From February 6^th until April 2^nd, UNE will be involved in the Waste Minimization competition of RecycleMania, an intercollegiate competition between over 600 colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad (www.recyclemania.org). This is UNE’s second year in the competition, and we are trying to spread the word as much as possible so that everyone can contribute to the cause. Involvement in this competition is part of the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment that President Ripich signed in 2008. As a signatory, UNE has pledged to take steps to reach carbon neutrality, including the emissions caused by hauling waste off campus.

The Waste Minimization competition involves reducing the amount of all waste and recyclable products hauled off campus. This includes all trash, plastics, bottles, cans, paper, cardboard, metal, etc. Members of the student environmental group, Earth’s ECO, as well as work study students and members of the Environmental Interest Pod, will be monitoring the amount of waste hauled off campus and are encouraging students, faculty, and staff to reduce the amount of waste they throw out.

So what can you do?

• Use reusable bottles, or reuse plastic bottles instead of placing them in a bin.
• Think before printing! Don’t print in excess, and always use both sides.
• Buy less. The less you have on you now, the less you have to throw away later.
• Don’t dry your hands with paper towels. Shake them dry, or use a regular towel.
• Eat “here” and not “to go”. To-go containers are a huge part of UNE’s waste stream.
• Anything else you can think of to reduce and reuse!

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please e-mail Ryan Kingston, President of Earth’s ECO, at rkingston@une.edu, and thank you for your involvement.