RecycleMania 2013 at Ohio University started out running and hasn't slowed
down since. Ohio University's recycling efforts are leading the MAC in every
major catergory: the Grand Champion Division, which measures our recycling to
landfill percentage; the Per Capita classic, which measures the weight of
recycling per person on campus, and the Gorilla Prize. Currently ranked in the
top 15 in the nation, OU has seen our greatest success in the Gorilla Prize
cateogry, which measures total weights of all target materials recycled on campus.
RecycleMania began in January 2001 as a friendly challenge between Ohio
University and Miami University. Since then the Tournament has grown to
include 11 competition categories and includes 630 colleges representing 49
states and 4 Canadian provinces. Last year over 7.5 million students and staff
participated, collectively recycling 91 million pounds of recyclables and organic
materials. This activity helped to prevent the release of over 127,000 metric
tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTC02E), equivalent to the greenhouse gas
emissions of 25,000 passenger cars, or the electricity use of more than 15,500 homes.
In just the first three weeks of the RecycleMania 2013 OU students, faculty, and
staff have recycled and composted over 260,000 lbs of cardboard, paper,
beverage containers and food scraps. We are on pace to easily top 4 million
pounds of recyclable resources diverted from the landfill in a year's time.
Nationally, OU currently ranks #14 in paper diversion, #15 in the Gorilla Prize
category, #38 in food waste diversion and #40 in per capita recycling rates.
