University of Richmond Wins First Place in National Campus Race to Zero Waste Competition

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — The University of Richmond has placed first in the Campus Race to Zero Waste competition in the GameDay Basketball waste diversion category. This is the first time that UR has won a category on the national level.

Thirty colleges and universities were recognized as winners for this year’s Campus Race to Zero Waste Competition, a program of the National Wildlife Federation and RecycleMania Inc.

The goal of the competition is to minimize and divert waste from landfills through recycling and reduction strategies. At a UR basketball game earlier this year, the Rethink Waste team managed a small group of staff, students, and volunteers who helped sort and dispose of waste during and after the game. This resulted in 98% of the waste generated going to recycling or compost facilities instead of a landfill.

“The entire Rethink Waste team and all our campus partners were crucial to our success at the Rethink Waste Basketball Game, and the results from that evening are a clear reflection of those efforts. This success only makes me more excited and determined to continue our on-campus initiatives,” said David Donaldson, manager of Rethink Waste.  

The Rethink Waste team leads the diversion of waste across campus year-round and educates the campus on recycling and composting programs as well as sustainable living practices.

“The Rethink Waste program allows us to intervene in the automatic behavior of throwing something “away,” and replaces it with a process that engages people in considering their behavior as potential stewards of our campus and the environment,” said director of sustainability Rob Andrewjewski. “Whether through gameday programs, interactions with the Rethink Waste reps, composting education, or visiting the Spider Exchange, thousands of people in the UR community are rethinking their relationship with waste each year.”

###