New generation of Activists
|
Landfills of the world, rejoice! SUNY Fredonia is once again participating in “RecycleMania,” a competition between colleges and universities that in two years’ time has more than doubled in size and grown to an international level.
Fredonia will compete in various categories over a 10-week period from Jan. 17 through March 27, including the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita, and the highest recycling rate.
This year, 518 schools have agreed to participate, a more than 25 percent increase from 2008’s registrants. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are represented in 2010, as are colleges and universities from Canada and Qatar.
The primary goal of the competition, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection (EPA), is to increase student awareness of campus recycling and waste minimization options. Last year, the competition generated 69.4 million pounds of recycled materials; SUNY Fredonia’s individual goal is 80,000 pounds, an average of 8,000 pounds per week during the full competition. Last year the campus recycled nearly 72,000 pounds, or 11.4 pounds per person.
All students, faculty and staff are invited to join the campus-wide campaign to improve resource conservation by expanding SUNY Fredonia’s already considerable recycling volume. The current campus recycling system, part of the school’s movement to “Go Green,” has become remarkably easier to use in the past couple years.
“Our recent move to a combined recycling program should really help make a difference in our performance in this year’s competition,” said Kevin Cloos, director of facilities services at SUNY Fredonia. “By creating a one-stop-drop system that covers 17 different categories of recyclable material and takes the burden of sorting off of our campus community, we’re making it easier for everyone to do their part.”
In addition to this new streamlined recycling system, last year’s distribution of 2,500 new “Go Green” recycling totes in all student residence hall rooms and faculty and staff offices should also make a noticeable impact. “And we have increased the number of larger recycling bins installed among the more populated public areas on campus, knowing that convenience plays a huge role in our success,” Cloos added.
A formula, based on the number of full-time equivalent students, staff and faculty, is used by RecycleMania to calculate pounds collected per person. Last year Fredonia ranked 157th out of the nearly 300 participants of the competition division, including nine SUNY schools.
“We’ve also made sure it’s easy to follow our progress toward our goal,” added Mike Barone, director of public relations who, along with Cloos, serves on the campus’ 25-member Sustainability Committee. “Not only can it be viewed online [www.fredonia.edu/gogreen], but there’s also a huge mural which doubles as a progress meter in the Williams Center.”
Table tent cards, posters and other promotional materials will soon appear in dining halls, residence halls, the library and other common areas across the campus to further promote RecycleMania. Tallies for all 518 participating schools will be posted weekly at www.recyclemaniacs.org.
To learn more on such topics as conservation, re-use strategies, and other sustainable topics that can help you see how you can make a difference, visit www.fredonia.edu/gogreen.
