| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 48.88 |
| Liaison | Amy McElhinney |
| Submission Date | Oct. 2, 2014 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
University of Mount Union
EN-5: Outreach Campaign
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
4.00 / 4.00 |
Leah
Graham Sustainability and Campus Outreach Manager Office of Sustainability |
Has the institution held at least one sustainability-related outreach campaign directed at students within the previous three years that has yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
Has the institution held at least one sustainability-related outreach campaign directed at employees within the previous three years that has yielded measurable, positive results in advancing sustainability?:
The name of the campaign (1st campaign):
A brief description of the campaign (1st campaign):
According to Recyclemaniacs.org "RecycleMania is a friendly competition and benchmarking tool for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities. Over an 8 week period, schools report recycling and trash data which are then ranked according to who collects the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita, or have the highest recycling rate. With each week’s reports and rankings, participating schools watch how their results fluctuate against other schools and use this to rally their campus communities to reduce and recycle more."
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (1st campaign):
University of Mount Union RecycleMania 2014 Results
This is the 6th year the University of Mount Union competed against 460 other colleges and universities in the annual RecycleMania competition which leverages campus spirit to increase recycling and waste reduction on campuses across the U.S. and Canada. Colleges and universities competing in the eight-week competition are ranked according to how much recycling, trash and food waste they collect. Between the early-February kickoff and the tournament’s final day on March 29, participating schools collectively recycled or composted 89.1 million pounds of recyclables and organic materials, preventing the release of 126,597 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E) into the atmosphere, which is equivalent to preventing annual emissions from 24, 823 cars.
The University of Mount Union recycled a total of 20,638 pounds during the 8 week RecycleMania competition, preventing the release of 28 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E) into the atmosphere, which is equivalent to preventing annual emissions from 6 cars! Mount Union competed in 4 categories of RecycleMania. In the Waste Minimization category, the total amount of waste generated on campus from recycling and trash, the University of Mount Union ranked 64 out of 149; and ranked 1st in the Waste Minimization category out of seven Ohio schools!
Fast Facts
• 139 Number of students who pledge to recycle during RecycleMania; including 2 staff 2 faculty
• 20,628 total pounds over 8 weeks preventing the release of 28 tons of Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (MTCO2E), which is comprable to taking 6 cars off the road for 1 year!
• Winning Residence Halls at the end of the 8 week competition were: Kellor Manor, 552 Vincent, and 544 Vincent!
• A total of 7.44 lbs per capita were recycled during 8 week competition
• Generated 4.46 lbs per person of waste (recycling and trash) during the 8 week competition per week.
• UMU recycled on average 2,600 lbs every week
RECYCLEMANIA UNIVERSITY OF MOUNT UNION YEARLY STANDINGS
Grand Champion
YEAR Recycling Rate % Trash RANK Total Rankings Standings %
University of Mount Union 2014 20.84 79.17 190 256 74.22
University of Mount Union 2013 21.96 78.05 195 273 71.43
University of Mount Union 2012 20.18 79.82 206 266 77.44
University of Mount Union 2011 26.47 73.53 160 288 55.56
University of Mount Union 2010 37.52 62.48 38 267 14.23
Per Capita
YEAR lbs recycled per capita RANK Total Rankings Standings %
University of Mount Union 2014 7.44 222 332 66.87
University of Mount Union 2013 7.21 235 360 65.28
University of Mount Union 2011 12.13 137 363 37.74
Mount Union College 2010 12.83 125 346 36.13
Gorilla
YEAR Total lbs recycled RANK Total Rankings Standings %
University of Mount Union 2014 20638 285 336 84.82
University of Mount Union 2013 20020 305 364 83.79
The University of Mount Union 2011 33540 264 363 72.73
The University of Mount Union 2010 33151 252 364 69.23
The website URL where information about the campaign is available (1st campaign):
The name of the campaign (2nd campaign):
A brief description of the campaign (2nd campaign):
The Game Day Recycling Challenge is a friendly competition for colleges and universities to promote waste reduction at their football games. The competition is run by a partnership of the College and University Recycling Coalition (CURC), RecycleMania, Keep America Beautiful (KAB) and EPA’s WasteWise program.
During the challenge, colleges and universities implement waste reduction programs during home football games. Schools track and report waste reductions and disposal data that is used to rank the schools.
A brief description of the measured positive impact(s) of the campaign (2nd campaign):
Reducing Raiders
Results from Game Day Challenge are in! The University of Mount Union competed against 60+ schools in the nation competing in four different categories including: waste minimization (pounds of waste per person); recycling (pounds recycling per person); diversion percentage (amount of waste diverted from landfill); and greenhouse gas reduction (Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent per person). We did not compete in the other category, organics (pounds of organics per person).
