Bowling Green State University’s (BGSU) Office of Sustainability is stepping up to the starting line for the 23rd annual Campus Race to Zero Waste, an international, eight-week competition between college campuses from Feb. 1 to March 28.
The competition seeks to promote sustainable practices based on recycling per capita, total volume of campus recycling, composting and electronic recycling.
BGSU has participated since 2002, only one year after the competition was founded. While in recent years BGSU typically places between 30th and 40th place, it won the race in both 2002 and 2003, according to BGSU Sustainability Coordinator Zach Hayes.
Participating campuses are responsible for planning events that promote sustainability and increase the campus’s overall score. The winning school receives national recognition for its hard work helping the environment.
BGSU’s Office of Sustainability has a weekly schedule of events planned for the duration of the competition, including a pizza party, a basketball game and an electronics recycling drive.
| Week of: | Event: | Date: | Location: | Time: |
| Feb. 8 to 14 | Book Recycling Service Act | 2/12 | McDonald Annex (back of the Campus ReStore) | 3:30 to 5 p.m. |
| Feb. 15 to 21 | Caught Green Handed | 02/16 | Bowen-Thompson Student Union | 11 a.m. to noon |
| Feb. 22 to 28 | Specialty Recycling Project- VHS Tapes | 02/26 | McDonald Annex (back of the Campus ReStore) | 9 to 11 a.m. |
| Feb. 22 to 28 | Basketball Game Waste Reduction Challenge | 02/26 | Stroh Center | 1:15 to 5:15 p.m. |
| March 1 to March 7 | Spring Break | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| March 8 to 14 | Caught Green Handed/Mugshots | 03/11 | Bowen-Thompson Student Union | 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. |
| March 15 to 21 | Specialty Recycling Project- VHS Tapes | 03/20 | McDonald Annex (back of the Campus ReStore) | 9 to 11 a.m. |
| March 22 to 28 | Electronics Recycling Drive | 03/28 | Lot 10 (Slater) | 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. |
Pizza for Recycling uses compostable paper plates and teaches students what items can be recycled after they are consumed, while Caught Green Handed Mugshots provides students who use a reusable water bottle the opportunity to be featured on the Office of Sustainability’s social media.
Students planning to attend the Feb. 28 BGSU vs. UMass basketball game can volunteer on game day to help divert waste and sort recycling. More information and volunteer sign-up can be found on the Office of Sustainability’s BGSU Serves page.
Sustainability intern Mya Chapman, a third-year senior studying environmental policy, is most excited for the recycling competition between residence halls. Each year, BGSU measures the weight of all the materials recycled during the competition, tracking which residence hall has the most per capita recycling rate.
“I feel like a lot of people don’t even know we exist on campus. So, having that [event] where people actually live, it gets us more out there and puts our efforts forward and gets everyone involved,” said Chapman.
Despite being less known than they desire, the sustainability staff continues to make new strides.
As part of a new composting initiative, the Office of Sustainability will be delivering waste to GoZERO, a food waste drop-off station in Bellefontaine.
“We’ll actually have our first pick up with them on Feb. 4, which is perfect because the campus race starts on Feb. 1 and that’s when we start reporting our composting data,” Hayes said.
At GoZERO, the food scraps will be turned into usable soil for planting or gardening.
“It’s definitely a lot better for the environment than landfilling. People don’t realize, but landfills don’t really break down your garbage,” Hayes said. “It’s more like a storage unit for waste.”
In addition to attending the events, students who put their recycling in the bins inside the residence halls will not only contribute to BGSU’s ranking in the race but will also help the hall’s ranking in the competition between dorms.
Students interested in volunteering with the Office of Sustainability during the Campus Race to Zero Waste can visit their BGSU Serves page.
