April 19, 2016
Earth Day Week 2016: RecycleMania update
RecycleMania is a friendly competition and benchmarking tool for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities. During an eight-week period each spring, colleges across the U.S. and Canada report the amount of recycling and trash collected each week. They are then 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.
Since 2012, Kansas State University has participated in the national recycling competition. With successful motivation of students and facility and awareness of this program, together we have been resolving what is waste and what is not. Over the past four years, our diversion rate has grown from 17 percent in 2012 to 32 percent in 2015. In 2011, K-State only recycled 173,579 pounds and ranked 246, but steadily increased to 375,754 pounds in 2015 and ranked 93.
With the introduction of One Stop Drop recycling in 2013, our efforts have not only increased drastically but have saved time for our custodial staff. With several grants, we have increased the number of recycling bins throughout the university which makes recycling easier every day. We have proven through teamwork from all students and departments throughout our university we can steadily increase our goals in recycling.
Results for this year's RecycleMania efforts, which ended on April 2, will be posted soon. Through awareness and education, we make this university proud in supporting our future in everything we do in recycling.
Learn more about K-State's Recycling Center online.