For the eighth year, Emory is joining other national college campuses in the annual RecycleMania contest, designed to reduce campus waste and increase recycling awareness.

From Feb. 5 to March 31, students and staff will help Emory compete in several categories in the Competition Division.

The average college student produces 640 pounds of solid waste each year, including 500 disposable cups and 320 pounds of paper.

"Colleges and universities are like small cities that consume large amounts of resources and generate a lot of waste," says Deena Keeler, assistant director for auxiliary services. "This annual competition is a fun way to engage the campus community about recycling and waste reduction."

According to Keeler, recycling has many more benefits than reducing landfill use. "It reduces energy consumption among other things. By reducing the amount of trash sent to the landfill through recycling, you are helping to reduce greenhouse gases."

Paper makes up 35 percent of solid waste sent to landfills. Here are some recycling tips to optimize paper use to benefit the environment:

• Recycle mail in the mixed paper bin.

• Use both sides of paper to print or take notes.

• Recycle cardboard instead of leaving it as litter.

• Place milk, juice and soup cartons in the recycling bin instead of the trash can.  

The eight-week RecyleMania contest is sponsored by Emory Recycles and the Office of Sustainability Initiatives.