The University of Evansville, along with the University of Southern Indiana and Ivy Tech Community College – Southwest, are competing this month in a nationwide challenge to see who can reduce, reuse, and recycle the most on-campus waste.
The Tri-State institutions of higher learning are among more than 600 schools participating in the national RecycleMania competition. To complement RecycleMania, which is sponsored by the Alcoa Foundation, Alcoa Warrick Operations has challenged each of the three participating schools in a local contest, of which UE is the defending champion. They will be vying against one another in the final half of the eight-week challenge, which concludes March 30. Alcoa Warrick Operations will provide a cash prize of $1,500 to the winner in the local challenge.
Alcoa is a recognized leader in sustainability and has set a strategic goal to increase the recycling rate of used aluminum beverage cans to 75 percent by 2015. The RecycleMania competition will let thousands of students know that everyday actions can make a difference.
“In the U.S., we have an enormous opportunity to improve our environmental footprint by recycling more of what we consume,†said Paula Davis, president of the Alcoa Foundation. “When recycled, a can of soda is back on the shelf in just 60 days.â€
In 2011, the University of Evansville took first in the state of Indiana among 10 Hoosier schools, and it also placed in the top tier of schools nationwide on a per capita basis.
“Teaching and modeling social responsibility, including sustainability, is a core goal of the University of Evansville’s strategic plan, so we’re thrilled to once again participate in RecycleMania,” said UE President Thomas A. Kazee. “We’ve been proud to demonstrate community leadership on this topic by building Vanderburgh County’s first two LEED-certified buildings, made possible in part by a generous grant from the Alcoa Foundation, and by winning the first intra-city RecycleMania challenge in 2011.”
“Our students look forward to another friendly competition and hope to exceed last year’s recycling totals, but no matter the results, it’s a win-win. Our entire community will benefit from the increased focus on recycling and sustainability.”
In 2011, 630 participating colleges and universities collected over 91 million pounds of recyclables and compostable organics. This prevented the release of 127,553 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E) into the atmosphere.
The Alcoa Foundation is a national sponsor of RecycleMania, Inc., which is governed by a steering committee made up of recycling managers from participating universities. Program management for the 2012 RecycleMania Tournament is provided by Keep America Beautiful, the national nonprofit organization.
