UTSA is stepping up its sustainability efforts this spring by competing in Campus Race to Zero Waste, a national challenge promoting waste reduction and recycling. This marks UTSA’s 16th year participating in the contest, which runs from Feb. 2 to March 29.
What it Is
Campus Race to Zero Waste is an eight-week competition that challenges colleges and universities across the United States and Canada to improve their efforts to minimize waste and maximize recycling. As part of its ongoing sustainability efforts, UTSA is committed to reducing waste year-round, and this competition provides a fun opportunity to reinforce those practices.
Each week of the competition, participating institutions report the amount, by weight, of recycling and trash collected and are then ranked in various categories: recycling per capita, recycling rate as a percentage of total waste, and combined total trash and recycling. The winning school in each category gets recognition on the competition website and in a national press release.
How You Can Help
Participating is easy—simply use the recycling bins on campus! UTSA follows a single-stream recycling system, meaning all recyclables can be discarded in the blue recycling bins found throughout campus. Trash and recycling bins are placed side-by-side for easy disposal, and solar-powered “Big Belly” bins optimize the process further with built-in compactors. Additionally, faculty and staff can use the mini-bins attached to their personal waste basket. Visit the Facilities website to learn more about recycling at UTSA.
Why This Matters
Reducing landfill waste conserves resources and protects wildlife and human health from the dangers of plastic pollution and solid waste build-up. Campus Race to Zero Waste has influenced over 1,100 colleges and universities to recycle and compost more than 1 billion pounds of waste. This is comparable to removing more than 335,000 passenger vehicles from the road for a year.
UTSA has been a strong competitor in the past, and with your help, this can be the year we win! Most importantly, your contributions help us reduce our environmental footprint and build a lasting recycling culture on campus.
