The official results of the 2010 RecycleMania contest were announced today, and Denison University has won the top spot among all colleges in the competition division in Ohio and was 44th in the nation with an average of 23.53 pounds of trash per person recycled during eight-week competition.

Every spring, college students and employees across the country become RecycleManiacs, competing for local and national supremacy to determine which school can reduce, reuse and recycle the most campus waste. This year, more than 600 colleges and universities signed up, and participants recycled or composted more than 84 million pounds of material during the competition.

“Finishing first in Ohio and 44th nationally is a wonderful accomplishment for Denison,” said Jeremy King, the college’s sustainability coordinator, and he’s ready to set the bar even higher next year. “Our focus in the competition next year will shift toward finding ways to reduce the amount of waste we generate. All members of the community can recycle if they choose to do so. It is much more challenging to reduce your overall consumption and waste.”

Ed Skernolis, vice president for recycling of Keep America Beautiful Inc., said the growth of RecycleMania—from a friendly competition between just Ohio and Miami universities in 2001 to this year’s 607 schools spanning 49 states—proves that college students and employees are embracing sustainability like never before. “Keep America Beautiful is proud to sponsor and support this incredible event, knowing that we are creating awareness and building momentum for recycling everywhere—at home, at school, at work and throughout the community.”

The RecycleMania competition is a program of the RecycleMania Steering Committee in coordination with the College and University Recycling Coalition. Program management for RecycleMania is provided by Keep America Beautiful in coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WasteWise program. RecycleMania is made possible through the sponsorship support of the Coca-Cola Company, the American Forest & Paper Association and Keep America Beautiful.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575