Frostburg State University Competes in National Wildlife Federation’s 2023 Campus Race to Zero Waste
May 4, 2023 9:00 AM
Frostburg State University joined more than 3.4 million college students and staff across the country in a competition to reduce the campus waste footprint. Minimization efforts included donating, composting and recycling more than 29.4 million pounds of waste. As a result, collectively, more than 200 million single-use plastic containers have been kept out of landfills, and the release of 29,108 metric tons equivalent of carbon dioxide were prevented from releasing into the atmosphere, equal to avoiding the annual emissions from 6,128 cars.In the per capita Classic category, FSU finished 13th out of 107 reporting schools, collecting 18.083 lbs. of waste per capita, and in the Diversion category, FSU finished 37th out of 91 reporting schools, with a diversion percentage of 35.683%. Frostburg’s cumulative GHG reductions was 185 metric tons equivalent of carbon dioxide. This is equal to keeping 36 cars off the road or the energy consumption of 16 households.
“Well done, FSU!” said Tracy Edwards, lecturer and coordinator of sustainability studies at FSU. “We will do better as we continue to become more effective recyclers both on-campus and beyond.” Frostburg was one of only six colleges and universities in the state that participated in this year’s competition.
“The impact these colleges and universities have on reducing their waste footprint is tremendous and almost hard to comprehend,” said Kristy Jones, director of higher education programs at National Wildlife Federation. “To prevent the release of more than 29,000 metric tons equivalent of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and more than 200 million single-use plastics out of landfills is staggering and truly something to be proud of.” Jones continued, “The collective efforts to minimize waste and reduce stress on natural resources is inspiring and creating a better world for wildlife and the environment.”
“Congratulations to all participating campuses,” says Stacy Wheeler, president and co-founder of the competition. “Annually the Campus Race to Zero Waste competition provides key tools and opportunities that inspire, empower and mobilize colleges and universities to improve their efforts to benchmark and promote their zero waste practices.”
Learn more about Frostburg State University’s minor in sustainability studies HERE. For more details about categories and winners, visit the 2023 Scoreboard.
About Campus Race to Zero Waste
Campus Race to Zero Waste – formerly known as RecycleMania – is the nation’s premier waste reduction and recycling competition among colleges and universities, managed by National Wildlife Federation, and governed by RecycleMania, Inc. Campus Race to Zero Waste has been helping campuses minimize waste and improve their recycling efforts, since its launch in 2001.