Campus activities focus on reducing trash, waste

For the eighth straight year, the University of Missouri-Kansas City will be competing in RecycleMania, a friendly competition for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities.

UMKC placed first in 2013 and second in 2014 in the Grand Champion category, out of 680 campuses nationally. The 2015 RecycleMania events run from Feb. 2 – March 29 and will include collaboration among UMKC Sustainability, campus facilities, student affairs, dining services, procurement, student interns and work study students. Departments will host events around campus to help reduce the amount of weekly trash and increase reuse, composting and recycling.

UMKC and other participating campuses are ranked over an eight-week period according to who collects 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. Specific activities are:

Clean Your Files, Books and More – Through March 27.

• Departments can order up to two 95-gallon totes to fill with either recycling or books. Please contact Building Services at 816-235-1354 or hammondn@umkc.edu to participate.

Shred Events – Staff, faculty and students can participate.

• Feb. 11, 2 – 4 p.m., Volker Campus, 4825 Troost parking lot.
• March 11, 2 – 4 p.m., Hospital Hill Campus, Swinney Annex lot, 25^th and Campbell.

Peer to Peer Outreach – Where students can participate in games and prizes.

• Feb. 4, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Miller Nichols Library.
• Feb. 6, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Miller Nichols Library.
• Feb. 9, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Royall Hall.
• Feb. 11, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Student Union.
• Feb. 16, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., the Bloch School.
• Feb. 18, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Miller Nichols Library.
• Feb. 23, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Student Union
• Feb. 25, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Royall Hall.
• March 2, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Miller Nichols Library.
• March 4, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Student Union.
• March 9, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Royall Hall.
• March 11, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Atterbury Student Success Center
• March 16, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Student Union.
• March 18, 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., the Bloch School.

“Our goal is to get all students, faculty and staff engaged in recycling activities on campus by participating in one or all three action steps,” said R. Kaye Johnston, sustainability coordinator. “Watch for specific UMKC events on the UMKC Sustainability Team Facebook page, UMatters, the UMKC Sustainability Team website, UMKC website, UMKCSustain Twitter and UMKC Sustain Instagram.”

RecycleMania was launched in 2001 as a friendly challenge between Ohio University and Miami University to increase recycling on their campuses. The contest has expanded from two schools in 2001 to 605 colleges and universities in 2012 spanning all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Canada and the U.K.