KNOXVILLE – For the fifth year in a row, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, will compete in RecycleMania, an annual, intercollegiate recycling and waste reduction competition that takes place over ten weeks during the spring semester.
From January 17 through March 27, amounts of trash and recycling collected from every building on campus will be monitored and reported, and rankings will be posted each week comparing UT Knoxville with the hundreds of other colleges and universities competing nationwide. Last year 510 campuses collectively recycled more than 69.4 million pounds of waste, with UT Knoxville collecting 343,750 pounds.
“I’m very excited for this year’s competition,” said Environmental Coordinator Jay Price. “Last year we had awesome student participation and this year we’re hoping for 100% participation in residence halls. UT Knoxville has a long tradition of being environmentally conscious, and RecycleMania is a great way to showcase that.”
The competition kicks off on Wednesday, January 20th from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in University Center room 227 with giveaways, raffle prizes, recycling-themed games, and a waste-free breakfast for anyone who signs a pledge to support UT’s efforts to reduce waste and increase recycling.
UT Knoxville maintains a comprehensive recycling program, collecting paper, cardboard, aluminum, steel, plastics # 1-7, batteries, electronics, yard waste and a variety of other materials. Last year 1,144 tons of material was recycled on campus.
Nationally, RecycleMania is sponsored and produced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WasteWise Program, Keep America Beautiful, and the College and University Recycling Council. More information and rankings can be found on the national RecycleMania website at http://www.recyclemania.org, and on the RecycleMania – University of Tennessee, Knoxville Chapter Facebook page.
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Contact:
Alexandra Virtanen, Public Relations Coordinator
Facilities Services Department
(865) 974-2510, avirtanen@utk.edu