Campus Race to Zero Waste
Campus Race to Zero Waste (formerly Recyclemania) is a friendly competition and bench-marking tool for college and university recycling programs to promote waste reduction activities to their campus communities. Over an 8-week period each spring, colleges across the United States and Canada report the amount of recycling and trash collected each week and are in turn ranked in various categories based on who recycles the most on a per capita basis, as well as which schools have the best recycling rate as a percentage of total waste and which schools generate the least amount of combined trash and recycling.What is being recycled as part of Campus Race to Zero Waste?
- Mixed Paper - such as white, colored, glossy paper, index cards, computer paper
- Magazines
- Phone Books
- Cardboard
- Newspaper
- Plastic containers, #1 trough #7
- Aluminum cans
- Glass bottles
- Tin/steel cans
- Food Waste - food prep waste collected from Housing and Dining Services used for compost
- E-Waste - click here for a complete list of accepted e-waste.
K-State wins 2022 Race to Waste competition
April 15, 2022
K-State has won the Big 12 in the Race to Waste competition for 2022! 
Thank you for coming together and showing your support for this great effort. Many thanks go out to the students, faculty, staff and facility custodians who recycle and empty the countless recycle bins.
Congratulations on a successful campaign and thank you! Here are the competition results:
Final results
| Big 12 | Rank | Percentage Diversion |
| Kansas State University | 49 | 34.2 |
| University of Texas-Austin | 77 | 20.8 |
| West Virginia University | 95 | 13.0 |
| University of Houston | 99 | 7.8 |
| Big 12 | Rank per capita | |
| Kansas State University | 54 | 8.0 |
| University of Texas-Austin | 75 | 4.6 |
| Iowa State University | 93 | 2.9 |
| West Virginia University | 101 | 2.0 |
K-State is Big 12 winner in Recyclemania 2020
K-State is the Big 12 winner of the 2020 Recyclemania competition, which was held from Feb. 2 – March 28.
This is all part of how we come together and show our support for this great effort. Many thanks go out to the students, faculty, staff and facility custodians who recycle and empty the countless recycle bins. Congratulations on another successful campaign.
Big 12 Conference Diversion
|
Ranking |
Diversion, percentage pounds |
|
|
Kansas State University |
67 |
38.597 |
|
West Virginia University |
139 |
11.542 |
Big 12 Conference Per capita
|
Ranking |
Per capita, percentage pounds |
|
|
Kansas State University |
68 |
8.37 |
|
Iowa State University |
144 |
2.95 |
|
Texas Tech University |
145 |
2.87 |
|
West Virginia University |
150 |
2.70 |
|
University |
National Ranking |
Pounds Recycled |
Big 12 Ranking |
|
Total Recycling |
|||
|
Kansas State University |
35 |
486,286.00 |
No. 1 |
|
The University of Texas at Austin |
36 |
477,740.00 |
|
|
Texas Tech University |
64 |
295,560.00 |
|
|
West Virginia University |
101 |
148,400.00 |
|
|
Diversion |
|||
|
Kansas State University |
50 |
45.322 |
No. 1 |
|
The University of Texas at Austin |
113 |
25.982 |
|
|
West Virginia University |
153 |
14.545 |
|
|
Per Capita |
|||
|
Kansas State University |
54 |
17.544 |
No. 1 |
|
Texas Tech University |
139 |
7.818 |
|
|
The University of Texas at Austin |
140 |
7.802 |
|
|
West Virginia University |
188 |
4.304 |
|
|
By State |
|||
|
Kansas State University |
35 |
486,286.00 |
No. 1 |
|
Southwestern College |
161 |
52,835.00 |
Thank You,
Bill Spiegel
Project Manager