CC ranks No. 1 in Connecticut in RecycleMania 2006

A photo illustration of the recycling sign on the Green.

Connecticut College recycled an amazing 56 pounds of waste per person during a 10-week “RecycleMania” contest this spring and finished in the top five nationally in these categories:

• Recyclables collected per person: fifth place, 56.23 pounds.
• Paper recycled per person: fourth place, 26.08 pounds.
• Bottles and cans recycled per person: third place, 13.46 pounds
• Food service organics recycled per person: second place, 42.74 pounds.

For full results go to www.recyclemaniacs.org.

This was CC’s first foray into the contest. The College emerged No. 1 in Connecticut, beating Wesleyan and Yale universities, which recycled 30 and 24 pounds per person respectively. CC also was No. 1 among participating New England Small College Athletic Conference schools.

Amy Cabaniss, CC’s campus environmental coordinator, said she was very pleased. “We had a strong showing of about six pounds of recyclables per person in the first six weeks of the competition,” she said.

“During our two-week spring break, naturally, our weekly counts fell (to less than two pounds per person). But we bounced back, doubling our efforts and came together as a campus during the final weeks (marking 11 pounds per person in Week 10). It was great that so many on campus were a part of that effort and to see the results.”

In announcing the results, RecycleMania organizers said, “Congratulations to the Connecticut College Camels, who ranked high in all of the Targeted Materials areas.”

RecycleMania, which ran from Jan. 29 through April 8, included schools from 33 states across the country. The main goal of the event was to increase awareness of campus recycling and waste minimization.