With but a few days remaining in Recyclemania 2011, St. Thomas sits atop the recycling heap of Minnesota schools competing in the Grand Champion Division.
Schools that participate in both the Per Capita Classic and the Waste Minimization competitions are eligible to compete in the the Grand Champion Division of RecycleMania. The winner will be the school that, based on its combined results, demonstrates the greatest achievement in both source reduction and recycling.
The most recent results, available here, cover the first eight weeks of the 10-week competition.
St. Thomas has both higher than usual paper recycling and less than usual waste hauling by Veolia, which combined have pushed the university into the top position, according to Bob Douglas, coordinator of recycling and Central Receiving.
Gustavus Adolphus has held on to the Grand Champion position the past few years but is now in third place, behind St. John’s. St. John’s and St. Ben’s are in their first year of Recyclemania.
“Because last week was spring break, we may have some ground to make up to stay in the lead,” Douglas remarked. “But St. Thomas is showing its championship mettle not just in athletics but also in recycling. Recycle and encourage others to recycle this week so we can stay on top!”