The Northwest Recycling Center accepts plastics, aluminum, mixed paper, cardboard and glass. (Northwest Missouri State University photo)

Northwest Missouri State University’s Recycling Center is sponsoring “Bearcat Green,” a month-long recycling competition to educate students about the University’s sustainability practices.

The challenge continues through April 22, which marks the global commemoration of Earth Day, and encourages students to visit the Northwest Recycling Center to dispose of their recyclable trash, including plastics, metal, glass and paper.

“We are hosting this event to spread information about sustainability and green practices at Northwest,” Fiona Siepman, a sophomore marine biology major from St. Charles, Illinois, who serves as a recycling assistant on the campus, said. “We hope that by getting students more involved, we’ll be able to take even more trash out of circulation and have the funds to do bigger projects on campus in the future, not only to improve facilities but to employ students and fund their projects and ideas as well.”

The Recycling Center is located in the 1100 block of North Country Club Drive. Upon arrival, students should provide their name, s-number, and residence hall or off-campus address to enter the challenge.

Participating students who reside on campus can earn points for their residence hall. The residence hall that earns the most points at the end of the challenge will have the opportunity to receive a pizza party or a new amenity.

Students living off campus and individuals who come to the Recycling Center with trash for all three weeks of the challenge are eligible to receive one of 13 individual prizes, including  a $50 gift card from Walmart, Hy-Vee, Starbucks or the Bearcat Bookstore.

Northwest has been a leader in recycling efforts in the Maryville community and beyond for decades. Since 2016, Northwest’s recycling revenue has offset landfill costs with annual collection averages amounting to 1.6 million pounds of cardboard; 300,000 pounds of paper; 208,500 pounds of organics; 115,000 pounds of plastic and 4,500 pounds of aluminum. Northwest’s diversion rate of recycled materials away from local landfills has reached a level of 46 percent.

Last year, the Recycling Center diverted 1.8 million pounds of trash from landfills. From that, the University saved $113,000 that it redirected to landscape services and the Office of Sustainability.

Northwest also is a three-time winner of the Missouri State Recycling Program’s Annual Recycling Award, claiming the honor in 2011, 2013 and 2014.