Grand Valley State University will contend with other Michigan universities during their fifth-annual RecycleMania competition over a ten-week period this year.

Steve Leeser, operations supervisor for Facilities Services, said GVSU is grouped with other Michigan universities with more than 20,000 students enrolled, including Western Michigan University, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Michigan State University and Central Michigan University.

Universities compete in a variety of contests with prizes awarded to campuses that collect the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita and the highest recycling rate.

“We are not at a point where we compete nationally,” Leeser said, but he said the university intends to do so in the future.

Between Jan. 22 and March 31, students can dispose of paper, metal and cardboard in clearly labeled recycling bins available at various residences, academic buildings and cafeterias on GVSU’s campuses.

“Participating in RecycleMania is a way for students to actively think about the waste being produced and opportunities for increasing their recycling habits as well as reducing consumption and reusing items,” said Abbe Forbes, associate director and financial manager of Housing and Residence Life. “(These goals will) hopefully encourage long-term awareness and positive habits.”

According to the National Recycling Coalition, residence and dining halls are the largest producers of trash on college campuses, accounting for between 30 and 70 percent of university waste. Up to 50 percent of that waste is made of recyclables.

Forbes agreed that recycling begins at home.

“We’ve implemented recycling stations in the residences across campus and have seen an improvement every year in the quantity of recycling generated,” she said. “This year, residents in Niemeyer have also implemented a composting program to support the community garden. The community councils are trying to expand this program across campus with the composting of pizza boxes.”

One priority of RecycleMania is to limit food waste going to landfills so that greater amounts of compost can be tallied this year.

“Every dining location has separate bins for compost, landfill, recycling paper and recycling other,” said Ethan McCann, food service director and dining sustainability manager at GVSU’s Pew Campus.

McCann said these receptacles are clearly labeled on the outside, and his hope is to “make it easier for guests to reduce waste going to landfills in any dining location.”

He added that everyone needs to make a conscious effort to recycle and compost this year so that Grand Valley can win the Grand Champion Award.

In 2011, Grand Valley won second place in the Grand Champion and Per Capita Classic awards and third in the Waste Minimization, Gorilla Prize and Food Service Organics prizes.

More information can be found on the GVSU website at www.gvsu.edu/facilitiesservices or at recyclemania.org.

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