UD Arena may become a ‘zero waste’ facility after renovations

Phase two of a three-year, $72 million renovation of UD Arena is in full swing with two shifts of workers. TY GREENLEES / STAFF

Phase two of a three-year, $72 million renovation of UD Arena is in full swing with two shifts of workers. TY GREENLEES / STAFF

The University of Dayton Arena is undergoing major renovations right now but another change could take place after the remodeling job is complete.

UD Arena may become a “zero waste” facility, meaning that 90 percent of waste from the arena would be diverted from a traditional landfill, said Steve Kendig, UD’s executive director of energy utilization and environmental sustainability.

» WATCH: UD provides an inside look at arena renovations

To achieve the status of being a “zero waste” arena, a majority of the products UD offers during events at the facility would be either recyclable or compostable, Kendig said.

If the university moves forward with the sustainability plan for UD Arena, the facility will join a number of other big venues that have also achieved the “zero waste” status. Ohio State University’s Ohio Stadium in Columbus is one of the largest stadiums in the country that achieves “zero waste” status.

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The plan for UD Arena is just the latest in a long list of sustainability work the university has undertaken in recent years. Most recently, UD installed a number of solar panels on campus including more than 4,000 at the University of Dayton Research Institute, according to the school.

UD Arena is in the midst of a three-year, $72-million renovation that is expected to be finished ahead of the facility’s 50th anniversary in 2019.

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