RecycleMania Recycling Contest Underway
By Jody Record, Campus Journal Editor
January 27, 2010
When it comes to waste, Harvard and Yale have nothing on UNH.
In 2009, after a huge midway push, UNH went from 91st at the beginning of the annual RecycleMania challenge to 68th by recycling 243,000 pounds of waste in 10 weeks. Harvard ranked 76 while Yale lagged behind at 145.
Now, UNH RecycleMania organizers would like to repeat that success.
RecycleMania is a competition among colleges and universities that promotes reducing waste through recycling and composting. Hundreds of schools across the county participate in the contest that began Jan.17 and runs through March 27.
During the 10-week period, schools report weekly on the amount of paper, corrugated cardboard, bottles and cans they have recycled, allowing other contestants to see how they are stacking against their competitors.
Prizes are awarded in several categories. The Stephen K. Gaski Per Capita Classic Prize goes to the school with the most combined recyclables per capita (weight of recyclables/population). The Gorilla Prize honors the top gross tonnage collector regardless of campus population. And the Waste Minimization Prize goes to the school with the lowest amount of total waste per capita (weight of recyclables plus the weight of trash/population).
RecycleMania was started in 2001 by Miami University and Ohio University. In 2007, more than 200 schools participated. Today that number has more than doubled.
For more information on recycling at UNH visit http://www.sustainableunh.unh.edu/faq.html#wasterecycling.
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