University News

RecycleMania 2015

January 20, 2015

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MACOMB, IL -- While Western Illinois University's recycling efforts take place year-round, for the eighth consecutive year, WIU is participating in the RecycleMania initiative, a national competition between colleges and universities across the nation. This year's competition, which began Jan. 19, runs through April 4.

Last year, WIU recycled 94,320 pounds of recyclables and 6,585 pounds of food scrap waste during the 10-week competition, and during the University's eight years of participation, Western has collected 1 million pounds during the duration of the competition. The goal of RecycleMania is to raise awareness of the importance of recycling, according to WIU Sustainability Coordinator Mandi Green. More than 461 colleges and universities participated in the 2014 event, resulting in 85.6 million pounds of total recycling and food waste diverted from the landfill.

During the contest, schools report recycling and trash data, and then are ranked according to which institution collects the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita or has the highest recycling rate. With each week's reports and rankings, participating schools watch how their results fluctuate against other schools and use this to rally their campus communities to reduce and recycle more.

"On our campus, "blue" means recycling. Anything recyclable can be placed in the blue bins throughout campus as the University has a mixed recycling system," Green explained. "Like in past years, our goals include reducing the amount of waste, while increasing our recycling weights."

All paper products, corrugated cardboard and paperboard/chipboard, plastics (numbers 1-7, except styrofoam), aluminum and tin can be placed in the blue bins across campus. In addition to the "blue bins" that collect daily recyclables, Green pointed out that Western recycles numerous items, including wood pallets, light bulbs and construction materials. Batteries are also recycled, and each building representative has a battery recycling bin in his/her office.

Each week during RecycleMania, staff from Western's Facilities Management will collect and record the amount of recyclables from each building on campus. Schools can then check their standings online.

RecycleMania began in February 2001, when Ed Newman from Ohio University and Stacy Edmonds Wheeler from Miami University decided something had to be done to increase recycling in the residence and dining halls on their campuses. During the inaugural 10-week competition, Miami University and Ohio University battled to see which school could recycle the most. Western has participated in RecycleMania since 2006.

To learn even more about environmentalism and sustainability, visit wiu.edu/sustainability and click on "Recycling at Western, or contact Green at (309) 298-1834 or at SA-Green@wiu.edu. For more about RecycleMania, visit RecycleMania.org.



Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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