Participate in 'Campus Race to Zero Waste' with UK Recycling
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 30, 2023) — The University of Kentucky in 2022, recycled a total of 1,088.61 tons of materials through the mixed recycling stream alone. This year, UK Recycling aims to collect more recyclables than ever, in pursuit of the university’s goal of becoming a zero-waste university.
As part of this expanded push, UK Recycling is participating in a national recycling competition for colleges and universities called Campus Race to Zero Waste (formerly RecycleMania) from Jan. 29 until March 25. Participation in this competition will promote reducing UK’s environmental footprint and serve as a benchmark to compare our campus recycling efforts with other colleges around the country. UK has participated in this program since 2016.
Throughout February and March, UK Recycling will be expanding outreach to faculty, students and staff to encourage campus community members to reduce their waste.
“Consider your day-to-day life and one small change you can make,” said Ryan Lark, UK’s Recycling/Waste Reduction specialist senior. “Think about a habit you may have or something you already do every day that you can change. Maybe it’s avoiding Styrofoam or bringing a reusable mug/cup or looking up whether an item you usually throw away is actually recyclable at UK. Those changes add up and can have a huge impact on campus.”
Be on the lookout for updates on the university's ranking throughout the next two months on UK Recycling’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok (@ukyrecycles).
Visit the UK Recycling website to read the comprehensive list of recyclable items and learn more about other forms of recycling, food waste diversion and campus recycling programs.
Learn more about Campus Race to Zero Waste here.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.