Campus Race to Zero Waste

Campus Race to Zero Waste, formerly known as RecycleMania, is a friendly competition, as well as a benchmarking tool, between colleges and universities across North America to promote waste reduction activities in their campus communities! This year's competition starts January 29th and ends March 25th.

Over an 8-week period each spring, colleges compete by reporting the amount of recycling and trash collected each week and are in turn ranked in various categories based on who recycles the most on a per capita basis, as well as which schools have the best recycling rate as a percentage of total waste, and which schools generate the least amount of combined trash and recycling. With each week’s updated ranking, participating schools follow their performance against other colleges and use the results to rally their campus to reduce and recycle more.

National recognition is provided to the winning school in each category on the RecycleMania website and in a national press release. Winning schools receive an award made out of recyclable materials, and win the right to host that category’s special traveling trophy for the coming year.

Our Goals

By participating in the 2023 Campus Race to Zero Waste competition, the Office of Campus Sustainability hopes to use this program to inspire, empower, mobilize, and educate our Falcons to reduce or eliminate waste!

As a benchmarking tool, Campus Race to Zero Waste provides BGSU with an opportunity to share information and learn from the waste reduction practices of other schools around the U.S. and Canada in order to improve our own efforts here on campus!

2023 Categories

This year, BGSU will participate in three categories of the Campus Race to Zero Waste competition:
Diversion, Electronic Recycling, & the One-Building Challenge!

Diversion

February 1 - March 27

This category is for schools with the ability to track and report on recyclables (e.g., cans, bottles, cardboard & paper), as well as food organics and trash on a weekly basis. Diversion is determined by the percentage of the total weight of recyclables and food organics diverted from total waste generated. Schools with the highest waste diversion percentage are awarded.

The goal of this category is to divert waste from the landfill through reduction and recycling strategies. The Office of Campus Sustainability is implementing a new strategy to learn from during this competition-
a pilot program for Sorted-Stream Recycling in Kohl Hall!

The results of this pilot program will inform BGSU, as well as other participating schools, on the effectiveness of this recycling strategy compared to Single-Stream Recycling!
More information is coming soon.

Electronic Recycling

February 22 - March 23

This is a special category that tracks the amount of computers, printers, consumer electronics and other scrap or refurbishable materials collected across campus. Unlike other categories, Electronic Recycling is not limited to BGSU's campus! This means that off-campus students and locals from the City of Bowling Green are encouraged to donate their electronic waste (a.k.a. e-waste) to Campus Sustainability!

In addition to e-waste drop-off bins located in each Residence Hall and the Bowen-Thompson Student Union,
the Office of Campus Sustainability will be hosting two, no-contact E-Waste Drives!

Students, faculty & staff, and local residents of Bowling Green are encouraged to clean out their attics for outdated electronics for recycling!

E-Waste Drive Details
Saturday, March 13th
9 AM - 1 PM
Lot 10
(north side of Slater Family Ice Arena)

One-Building Challenge

March 1 - March 26

This category is designed to help schools focus and test their zero waste efforts on one building and compare their results to other campuses. During this competition participating schools will track all sources of their waste generation during a four-week period during February and March. Schools will be compared based on who disposes the least amount of material as trash, as well as the diversion rate for the building.

The One-Building Challenge presents an opportunity for schools to test or showcase new waste reduction initiatives or education / outreach efforts, and in the process “prove the concept” that can serve as model for rest of campus to follow.

This year, Kohl Hall will represent BGSU in the One-Building Challenge!

Electronic Recycling Drive

Date | Time | Location : TBD

Diversion: Weekly Residence Hall Rankings (2021 Results)

Week 1 (Feb. 1 - 7)

Weekly Rankings:
1st Place: Centennial Hall - 3.8 lbs. of Recycling / Resident
2nd Place: Falcon Heights - 2.6 lbs. of Recycling / Resident
3rd Place: Kreischer Quadrangle - 2.5 lbs. of Recycling / Resident