Recyclemania kicked off at UMW and on other university campuses across the country February 7, and UMW students, staff and offices recycled a whopping 6,993 pounds of materials during the first week of the annual nationwide competition.

That’s nearly double the amount of UMW recyclables collected the previous week, showing that friendly competition can change the mindset of campus communities as UMW moves toward a more sustainable future.

Throughout the eight-week competition, the President’s Council on Sustainability, Facilities Services and the student-run Ecology Club will push the UMW community to recycle as much as possible in an effort to win the national competition while encouraging a more sustainable campus.

The Copy Center, Post Office and Bookstore are accepting used printer cartridges which will be recycled, and the Post Office will accept cardboard boxes for reuse or recycling. The Bookstore also is showing the Ecology Club’s Recyclemania commercial on in-store screens.

Assistant Vice President of Business Services Erma Baker has been doing her part to participate in the competition. “I have practiced recycling, have avoided printing when possible, and used a UMW Bookstore water bottle instead of a plastic bottle,” Baker said. She said the business services staff currently is revising its mission statement to emphasize sustainability.

As Recyclemania continues over the next two months, remember to recycle all glass, aluminum, plastics, cardboard and mixed paper!