Sometimes even school spirit can go green. The annual RecycleMania Tournament continues at ±«Óătv, as well as on hundreds of other campuses across America.
RecycleMania encourages colleges and universities around the country to maximize their recycling efforts by creating a healthy competition to see who can increase their recycling rates the most.
In collaboration with the , ±«Óătv students have been in the O’Connor Campus Center throughout the month of March, raising awareness about the tournament and educating community members on what can — and can’t — be recycled.
While most communities offer recycling programs, many recyclable objects are still thrown out in standard trash receptacles.
According to Ashlea Reamer ’18, an environmental studies and biology double-major from Troy, N.Y., this year’s goal is to raise the campus’ overall recycling rate by 5 percent. “We did a baseline measurement for two weeks and found that we were at an eighteen percent recycling rate,” Reamer said. “Our goal now is to reach a twenty-three percent recycling rate by the time RecycleMania ends.”
An increase in recycling is just one of ±«Óătv’s ongoing environmental goals. The university has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2019, coinciding with ±«Óătv’s bicentennial celebration.
Get in on the RecycleMania action. Here are some items that you may not have known are recyclable in Madison County, N.Y.:
- Pots and pans
- Empty aerosol cans
- Plastic retail bags
- Most plastic bins
- Pizza boxes
For a full list of recyclables, visit . To find out what is recyclable where you live, check your local government’s website.