Waste Minimization 6th out of 62 (0.134 lbs per person)
Compared to 62 other schools in the nation the University of Mount Union places 6th in generating the least amount of waste (recycling and trash) per person at football games. Congratulations Raiders for only producing 0.134 pounds per person in trash and recyclables on Saturday November, 9th home football game and following the “reduce first, reuse, then recycle” slogan.
Recycling Rate 52 out of 67 schools (0.071 pounds per person)
The University of Mount Union’s recycling rate (pounds recycled per person) was 52 out of 67 schools with 0.071 pounds recycled per person at Game Day Challenge. This could mean two things 1) we didn’t generate a lot of recyclable materials so kudos to all the fans for using their reusable water bottles, mugs, bags and reusing items before recycling them and 2) we can always improve our recycling rate at the games by continuing to improve materials in the stadium and tailgating areas making sure they are recyclable.
With a total of 12 volunteers and a total of 54.5 volunteer hours, the Green Raiders and volunteers feel confident that we were able to capture most of the recyclable materials at our home football game (other than items that had been contaminated by food). During tailgating, the volunteers, identified by green bandanas, were handing out recycling and trash bags in the tailgating areas, talking with fans, and during the game patrolled the stands and trash and recycling bins. All trash and recycling was weighed by hand which was totaled and then submitted to Game Day Challenge. The University of Mount Union Baseball team did the final stadium clean-up taking the two truckloads of trash and recycling to our recycling and trash containers and cleaning the stadium by hand using blowers to collect the remaining waste.
Diversion Rate 29th out of 61 schools (We divert 53% of our waste from the landfill).
Our diversion rate of 53% shows us that we could divert more of our waste from the landfill placing 29th out of 61 schools. At Game Day Challenge we recycled 53% of our materials and the rest of our waste (47%) is send to the landfill. We can improve our diversion rate (and improve the amount of greenhouse gases we are able to reduce) by finding solutions to food waste and continuing to work on improving the materials in the stadium and tailgating areas ensuring they are either recyclable or compostable.
University of Mount Union Standings out of all Game Day Challenge Competitors
Waste minimization (pounds of waste per person) (out of 62 schools)
6 University of Mount Union 0.134
Recycling (pounds recycling per person)(out of 67 schools)
52 University of Mount Union 0.071
Diversion Percentage (out of 61 schools)
29 University of Mount Union 52.706
GHG reduction (MTCO2E) out of 67 schools
55 University of Mount Union 0.000111
University of Mount Union Standings out of all Division II and III Game Day Challenge Competitors
Rank Waste Minimization
1 Grand Valley State University
2 Carroll University
3 Wartburg College
4 University of Mount Union
5 Bowdoin College
6 Adams State University
7 Assumption College
8 Humboldt State University
9 Long Island University-C W Post Campus
10 Minnesota State University Moorhead
11 University of Rochester
12 Franklin College
13
Rank Diversion %
1 Humboldt State University
2 Minnesota State University Moorhead
3 Carroll University
4 Bowdoin College
5 Franklin College
6 University of Rochester
7 Grand Valley State University
8 Assumption College
9 University of Mount Union
10 Wartburg College
11 Long Island University-C W Post Campus
12 Adams State University
13
Rank Recycling
1 Franklin College
2 Minnesota State University Moorhead
3 University of Rochester
4 Humboldt State University
5 Bowdoin College
6 Assumption College
7 University of Mount Union
8 Carroll University
9 Long Island University-C W Post Campus
10 Wartburg College
11 Grand Valley State University
12 Ferrum College
13 Adams State University
Rank GHG reduction
1 Franklin College
2 Minnesota State University Moorhead
3 University of Rochester
4 Humboldt State University
5 Assumption College
6 Bowdoin College
7 Long Island University-C W Post Campus
8 Carroll University
9 University of Mount Union
10 Ferrum College
11 Wartburg College
12 Grand Valley State University
13 Adams State University
The website URL where information about the campaign is available (2nd campaign):
A brief description of other outreach campaigns, including measured positive impacts:
Earth Hour
Students have organized and coordinated Earth Hour at the University of Mount Union in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
Earth Hour inspires a global community of millions of people in 7,001 cities and towns across 152 countries and territories to switch lights off for an hour as a massive show of concern for the environment.
Mount Union’s PRSSA and the Green Raiders have planned many activities for this year’s event including glow-in-the-dark bowling, DIY craft donation, music, spelling out a name with flashlights in the dark, a six-foot Earth ball and a pledge poster. In addition, free Chipotle will be available for the first 50 people in attendance.
The event is free and is open to the community, students, faculty and staff. For more information, visit earthhour.org; https://www.worldwildlife.org/pages/earth-hour-2014-participants
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.