What Is RecycleMania?

RecycleMania is a friendly competition among college and university recycling programs in the United States that provides the campus community with a fun, proactive activity in waste reduction. Over a 10-week period, 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.

The main goal of this event is to increase student awareness of campus recycling and waste minimization. All participating schools are required to report measurements on a weekly basis in pounds. RecycleMania provides many ways to gain recognition, including RecycleMania trophies, awards, and participant certificates.
In the end, RecycleMania helps all participating colleges and universities make achievements in recycling and waste reduction!

Why Is There a Need for RecycleMania?

A number of universities across the United States have successfully operated waste management and recycling programs for more than 10 years. The universities participating in this competition boast some of the highest recycling and waste diversion rates in the country. Despite their recycling successes, certain on-campus facilities tend to produce most of campus waste. In particular, residence halls and dinning halls have been the largest producers of campus waste—from 30 to 70 percent of campus trash. Data from waste audits conducted at these buildings suggest that up to half of all residence hall trash is recyclable. RecycleMania began as an effort to recycle more waste from campus residential areas. As the competition evolved, it expanded to allow colleges to participate with only their residential areas or to expand their scope to include the entire campus.