Northwest Missouri State University will participate this spring in the annual Campus Race to Zero Waste competition in an effort to reduce waste and raise sustainability levels on campus.

The Campus Race to Zero Waste, formerly known as RecycleMania, is hosted by the National Wildlife Federation. The competition provides an opportunity for universities throughout the nation to participate in friendly competition with other colleges and universities for the common goal of reducing waste through recycling and food waste composting.

The eight-week competition, which starts Sunday, Jan. 29, involves more than 600 colleges in the United States and Canada to report the amount of recycling and trash they collect each week. Participating institutions are then ranked in various categories based on the amount they recycle per capita as well as their recycling rate of total waste and by generating the least amount of combined trash and recycling.

Northwest students and employees are encouraged to participate by considering their use of materials and minimizing waste when possible. If something needs to be discarded and it is recyclable, use the recycling containers located throughout campus.

“Northwest has a spirit of stewardship,” Troy Brady, Northwest’s energy and sustainability manager, said. “It has led to this community being a leader in renewable energy, waste reduction and material recycling not only in the area but on a state level. One of the most important factors in that is education, making sure the message to think about how our use of materials and the impact we have is shared.”

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.

Northwest is a three-time winner of the Missouri State Recycling Program’s Annual Recycling Award, claiming the honor in 2011, 2013 and 2014. Northwest also ranked first in the diversion category among Missouri universities in the 2020 Campus Race to Zero Waste competition.