Sometimes it pays to be green.
Ten UF groups that collected recyclables from tailgaters during home football games received a $5,600 award from Anheuser-Busch on Monday.
The recycling program, made of several campus groups collectively known as the "Green Team," gathered about 20,000 pounds of aluminum and plastics last fall. Each club was awarded a percentage of the money based on the number of hours they worked.
The program was sponsored by Burkhardt Distributing Company Inc., Gainesville's Anheuser-Busch distributor. Anheuser-Busch representatives handed an oversized check to the groups outside Tigert Hall.
Steven Burkhardt, one of the company's representatives, said he hopes the students continue to recycle - contest or not.
"It doesn't have to always be about money," Burkhardt said.
Gators for a Sustainable Campus received more than any other group - about $3,000.
Alison Erlenbach, the organization's president, said members contributed nearly 250 volunteer hours during all the 2007 home football games.
Erlenbach said the extra funds would pay for T-shirts, conferences and its new "drink sustainably" campaign, which aims to replace traditional party cups that can't be recycled with reusable containers.
