Richmond International Raceway, NASCAR, and our sponsors are going green – and we mean literally. The best part of all is that you, the fans, can become part of the effort.
The NASCAR Race to Green campaign showcases how we can all work together to reduce our carbon footprint. The campaign concludes with a weekend of exciting racing “under the lights” at RIR, a track where green is not only the color of the flag, but a way of life.
“We want Richmond International Raceway to be around for generations well into the future,” said Speedway President Dennis Bickmeier. “By getting our greatest resource, the fans, involved we are working to ensure not the track is here for those generations, but the earth as well.”
So, how are we making a difference? Well, let us tell you about it!
RIR makes green a way of life! We have numerous recycling efforts around the track, from providing collection bins throughout the facility for aluminum cans and plastics bottles, to giving our campers bags marked for recyclable materials, recycling all of our fluorescent light bulbs through a partnership with our vendor and using environmentally-safe cleaning products. We’ve even made our office work space green by using filtered drinking fountains instead of bottled water, collecting mixed paper to recycle, and utilizing motion-sensor lights to save power while we’re not around.
Our green-lifestyle extends inside the fence line too. Through our partnership with Safety-Kleen, we recycle oil and batteries through a company-wide program.
NASCAR has echoed this commitment to environmental awareness. Since 2008, NASCAR Green has planted enough trees to completely offset carbon emissions not only for all NASCAR national series races run in the past five years, but also the next 40 years. How about that for going green? And that’s just the beginning.
NASCAR has also run 7 million competition miles on Sunoco Green E15, a biofuel blended with 15 percent American-made ethanol from American-grown corn.
The NASCAR Green logo will be on the A-post of all race cars this weekend, pit boxes, hauler flags, and NASCAR officials’ uniforms. Austin Dillon and Elliott Sadler will also run green-themed paint schemes this weekend at RIR.
As strong a commitment as RIR and NASCAR have made to environmentally-friendly practices, we’re fortunate enough to work with a group of partners that help us to make waves in the field. Goodyear, the Official Tire Supplier of NASCAR, has been named one of “America’s Greenest Companies” by Newsweek Magazine and is a leader in the production of low-rolling tires. Goodyear recycles its used NASCAR Eagle race tires after each race, and more than 100,000 Goodyear race tires from NASCAR’s top three national series are recycled through the program each year.
Coca-Cola was able to recycle 3.22 tons of waste from the 48.29 tons of trash hauled away during our 2014 September NASCAR weekend.
Sprint also plays a part through their “Race to Green” initiative. Since 2010 they have diverted more than 74,000 tons of solid waste from landfills, and are a member of the EPA’s SMM Electronics Challenge, a program that promotes corporations who voluntarily commit to sending 100 percent of used electronics to third-party certified recyclers.
But how can YOU be a part of the NASCAR Green action at RIR this weekend? Energizer and their SWAP Team will be roaming the campgrounds “swapping out” campers’ existing batteries with their Energizer EcoAdvanced batteries. Fans can also check out the Energizer Midway display where you can play their 4 to 40 Challenge. All you have to do is land a small drone on three progressively difficult landing pads and you walk away a winner. Each landing pad represents Energizer’s effort to deliver a battery made of 40 percent of recycled materials. And don’t forget to keep an eye out for RIR’s recycling containers to help keep our facility beautiful and environmentally-friendly.
Now, that you know how RIR, NASCAR, and sponsors are making a difference, how about joining the effort? These simple and affordable tips will lessen your carbon footprint, or how we like to say, our tire track.
- When possible, recycle aluminum cans and plastic bottles
- Shop local
- Repurpose items in your home. Have an old door? Refinish it and make a head board or table out of it.
- Did you know something as simple as taking off your shoes before entering your house can reduce the amount of pollutants that are tracked inside your house?
- Leaving a room? Make sure to turn off the lights.
- How cold? ICE COLD. That’s the temperature your clothes should be washed in.
- Consider switching to fluorescent light bulbs or LEDs.
- Did you know coffee grounds would make your flowers grow? Use them as fertilizer for your plants around the house.
By implementing these simple tips in your life you can join RIR and NASCAR in the Race to Green, while having a positive impact on the environment.
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