- Dail Basketball Center: Replaced all court lighting with dimmable LED fixtures and added motion sensors that use 40% less energy in partnership with NC State Energy Management.
- Weisiger-Brown Athletics Building: Replaced weight room lighting with LED fixtures and added motion sensors.
- Doak Field and Dail Softball Batting Cages: Replaced cage lighting with LED fixtures and added motion sensors.
- Turf and Grounds Crew: Implemented the use of battery powered maintenance equipment reducing emissions and fuel consumption.
- Athletics Department Buildings: Undergoing light switch retrofitting using motion sensors; Aligning with campus standard waste collection including recycling containers at all offices; Partnering with campus building maintenance and operations to oversee and maintain HVAC systems and their efficiency; Looking at building re-commissioning to help assure building systems run efficiently and conserve energy.
Get Involved!
2024-2025 Sustainable Wolfpack Games
Sustainable Wolfpack games will have sustainability themed activities, announcements, and more! Join us to learn more and take action towards developing a sustainable future!
SEE THE SCHEDULE FOR THIS SEASON'S SUSTAINABLE WOLFPACK GAMES
Sustainable Wolfpack Pledge
The Sustainable Wolfpack Pledge is a commitment to yourself and your community to make sustainable changes in your life. These responses are recorded on the Sustainable Wolfpack database and are sometimes used for giveaways, so make sure to take the pledge and share with your friends! This is a great way to bring areas of improvement to your attention and many of them are very easily implemented. Click HERE to take the pledge and become a part of the Sustainable Wolfpack today!
Volunteer with the Zero Waste Wolfpack
The Zero Waste Wolfpack integrates fan experience, academic research, student leadership, and community engagement to actively work towards zero waste at NC State Athletics events.
The Zero Waste Wolfpack program is the cornerstone of sustainability at Carter-Finley Stadium. Sign up today to volunteer with them or learn more at https://recycling.ncsu.edu/zero-waste-wolfpack/!
Zero Waste Game Day Trash Sorting Game
The Zero Waste Game Day Trash Sorting Game is an interactive game where you can learn how to properly dispose of your waste at Carter-Finley stadium! Practice this before heading over to cheer on the Wolfpack and share it with your friends. See the game below!
