Employees working in various campus buildings will again battle to lead the university in recycling and waste reduction in the ninth annual RecycleMania Battle of the Buildings Competition, Sunday-March 28.
For 10 weeks, the Waste Reduction and Recycling Office, a part of Plant Building and Grounds Services, will track recycling and trash levels on a weekly basis for participating buildings.
The competition challenges workers in campus buildings to beat their 2014 recycling and waste reduction totals, and awards performance in three areas: most-improved recycling rate, largest waste reduction rate and highest recycling rate.
more information
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Learn more about U-M’s recycling programs or sign up as a participant.
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The deadline to register is Jan. 23.
“RecycleMania provides the momentum to engage the campus community in the university’s waste-reduction efforts,” says Alison Richardson, recycling coordinator with the Waste Reduction and Recycling Office.
“Our goal is to sustain their excitement and participation beyond the competition, which leads to long-term, positive results.”
Simultaneously to the campus building competition, the university also will compete with hundreds of colleges and universities in the national RecycleMania 2015. This marks the 10th year the university has participated in the competition.
U-M will compete in:
• Largest collection of total recyclables.
• Largest amount of recyclables per capita.
• Least amount of waste per capita.
• Highest recycling rate during the competition.
Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to utilize the available recycling bins on campus and be mindful of the amount of waste they generate. Similar to previous years, the Planet Blue Ambassador Student Leaders will promote recycling and encourage sustainable behaviors in the residence halls.
“We’re working with Dining, Housing and Planet Blue student leaders to host kick-off tabling events at all Dining locations with information and giveaways, and an opportunity to make sustainability pledges,” Richardson says.
The events will occur Tuesday from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. at the following locations: Bursley, East Quad, Hill Dining, Markley, North Quad, Oxford, South Quad, Michigan League, Michigan Union and Pierpont Commons.
Last year’s competitions resulted in the university collecting nearly 716,000 pounds of recyclables, equal to the avoidance of approximately 1,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, or removing 300 vehicles from the roads according to calculations provided by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The top three 2014 winners in the recycling rate competition were: Argus II Building, 63.3 percent; Fleming Administration Building, 62.3 percent; and Bonisteel Interdisciplinary Research Building, 57.7 percent.
The university’s average recycle rate on campus, excluding the U-M Health System, was 32.4 percent last year.
The LSA Building won most-improved recycling rate, up 196.6 percent from the previous year. Stockwell Hall won the waste-reduction category, reducing its total waste by 34 percent since the previous year.
In the nationwide competition, the university finished with a nearly 30 percent recycling rate, placing fifth in the Big Ten and 120th among the 256 participating schools.
Participation in both competitions supports the university’s broader commitment to sustainability, known as Planet Blue.
