Campus Race to Zero Waste
An annual contest each spring to reduce the University’s waste footprint
The University of Rochester joins college students and staff across the country in an annual competition to reduce the campus waste footprint through minimization efforts by donating, composting, and recycling.
About the program
Campus Race to Zero Waste—formerly known as RecycleMania—is the nation’s premier waste reduction and recycling competition among colleges and universities. The program has been helping campuses minimize waste and improve their recycling efforts since launching in 2001.
2026 Competition
The 2026 competition kicks off on February 1, 2026, and runs for eight weeks through March 28. Results are expected to be released at the end of April.
The University of Rochester is participating in the following competition categories:
- Waste diversion
- Per capita recycling
- Reducing food loss by rescuing food
- Diverting food waste from landfills/incineration
Throughout February and March, do your part to reduce waste, recycle right, and share information about waste reduction with your friends and colleagues. Get more involved by attending the 2026 Kickoff event at Hirst Lounge on February 20, 3-5 p.m.
More information about the 2026 competition can be viewed on the Campus Race to Zero Waste website.
2025 Results
The 2025 competition ran for eight weeks in February and March. The University of Rochester ranked 59th out of 84 for percentage of waste diverted through recycling, and 7th out of 94 in the per capita category (weight of recyclables per University population).
Nationwide, the 2025 competition engaged more than 1.4 million college students and staff to reduce their campus waste footprint. Collectively, the 2025 campus participants donated, composted, and recycled more than 19.4 million pounds of waste. These waste minimization efforts prevented the release of 20,668 metric tons equivalent of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, equal to avoiding the annual emissions from 4,351 cars.
Full competition results can be viewed on the Campus Race to Zero Waste website.