Ohio University’s Athens campus finished the 2013 RecycleMania Tournament first among Mid-American Conference (MAC) schools in four categories, according to final results released Monday. 

RecycleMania, a contest that draws on the competitive spirit of sports rivalries to enhance campus recycling and waste reduction, had 523 participating schools this year. 

After eight weeks of RecycleMania, OHIO topped the MAC in overall pounds recycled (known as the Gorilla Prize), per capita Cardboard collection, per capita Cans and Bottles collection and Food Service Organics collection. Beyond the MAC, the winning efforts resulted in the University’s highest ranking of 33rd in the Cardboard category and 42nd in the Gorilla Prize category in the overall competition. 

"The results represent a lot of positive effort," said Andrew Ladd, Ohio University recycling and refuse manager. "We were very successful, and regardless of if we won every category or met every goal, it still shows that we're moving in the right direction and making significant strides." 

Throughout the competition, OHIO diverted 425,591 pounds of targeted recyclable materials from the landfill and 157,285 pounds of food waste by composting, with a total of 593,626 pounds recovered, including electronic waste and film plastics. More than 15 pounds were recycled per person on campus. 

Through education, outreach, marketing and social media efforts, Ladd said efforts will continue to work with student groups and residential housing bodies to increase commitment to recycling among the student population. 

For more information on the RecycleMania results, visit http://recyclemaniacs.org/scoreboard/current-results.