The latest phase in SUNY Fredonia’s unwavering commitment to “go green” begins Sunday, Jan. 27, with the arrival of “RecycleMania,” a 10-week competition among more than 200 colleges and universities across the country vying for top recycling honors.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.
“RecycleMania is a friendly competition among colleges and universities to reduce greenhouse gases through increased recycling,” said James Pepe, SUNY Fredonia’s director of Facilities Management and a member of the campus’ Sustainability Committee. “The basic idea,” said Pepe, “is that we can all contribute towards huge environmental gains, and have a little fun while doing it.”
The program drew a ringing endorsement from all members – students, faculty and staff – that serve on SUNY Fredonia’s Sustainability Committee.
The primary goal of the 10-week competition, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection (EPA), is to increase student awareness of campus recycling and waste minimization efforts. SUNY Fredonia has established its own goal: 80,000 total pounds of recycled materials, or an average of 8,000 pounds per week during the full competition.
SUNY Fredonia has entered the “Per Capita Classic” division, whose targeted materials are paper, corrugated cardboard, bottles and cans. Several other materials commonly recycled on campus which are not counted toward this competition include tires, batteries, cell phones, computer components and many other items.
A formula, based on the number of full-time equivalent students, staff and faculty, is used by RecycleMania to calculate pounds collected per person. SUNY Binghamton, which was 41st among 175 schools with 27.26 pounds per person, was the best-performing SUNY campus in last year’s competition. Collection rates among campuses nationwide ranged from a scant 0.44 to a staggering 101.43 pounds per person. If SUNY Fredonia is successful in reaching its 80,000-pound goal, it would generate a rate of approximately 13.25 pounds per person.
The dramatic gains in recycling volume achieved in recent years would seem to make SUNY Fredonia competitive among participating schools. "If you look at what we've done in the past, we may be up to 20 pounds per person," said Pepe. “But those tallies were achieved in a low-key atmosphere. There will now be much more emphasis on recycling due to this competition. I believe we can do even better.”
Mr. Pepe indicated that recycling efforts are being supported by the two area firms responsible for collecting a majority of the recycled material on campus. They are: Westfield Disposal, a general waste hauler that is recycling plastic and glass bottles, tin cans, aluminum and cardboard; and Abitibi, which is accepting paper, magazines, catalogues and mail.
“We have installed recycle bins throughout the campus, knowing that convenience plays a huge role in the success of these initiatives,” Mr. Pepe said.
More than 55 collection bins -- each with separate slots for waste, aluminum, glass and plastic bottles, and mixed paper/newspaper – have been strategically located in lobbies, cafés and other high trafficked areas in virtually every campus building. Another half-dozen bins are located outside. Abitibi dumpsters, new to campus this year, are also outdoors and can be easily recognized by their bright green-and-yellow colors.
Tossing an empty can of Pepsi or yesterday’s USA Today in the proper bin assures that the item will enter a recycling stream, and not simply be buried in a landfill.
Recycling success at SUNY Fredonia has grown exponentially in recent years, from 19.8 tons in 2005 to 77.4 tons in 2006 to an impressive 131.2 tons in 2007. So has the number of schools competing in RecycleMania, which began with just two in 2001.
To check on how many pounds of recycled material SUNY Fredonia has collected each week, students, faculty and staff can visit www.fredonia.edu/gogreen. Tallies for recyclables that have been gathered at all participating schools will, likewise, be posted each week at www.recyclemaniacs.org.
Additional recycling information on topics such as conservation, electricity saving measures and high-efficiency light bulbs can also be accessed at www.Fredonia.edu/gogreen.
