Students now have a different way to beat rival universities: recycling.
On Sunday, the UF Office of Sustainability started its Recyclemania campaign, a 10-week competition between 350 colleges to determine which school can recycle the most.
The campaign runs through April 5 and kicks off with Recycling Day on Tuesday on the Reitz Union North Lawn.
The event will feature games and a trash exhibit to show students how many objects which are commonly thrown away can be recycled.
This is the university's second year competing. Last year, UF beat all other Southeastern Conference schools in per capita recycling and placed third in gross weight of recyclables, said Adrian Erlenbach, an intern for UF's Office of Sustainability and Recyclemania coordinator.
"My number one goal is to win," Erlenbach said. "My larger goal is to get schools to improve their recycling."
Erlenbach plans on making the Recyclemania campaign much larger this year by raising more awareness, involving other clubs and holding events around campus. This year, the UF Physical Plant Division has put up more recycling bins to help promote more on-campus recycling, Erlenbach said.
The caught-green-handed program is another way people will be encouraged to participate. Students caught recycling by campaign volunteers will be given a free T-shirt, he said. As large contributors of recyclables on campus, the residence halls will also set up bulletin boards in their halls to educate their residents.
"I hope we win," said Alexandra Klein, Inter-residence Hall Association environmental concerns director, "but even if only 10 people choose to recycle, it will be worthwhile."
