Recycling Madness Begins as Colleges Nationwide Battle to be Named Champions of 2017 RecycleMania Competition
Hundreds of Colleges and Universities Join Annual Campus Recycling Competition; Program Builds Impact with Streamlined Categories and New ‘Race to Zero Waste’ Category
STAMFORD, Conn., February 8, 2017 /3BL Media/ – RecycleMania, the premier collegiate recycling competition managed by Keep America Beautiful, is back for the 17th time as college and university campuses across the country rally school spirit while competing to see who will claim the championship title in the fight to reduce, reuse, recycle and compost the most on campus. The 2017 RecycleMania competition launched on Sunday, Feb. 5, and will run for eight weeks, concluding on Saturday, April 1.
For the 2017 RecycleMania competition, public and private colleges and universities of all sizes, including Rutgers University, Texas Tech University, San Diego State University and Indiana University, among others, are registered to compete. Colleges and universities compete in several categories based on the weight of recycling, food organics and waste reduction collected. At the end of each week, new rankings are posted based on the data reported by schools are used to rally students and staff with educational activities, displays and other outreach efforts. Students, faculty, staff and other “RecycleManiacs” can monitor the competition via the online scoreboard at http://www.recyclemaniacs.org.
“We’re eager to kick off the seventeenth year of the RecycleMania competition,” said RecycleMania, Inc. President Stacy Wheeler. “With consistent additions like the ‘Race to Zero Waste’ category, RecycleMania continues to be a valuable resource for colleges and universities to influence recycling and zero waste behavior with students and staff on campuses across the country.”
New to this year’s competition is the “Race to Zero Waste” category, along with the reduction to six main competition categories, including Diversion, Per Capita Classic, GameDay: Basketball, E-cycleMania and Waste Minimization Case Studies. This will simplify the national rankings of the competition around the primary categories that apply to a majority of participating schools.
“Keep America Beautiful is dedicated to educating individuals about what and how to recycle – at home and on-the-go – and we believe it’s critical to engage those on college and university campuses across the country,” said Brenda Pulley, senior vice president, recycling, Keep America Beautiful. “The RecycleMania competition is a fun and engaging way to encourage students to spread the recycling message to their peers and, in turn, create a well-informed generation of community stewards.”
Last year’s RecycleMania national winners included:
- Diversion (Grand Champion): Richland College of Dallas, TX
- Per Capita Classic: Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
RecycleMania is made possible with the generous sponsorship support of The Coca-Cola Company and Rubbermaid® Commercial Products, with comprehensive program management by Keep America Beautiful.
“Coca-Cola is a longtime supporter of RecycleMania because it encourages college students to recycle more through a friendly and fun competition,” said Bruce Karas, vice president of environment and sustainability at Coca-Cola North America. “Programs like RecycleMania encourage students to develop recycling habits that continue throughout their lives and impact future generations.”
“We are encouraged by the energy and enthusiasm shown by colleges, universities and the surrounding communities for Recyclemania,” said Anna Whitton, vice president of marketing, Rubbermaid Commercial Products. “Through this sponsorship and by developing products that make recycling easier in commercial environments, Rubbermaid Commercial Products is steadfast in our commitment to sustainability, and we look forward to another exciting Recyclemania competition this year.”
Since the competition launched in 2001, millions of students from over 1,000 colleges and universities have recycled and composted roughly 730 million pounds of material during the tournament timeframe. Together, tournament participants have prevented the release of nearly 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is comparable to removing 7 million passenger vehicles from the road for one year.
A complete list of participants can be found at Recyclemaniacs.org. Contact information for specific campuses is available to news media by calling 843.278.7686 or emailing helpline@recyclemaniacs.org.
About RecycleMania
The RecycleMania program is governed by a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization called RecycleMania, Inc. made up of a board of directors who are recycling and sustainability managers from participating universities. For complete details, visit RecycleMania.org.
About Keep America Beautiful
At Keep America Beautiful, we want to ensure that beauty is our lasting signature. A leading national nonprofit, Keep America Beautiful inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. We envision a country in which every community is a clean, green, and beautiful place to live. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful provides the expertise, programs and resources to help people End Littering, Improve Recycling, and Beautify America’s Communities. The organization is driven by the work and passion of more than 620 community-based Keep America Beautiful affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the support of corporate partners, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. To donate or take action, visit kab.org. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, like us on Facebook, or view us on YouTube.
