Recycle and help Virginia Tech win a national championship
Beginning Feb. 2, and running for eight weeks, Virginia Tech is competing against other ACC universities and in-state rivals in RecycleMania.
RecycleMania is a competition between colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada to see who can recycle and reduce waste the most. Each week, Virginia Tech’s efforts will be measured in several categories and our national ranking will be made public.
“We want Virginia Tech to be a leader during the competition so we really need the university community to step up their recycling efforts,” said Denny Cochrane, sustainability program manager. “Virginia Tech recently installed nearly 100 new trash and recycling containers around campus and they should make it easier for students, faculty, and staff to recycle.”
During the first two weeks of the competition, Virginia Tech students, faculty, and staff will be encouraged to sign a pledge to be more conscious of their waste and try to reduce, reuse, and recycle as much as possible. During the second two weeks, people around campus who are “caught green handed” — using reusable water bottles and coffee mugs — will be able to win prizes and recognition from the Office of Energy and Sustainability.
Finally, the competition will culminate in a Recycling Olympics event in March, which will let the Virginia Tech community bring the competition right to campus and compete for recycling glory. Prizes will be given out to competitors and winners.
This marks the ninth year that Virginia Tech has participated in RecycleMania. Over the years, the university’s recycling rate during the competition has ranged from 18-23 percent, which has not been enough to win.
Winning colleges or universities in each of the completion categories receive national recognition. In addition, the winning schools receive a trophy made of recycled materials and the right to display the trophy for the next year.
For more information, visit the Office of Energy and Sustainability website or contact Emily Schosid, campus sustainability planner, 540-231-7358.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.
