As you prepare to root on the Mean Green Jan. 1 at the Heart of Dallas Bowl, plan to tailgate Mean Green style:

1. Carpool. This is the easiest green practice to implement. By simply hopping in a car with your friends and family, you can reduce carbon emissions that pollute our air while saving gas money. It’s a win-win for the environment and your pocket book!
2. Utilize Public Transportation. If you can’t find a ride to the game, Denton County Transportation Authority and Dallas Area Rapid Transit are providing free train services to the Heart of Dallas Bowl on Jan. 1. You can pick up your pass starting Dec. 26 at the UNT Athletics Office or the DCTA Downtown Denton Transit Center.  More information can be found at meangreensports.com.
3. Ditch Disposables. Rather than packing paper plates and plastic ware, bring dishes from home. Although this may seem less convenient, you’re making an environmental impact by reducing the amount of trash in local landfills. Stores like Walmart and Target sell plastic place settings that are easy to transport. By purchasing these products, you can make this a habit at future outdoor activities.
4. Eat Earth-friendly. This idea doesn’t only apply to vegetarians. If you’re grilling before the game, use propane. Although it’s a fossil fuel, it burns cleaner than charcoal or wood, leaves less waste and is convenient when cooking away from home. If you’re planning to make propane grilling a tailgate tradition, purchase a propane tank that has a trade-in program. Another earth-friendly eating option is lowering your meat consumption by trying the vegetarian burger patties and franks found in most grocery freezer sections. To compliment your earth-friendly main dish, shop local for seasonal produce to use in side dishes.
5. Drink Sustainably. If you are of age and plan to drink, consider local and organic beers. Organic beer options have skyrocketed in the recent years. Anheuser-Busch has jumped on the green beer bandwagon, so it’s easy to find organic brews at grocery stores. Drinking sustainably also means supporting local breweries. Shiner, 512, Armadillo Ale Works and Rahr and Sons are all Texas-based beer brewers. Try their traditional and seasonal brews to support our local economy.
6. Recycle. This is another simple way to practice environmental stewardship. When tidying up after your tailgate or discarding in-game concession purchases look for recycling bins to recycle your aluminum cans and plastic bottles.

At UNT, green is more than a school color – it’s a way of life. This lifestyle is embraced across campus and is most visible at Apogee Stadium, home of the Bowl-bound Mean Green Football Team. The stadium is the only newly constructed LEED Platinum certified stadium in the nation, and features wind turbines that supply 30 percent of the stadium’s energy and a plethora of other sustainable features. In addition to a state-of-the-art facility, you can find students volunteering with UNT’s Office of Sustainability to promote recycling at tailgating before and during every home football game.

For more information about UNT’s green lifestyle, visit sustainable.unt.edu. You can also join the movement by participating in Recycle at Tailgating next season. More information about that program can be found online at sustainable.unt.edu/recycling-team