Campus challenged to reduce waste
Reprinted with permission from Technician
Written By: Joanna Banegas, Staff Writer
Published: Sunday, February 21, 2010
Updated: Sunday, February 21, 2010
N.C. State, along with 500 other colleges and universities across the nation, are currently competing in Recyclemania, a competition for campus recycling programs to supoprt waste reduction activities in their communities. The program started Jan. 17 and ends March 27.
This is the third year in which the University is participating in the program.
Analis Fulghum, education and outreach coordinator for Waste Reduction and Recycling, said the University competes in the event to raise awareness for sustainability and help promote recycling around campus.
“The student population and staff accept recycling as part of our day to day being on campus,” Fulghum said.
She said Recyclemania also helps the University reach its goal of diverting 65 percent of campus waste material from the landfill by 2015.
“Anything we do to raise awareness about recycling will help us reach our goal,” Fulghum said.
The competition also provides a way for the University to compare and learn from the recycling strategies of other universities of the same size.
Fulghum said when competing head-to-head against rival university UNC-Chapel Hill, NCSU won in four out of the six categories in 2009.
“It is easier to relate to schools in the ACC since we [compete against] them often,” Fulghum said. “Everyone knows we should reduce and recycle, but sometimes a friendly competition helps give people another reason to participate.”
Last year, the University recycled more than 558,757 pounds of reusable materials, placing it 23rd in the nation in the competition.
“By participating in Recyclemania the University has the ability to compare our recycling rates against other schools and learn what we are doing right or where we can grow,” Fulgham said.
Megan Cain, a junior in environmental technology and a Waste Reduction and Recycling intern, said the competition will make a student think twice before throwing something away.
“By [competing] with other schools we get the word out about recycling,” Cain said. “It will help increase the recycling rate on campus.”
For the competition, participating schools submit their tonnage data for paper, cardboard, cans and bottles, food waste and general trash each week. They are, in turn, able to see how they measure up against each other in continuously updated results.
Bryan Maxwell, a junior in civil engineering and the Sustainability Committee chair for Student Government, said Recyclemania is good cause for the University.
“It’s less trash in the environment and we make money from recycling. It also makes sense to recycle,” he said. “This is about making it a habit.”
Cain said there has been a 41 percent year-over-year recycling increase in bottles and cans for the 10 week competition period.
“Most of this is coming from student’s dorms,” Cain said. “It’s nice to see that change from a student population on
campus.”