RecyleMania 2008 final results

To: Elon campus community
From: President Leo M. Lambert
Re: RecyleMania 2008 results

For the second year in a row, Elon has participated in a 10-week nationwide competition called RecyleMania, a fun way to promote waste reduction.

I’m pleased to announce that we have surpassed last year’s recycling totals and placed second among North Carolina colleges and universities in the per capita recycling category.

2008 RecycleMania achievements

Our objective this year was to exceed the 2007 contest total of 94,318 lbs. (47.16 tons). We had an extra challenge this year, since Spring Break fell in the ninth week of the competition. However, with creative planning by Environmental Services Manager David Worden, we achieved our goal:

• This year’s RecycleMania total was 107,833 lbs. (53.92 tons)
• Elon’s per capita recyclable collection was 16.1 lbs.
• Plastic/aluminum/glass totaled 26,300 lbs.
• Cardboard totaled 48,160 lbs.
• Paper and paper related recyclables totaled 33,373 lbs.
• West Area successfully defended its championship title with 3,925 lbs. collected
• A RecycleMania art contest using recycled materials was won by Brett Patterson and Emily Miller, who created a large face made mainly of tin soup cans, called “Mmm Mmm Good.”

In the overall collection category, Elon placed 89th out of 200 colleges and universities, and first among Southern Conference schools that entered the competition.

More importantly, this competition has raised awareness on campus of the impact each of us can make by changing small habits and making a conscious effort to reduce waste and divert materials from garbage cans to recycling bins.

RecycleMania has given us a good start, but to fully achieve our goals we must all continue in our daily recycling habits. This effort is an important part of Elon’s sustainability master plan, and we look forward to passing this year’s recycling benchmark in next year’s competition.