Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • |
  • Alumni
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Campus & Community

University Begins 2016 RecycleMania Collegiate Recycling Competition

Thursday, February 4, 2016, By News Staff
Share

Image - ReycleMania2016 logoStarting on Sunday, Feb. 7,  Syracuse University will participate in the eight-week national recycling and waste reduction competition where colleges across the United States and Canada are ranked each week based on the amount of collected recycling, food organics and trash. The spirit of the competition is to increase campus recycling and decrease waste.

Schools compete in eight categories based on the weight of recyclables, trash and food organics. The University will submit and be ranked based on actual weights, collected each week by the University’s Sustainability Division for the competition. The competition runs through April 2, and final results will be announced on April 15. The University will compete this year in the same categories as last year: Grand Champion, Per Capita Classic and Gorilla Prize.

With a recycling rate of 46 percent, Syracuse University came in 47 out of 232 in the Grand Champion category, which combines trash, recyclables and food organics to determine the school’s recycling rate as a percentage of overall waste. A higher rank in the Grand Champion means a higher recycling rate, indicating waste prevention and a strong recycling program, according to RecycleMania’s website.

The Gorilla Prize recognizes schools with the highest gross tonnage of combined paper, cardboard, and bottles and cans. The University came in 14 out of 308 when it recycled over 923,012 lbs. of recyclables during the course of last year’s competition.

The Stephen K Gaski Per Capita Classic measures the weight of recyclables divided by the campus population. In 2015, the University came in 33 out of 307 with 26 lbs. per capita.

“RecycleMania is about promoting one of our best sustainable efforts at SU and sharing the news with other campuses that it can be accomplished,” says Melissa Cadwell, marketing manager of the Sustainability Division. “We definitely have the momentum on campus to improve our weekly ratings, and with the help of the campus community, we will rank higher than last year.”

Last year’s RecycleMania had over 394 schools compete. More than 5.6 million students and staff in 49 states recycled and composted 80 million pounds of recyclables and food organics, which is the equivalent of preventing the release of 129,411 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, or the equivalent of removing 25,275 cars from the roads for one year, according to RecycleMania’s published 2015 results.

The University complies with the Onondaga County Source Separation Law and has on-campus recycling bins for mandatory recyclables, such as paper, cardboard and cans/bottles, according to the Sustainability Division. The University also recycles specialized items, including batteries, electronics, polystyrene cold shipping boxes, fluorescent light bulbs, scrap metal, compostable yard waste and construction debris. In addition, University dining centers compost pre- and post-consumer scraps and donate leftover food to the SU/ESF Food Recovery Network, a student movement that uses donated leftovers to reduce food waste while feeding those in need.

The Sustainability Division can provide further information on sustainability and recycling efforts. Visit the SU Sustainability website, follow @SustainableSU on Twitter and check out the Syracuse University Sustainability Facebook page.

To learn more about RecycleMania, visit http://recyclemaniacs.org/.

Story by Alison Gibson G’16, a public relations intern with the Sustainability Division

  • Author

News Staff

  • Recent
  • June 30 Deadline Set for Fiscal 2023 Year End Business
    Wednesday, May 31, 2023, By News Staff
  • DPS Accepting Sign-Ups for R.A.D. Summer Session
    Wednesday, May 31, 2023, By Alex Haessig
  • Syracuse Stage Adds 2 Musicals to 50th Anniversary Season
    Wednesday, May 31, 2023, By Joanna Penalva
  • Supporting, Advocating for Trans Youth Will Help Them Thrive As Adults
    Friday, May 26, 2023, By Daryl Lovell
  • From Print to the Big Screen, Works by Creative Writing Faculty and Alumni Receive International Acclaim
    Friday, May 26, 2023, By News Staff

More In Campus & Community

Project Mend Builds Community Through Writing for Those Impacted by the Justice System

For many years, Patrick W. Berry never told anyone that his father had been incarcerated for much of his life, as had several other members of Berry’s extended family. In fact, he tried not to think much about it. But eventually,…

June 30 Deadline Set for Fiscal 2023 Year End Business

Cash Operations has set a deadline of 3:30 p.m. on Friday, June 30, to receive deposits at the Bowne Cash Operations office for credit in fiscal year 2023. Deposits should be made as early in the day as possible on…

DPS Accepting Sign-Ups for R.A.D. Summer Session

The Syracuse University Department of Public Safety (DPS) is currently accepting sign-ups for its R.A.D. summer session. R.A.D., which stands for Rape Aggression Defense, is a nationally known self-defense program. This women-only self-defense course is being offered exclusively to Syracuse…

Syracuse Stage Adds 2 Musicals to 50th Anniversary Season

Syracuse Stage announced two musicals that will complete the lineup for the organization’s 50th anniversary season. Audiences are immersed in the soulful music of Billie Holiday with Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, Oct. 18 through Nov. 5. Closing…

2023-24 Parking Rates Announced

Syracuse University has set its parking rates for the 2023-24 academic year. The University’s rates, which align with those of peer institutions, provide funding for technology upgrades and capital improvements to parking lots and garages across campus. Employee rates for…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • @SUCampus
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2023 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.