Gettysburg College
EN-5: Outreach Campaign

1) Gettysburg participates in Recyclemania, an intercollegiate competition which challenges students to measure and track all recycling generated on campus over the course of ten weeks. In 20, we finished 2nd in PA and 53rd nationally and in 2008 we placed 8th in PA and 75th nationally. NOTE: Other campaigns have been initiated by students in past years although they have not been driven by the institution. They include a "Take Back the Tap" campaign to reduce bottled water use on campus, a "Graduation Pledge" to encourage graduates to consider the environment and social justice in their future careers, and efforts to introduce a "Real Food Challenge" campaign to increase the dining hall's partnerships with local producers and suppliers.

1) The greatest impact of the Recyclemania competition has been raising awareness of the importance of recycling on campus. In 2007, student initiatives lead to the introduction of recycling bins in each residential room, a move which increasing recycling on campus 47 percent for commingled items and 25 percent for paper. The number of recycling bins on campus has continued to increase, and in 2009 the college introduced single-stream recycling, eliminating the need to sort plastics, paper, and other materials.

At the end of each academic year, Gettysburg College Facilities Services and the United Way of Adams County coordinate the Give It Up for Good Sale. As students move out at the end of the spring semester, they are able to donate all their reusable items rather than discard them. Recycing interns working with the Facilities Services Department and volunteers from the United Way collect, organize, and resell the items to the community. All proceeds benefit the United Way.

In its first five years, the Give It Up For Good Sale raised nearly $60,000 for the United Way and removed approximately 100 tons from the waste stream. Not only does this program help divert waste from ending up in landfills, but also strengthens the College's relationship with the community. The "Give It Up for Good" sale has received the Waste Watcher Award for Outstanding Recycling and Special Collection Efforts each year since 2005 from the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association and Keystone Chapter of the Solid Waste Association of North America.