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Recycling Mania Hits College Campuses

Recycle Mania Trophy created by Robin Kelly of Carpenter, Ohio

Incorporating fun and excitement through an intercollegiate recycling competition was the idea that won Ed Newman, Ohio University's recycling guru, the Outstanding Recycling Innovation Award at this year's National Recycling Coalition. Ed and the recycling program manager at the University of Miami in Ohio created a competition to spur interest in recycling. Not an easy task when targeting college aged kids!

Kicked off in 2001 to address the wastefulness at college campuses, the ten week long, multi-college event has blossomed into a 19 school competition this year. Newman sets the bar high for himself; he wants to see the number of participating schools double every year. With its focus on students' residences and dining halls, the competition has significantly increased the amount of recyclables collected.

Every student from the 19 participating universities is able to join the recycling contest. Residence halls and on-campus apartments at the schools are outfitted with recycling containers. Meanwhile, the dining areas collect the recyclables they produce, with the help of the students. All of the common recyclables are accepted, including all types of paper, DPT #1 and #2 plastic containers, glass bottles, and metal cans.

Measuring the recyclables, necessary for the competition element of the program, are down to a science. The recyclables collected from residence halls, on-campus apartments, dining halls, and other campus food venues are weighed. The total weight is divided by the total on-campus students to yield the per capita weight. This number is compared to other schools to find out the winners. The winners get a trophy made from recyclables, a half page ad in the other schools' newspapers, and of course bragging rights.

For more information on the Recycle Maniacs, contact:

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