Recycle Mania, an annual national recycling competition, kicks off Jan. 18 with one major difference. Instead of being a competition among the UA residence halls, Recycle Mania will be campuswide, sustainability education coordinator Liz Zavodsky said.

This year, Facilities Management will be submitting all the numbers from campus recycling containers to Residence Life to report for the competition so UA will be “”reporting as a campus and not a portion of campus,”” Zavodsky said.

In the past, UA has participated in the national competition but only reported numbers from recycling bins in residence halls, Zavodsky said.

“”I think it’s going to make a difference to our own faculty, staff, and students,”” Zavodsky said, “”Now, it’s about our campus and everyone has a role.””

The UA will be participating in the recycling and waste minimization element of the Recycle Mania competition, Zavodsky said. Recyclables and trash are weighed, and then the numbers are submitted to the national competition.

Zavodsky said Recycle Mania’s main goal is “”to get people aware of our consumption habits.””

Residence halls also compete among themselves to be the top recyclers at the university, Zavodsky said. Efficient water and electricity use, as well as proper disposal of trash and recycling materials will be taken into account, she said.

Facilities Management, which coordinates with Residence Life for Recycle Mania, is also working toward sustainability.

Associate Director of Facilities Management Christopher Kopach said the department’s recycling program is “”huge,”” the grounds department is “”heavily involved”” in water harvesting on campus and they are working to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions.

“”That’s just good stewardship of our resources, not only for the university but for the entire earth,”” Kopach said. “”It’s just the right thing to do.””

“”It’s a great way to educate people at a large-scale on their consumption habits and having a more sustainable environment,”” said astronomy sophomore Jake Turner, president of the Residence Life Eco-Reps.

Education is part of this year’s focus for the Eco-Reps, he said.

The Eco Reps will host a kick-off on the mall Jan. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Turner said. Recycle Mania ends March 28.

While reporting the entire campus’ numbers will give the campus a boost from last year, UA has “”a long way to go before we truly embrace Recycle Mania,”” Zavodsky said. Nevertheless, “”for the first time, our campus will be on the map,”” she said.