Campus Race to Zero WasteCampus Race to Zero Waste Logo

Campus Race to Zero Waste (formerly Recyclemania) is a friendly competition and bench-marking tool for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities. Over an 8-week period each spring, colleges across the United States and Canada report the amount of recycling and trash collected each week and are in turn ranked in various categories based on who recycles the most on a per capita basis, as well as which schools have the best recycling rate as a percentage of total waste and which schools generate the least amount of combined trash and recycling.What is being recycled as part of Campus Race to Zero Waste?

  • Mixed Paper - such as white, colored, glossy paper, index cards, computer paper
  • Magazines
  • Phone Books
  • Cardboard
  • Newspaper
  • Plastic containers, #1 trough #7
  • Aluminum cans
  • Glass bottles
  • Tin/steel cans
  • Food Waste - food prep waste collected from Housing and Dining Services used for compost
  • E-Waste - click here for a complete list of accepted e-waste.

K-State wins 2022 Race to Waste competition

April 15, 2022

K-State has won the Big 12 in the Race to Waste competition for 2022! Race to Zero Waste

Thank you for coming together and showing your support for this great effort. Many thanks go out to the students, faculty, staff and facility custodians who recycle and empty the countless recycle bins.

Congratulations on a successful campaign and thank you! Here are the competition results:

Final results

Big 12 Rank Percentage Diversion
Kansas State University 49 34.2
University of Texas-Austin 77 20.8
West Virginia University 95 13.0
University of Houston 99 7.8
Big 12 Rank per capita
Kansas State University 54 8.0
University of Texas-Austin 75 4.6
Iowa State University 93 2.9
West Virginia University 101 2.0

K-State is Big 12 winner in Recyclemania 2020

Recyclemania Logo

Recycling logo

K-State is the Big 12 winner of the 2020 Recyclemania competition, which was held from Feb. 2 – March 28.

This is all part of how we come together and show our support for this great effort. Many thanks go out to the students, faculty, staff and facility custodians who recycle and empty the countless recycle bins. Congratulations on another successful campaign.

Big 12 Conference Diversion

Ranking

Diversion, percentage pounds

Kansas State University

67

38.597

West Virginia University

139

11.542

Big 12 Conference Per capita

Ranking

Per capita, percentage pounds

Kansas State University

68

8.37

Iowa State University

144

2.95

Texas Tech University

145

2.87

West Virginia University

150

2.70

University

National Ranking

Pounds Recycled

Big 12 Ranking

Total Recycling

Kansas State University

35

486,286.00

No. 1

The University of Texas at Austin

36

477,740.00

Texas Tech University

64

295,560.00

West Virginia University

101

148,400.00

Diversion

Kansas State University

50

45.322

No. 1

The University of Texas at Austin

113

25.982

West Virginia University

153

14.545

Per Capita

Kansas State University

54

17.544

No. 1

Texas Tech University

139

7.818

The University of Texas at Austin

140

7.802

West Virginia University

188

4.304

By State

Kansas State University

35

486,286.00

No. 1

Southwestern College

161

52,835.00

Thank You,

Bill Spiegel
Project Manager