ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ

DALLAS (ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ) – RecycleMania, a friendly competition mounted every spring to encourage University students to reduce, re-use and recycle, is underway.  ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ will compete against other universities in Texas and across the U.S. and Canada to see which universities capture the most in recycled material and divert as much waste as possible from landfills.

This year, the competition is not just about the numbers: There are new campus engagement categories to allow students to compete on how well they get the word out about recycling.  ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ’s E-Reps, who work in the residential commons to encourage green living among residents, are developing their own plans for competition between the commons communities, including making RecycleMania part of the Commons Cup competition.

RecycleMania began Feb. 1 and runs through March 28, and students are encouraged to consult fliers around campus as well as the website at for ideas and information about how to participate and help ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ raise recycling awareness.

“I think Recyclemania is important for two reasons,” said E-Rep Christina Barrera.  “Recycling and ultimately becoming a zero-waste campus should be the goal here at ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ, and RecycleMania is a good place to start. Second, because it’s a nationwide competition, beating other schools, especially others in Texas should be an incentive to students to recycle more. Being at the top of the list would truly be something to be proud of.”

At a basic level, success in the annual RecycleMania campaign depends on understanding how recycling works at ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ.  The University practices single-stream recycling, which means all recyclable waste goes into the same bin – no sorting is necessary. In ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ buildings, material for recycling should be placed in the containers with clear, plastic liners or the traditional blue recycle bins.

If plain old garbage is tossed into a recycle bag or bin, it contaminates the stream and disqualifies everything in that container from being recycled.  Here’s a list of what ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ does recycle.

• Paper
• Aluminum
• Cardboard
• Magazines
• Hardback Books
• Envelopes
• Film Wrap
• Shrink Wrap
• Newspaper
• Paperback Books

“We should all recycle responsibly year round,” said Ann Allen, ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ’s senior grounds manager.  “But during RecycleMania, it’s a great time to clean out old files, get rid of old books and cardboard, and generate as much recyclable material as possible to increase ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ’s ranking in the competition.”

Allen said anyone with questions about ÌÇÐÄvlogÊÓƵ’s recycling process should contact the Facilities Service Response Center at 214-768-3494. 

To learn more about RecycleMania please visit the website at . Students interested in the residential commons’ competitions should contact their E-rep.

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