Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Repeat.
Posted on March 17, 2008
Recyclemania began as a friendly rivalry between Miami University and Ohio University in 2001 and is now a national contest involving 400 colleges and universities.
JMU was No. 1 for most bottles and cans recycled throughout Virginia as part of Recyclemania, a nationwide competition among college and university recycling programs in the United States.
The program seeks to encourage campus communities to minimize waste production through a proactive 10-week challenge.
This is the second year Dining Services has partnered JMU with Recyclemania. Since the competition started on Feb. 2, the school’s rankings have been climbing the charts in most combined recyclables – paper, cardboard, beverage containers and corrugated cardboards.
JMU ranked fourth in the state for most recycled items per capita, beating out Eastern Mennonite, Virginia Wesleyan, Longwood and Virginia Tech. It also claimed the 51st spot among all schools nationwide, and ranked 16 out of all public universities.
JMU is currently competing in the Per Capita Classic, one of four divisions offered.
Each week, campuses report the amount of products recycled, and that number is divided by campus population to determine the amount per capita.
Recycle bins have been placed in Festival, Top Dog, PC Dukes and Market One. “Our goal in dining is to increase awareness and to improve our ecological footprint,” said Angela Ritchie, marketing manager for JMU Dining Services.
This year JMU is taking a different approach to the competition by experimenting with various recycling containers. They are currently testing out newly updated Glutton Recycling Stations, which provides a three-in-one centralized solution to sort waste.
While many students tend to bypass individual containers and throw everything into a trash can, the units encourage students to make an effort to recycle.
“It’s a whole better way to recycle,” said Jason Rexrode, who works in the office of recycling and integrated waste management. “Having all three choices together in one unit allows students to think about it more often.”
Retailed at $600, the school is testing out stations in only specified locations: Miller, ISAT and the first floor of Carrier. Based on how well they are received, JMU wants to place them throughout campus.
“I think the Recyclemania project is a really good idea,” sophomore Michael MacDonald said. “It’s a great way for JMU to become even more active and visibly involved in establishing a more environmentally friendly campus.”
JMU is receiving positive response from students, with a recycling rate of approximately 30 percent. Kalamazoo College, is the No. 1 ranked school in the Per Capita Classic recycling 44 pounds per person.
“Over the past ten years, students are becoming more environmentally conscious,” said Rexrode. “We’re doing more and more and our program has grown – we now have a staff of 20 employees. Each year it gets better and better, and if there aren’t appropriate bins available to students, we’re notified.”
Patricia Duncan, a sophomore student manager at PC Dukes, believes the campaign will be easy for students to take part in.
“Recycling is a simple way students can make a lasting impact,” she said. “I think the student body will think more when throwing things away and when they choose to buy products.”
