RecycleMania begins

RecycleMania begins

BY ARIE WILSON PASSWATERS
Rice News Staff

Rice University is participating in a nationwide intercollegiate recycling competition called ”RecycleMania.”

The 10-week contest began last week and runs through April 5.

RecycleMania is a friendly competition among college and university recycling programs in the United States that provides the campus community with a fun approach to waste reduction. Campuses compete in different contests to see which institution can collect the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita or have the highest recycling rate.

Rice is competing with approximately 400 schools in 46 states. Materials collected as part of RecycleMania include paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, glass containers and plastic bottles.

Rice first competed in RecycleMania in 2006 when few schools were participating, said Richard Johnson, director of sustainability.

“Over the past year or two, we have really seen an increase in environmental awareness not just at Rice, but nationwide,” said Johnson. “In our first year to compete in RecycleMania, we were the only university from the state of Texas to participate. Here we are just two years later, and there are now 22 of us from Texas taking part.”

In 2007, Rice contended in six different categories of the RecycleMania competition. In per capita paper recycling, Rice finished 14th out of a national field of 111 and first among Texas universities. In the “Per Capita Classic” category, which measured the total amount of recyclables collected per person, Rice placed 54th out of 175.

“Our Custodial and Grounds folks are very excited about RecycleMania,” said Eusebio Franco, director of Custodial and Grounds. “We have bought extra recycle containers to go from good to great this year.”

To request a desk-side recycling bin for paper recycling, speak with your custodian or call Rice’s recycling coordinator, Roy Perez, at 713-348-5272.

For more information about recycling at Rice, including where to recycle on and off campus, visit <http://recycle.rice.edu>. To learn more about RecycleMania, visit <www.recyclemaniacs.org>.