Thanks to ALCOA, All Ohio State dorm rooms have recycling bins

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Researchers at Ohio State University have invented fluorescent nano-particles that change color to tag molecules under the microscope. This series of photos shows a particle changing from red to green – and, at the 89-second mark, to yellow – over the course of two minutes. Image by Gang Ruan, courtesy of Ohio State University.

The Ohio State University is among 13 recipients in a grant program designed to provide recycling bins to colleges participating in the annual RecycleMania challenge. The grants will provide a total of 50,000 bins to participating schools nationwide and has provided enough bins for all Ohio State on-campus residents to have a recycling bin in their room.

“Ohio State is committed to reaching its goal to divert 40% of its waste stream from the landfill. This grant will help provide a solid foundation for our students to do their part in our efforts,” said Assistant Vice President of Facilities Operations and Development Paul Sherwood.

The Alcoa Foundation, the College and University Recycling Coalition (CURC), and Keep America Beautiful (KAB) named winners of the grant program. It is part of Keep America Beautiful’s larger public space initiative, an effort among KAB and its sponsors, including Alcoa, to enhance the access to and convenience of recycling away from home.

Alcoa, which sponsored the grant program, has set a goal to increase the nationwide recycling rate of aluminum cans to 75 percent by 2015. The grants are part of a larger partnership that includes sponsorship of the 2011 RecycleMania competition, America Recycles Day sponsorship, and support for CURC’s technical programs including a Webinar series and annual workshop. Alcoa’s goals align well with Ohio State’s efforts to divert 40% of the university’s waste from the landfill.

“Alcoa is pursuing a goal to increase the nationwide recycling rate of aluminum cans to 75% by 2015, and one way to do that is to make it more convenient for institutions like colleges and universities to recycle,” said Beth Schmitt, Alcoa’s Director of Recycling. “That’s why the Alcoa Foundation has donated and distributed 50,000 bins to 13 winning college and university campuses in support of RecycleMania. When we make new cans from recycled cans, we save 95% of the energy it takes to make cans from raw aluminum, so we don’t want any of them to go to the landfill.”

Through April 2, Ohio State is participating in RecycleMania where colleges and universities compete to see which can reduce, reuse, and recycle the most campus waste. It offers bragging rights and special awards made out of recycled materials to the winning schools. During the RecycleMania 10-week competition in 2010, 607 participating campuses collectively recycled or composted more than 84.5 million pounds.

Several campus residence halls will be competing against one another to determine the recycling champion on campus. For more information about recycling at Ohio State, see http://recycle.osu.edu. You can track weekly RecycleMania progress at http://sustainability.osu.edu/recyclemania.

About Alcoa and the Alcoa Foundation
Aluminum is infinitely recyclable, and the aluminum can is the only package that can be used, recycled, and back on store shelves in as few as 60 days. What’s more, there is no limit to the number of times a can may be recycled into a new can. Alcoa and the aluminum industry have a goal to increase can recycling rates in the United States to 75% by 2015. To reach this goal, Alcoa and the Alcoa Foundation have distributed more than 75,000 recycling bins, launched its Make an Impact calculator to help families live more sustainably, created the Aluminate™ recycling app, and in the last five years invested nearly $3.5 million in community recycling programs across the country. If every American recycled just one more can per week, it would reach its goal. Join Alcoa in this important effort, download the app, and recycle. Together, we CAN make a difference. Visit www.alcoarecycling.com.

About the College and University Recycling Coalition
The College and University Recycling Coalition (CURC) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to support to recycling and waste reduction programs at colleges and universities. Led by a steering committee drawn from its membership, CURC represents a vibrant community of campus recycling professionals from more than 800 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. CURC supports collegiate recycling programs through a free webinar series, annual workshops, a quarterly e-newsletter, the development of best-practices manuals and toolkits, and professional networking opportunities for program managers. The CURC community has nurtured innovative programs such as the RecycleMania® Tournament that uses a friendly competition format to engage students and staff on college campuses in recycling and waste reduction issues. Collectively, CURC members work to support each other in developing effective programs to encourage conservation and reduce the environmental and carbon footprint of college campuses across the United States.

About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful, established in 1953, is the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. With a network of more than 1,200 affiliate and participating organizations, Keep America Beautiful forms public-private partnerships and programs that engage individuals to take greater responsibility for improving their community environments. For additional information, visit www.kab.org.