Campus Race to Zero Waste
Campus Race to Zero Waste is a friendly competition and benchmarking tool for colleges and universities. Schools reduce institutional waste through minimization efforts such as donating, anaerobic digestion, composting, recycling and more.
Eight Weeks of Campus Race to Zero Waste
Over an eight-week period in February and March, universities across the United States and Canada compete to see who can recycle the most, who can produce the least amount of waste and more. Schools track the amount of recycling, food organics, and trash collected each week and are in turn ranked in various categories: Per Capita Recycling; Diversion; Zero Waste; and Food Organics. There are also special competition categories including: Electronics Recycling; GameDay Basketball; Race to Zero Waste - One Building Challenge; Green Events; Clean-Up Event; and Case Study Competition. Everyone’s actions to recycle and minimize waste at Kent State University divert thousands of pounds of waste from landfills, protect the environment, and conserve natural resources.
2025 Campus Race to Zero Waste
- Competition dates: February 2 to March 29
- With each week’s updated ranking, participating schools follow their performance against other colleges and use the results to rally their campus to reduce and recycle more.
How to Help
INDIVIDUALS
- 1) Sign up for Office of Sustainability monthly emails: https://tinyurl.com/KSUSustyEmails AND follow on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook
- 2) Make your #ZeroWaste PLEDGE https://tinyurl.com/KSUZeroWastePledge
- 3) Use #FlashesGoGreen on Instagram and Twitter. Tag @KentStateSusty
- Show what you’re doing to REDUCE, REUSE or RECYCLE in February and March on Instagram or Twitter
2024 FREE Resident Assistant Campus Race to Zero Waste Floor Programs
ANSWER GUIDE: How many times can it be recycled?
SCALE: How many times can it be recycled? 8.5"x22"
Residence Hall Poster 1600x900
Campus Race to Zero Waste Posters
Digital Screens
Flash Digital TV 1920x1080 horz
2024 E-Cycle Drive
Campus Recycling & Landfill Guides
Kent State Recycling Guide11x17
Kent State Landfill Guide11x17
KSU Paired Recycling & Landfill Guide 11x17
KSU Paired Recycling & Landfill Guide 916x916
KSU Paired Recycling & Landfill Guide 1600x900
RECYCLING TIPS 1600x900
Plastic Bottles and Jugs jpeg 1st week February
Paper jpeg 2nd week February
To Go Cups jpeg 3rd week February
Pizza Boxes jpeg 4th week February
Metal jpeg 1st week March
Electronics jpeg 2nd week March
Plastic Bags jpeg 3rd week March
RECYCLING TIPS 916x916
KSU Paired Recycling & Landfill Guide 916x916
Plastic Bottles and Jugs jpeg 1st week February
Paper jpeg 2nd week February
To Go Cups jpeg 3rd week February
Pizza Boxes jpeg 4th week February
Metal jpeg 1st week March
Electronics jpeg 2nd week March
Plastic Bags jpeg 3rd week March
Kent State Competitions
Everyone is a participant in Campus Race to Zero Waste. Your actions on campus reducing, reusing and recycling prevent waste from going into landfills and contribute to Kent State's Campus Race to Zero Waste standings.
- Hall-to-Hall Competitions: Halls will have a chance to earn a $200 for their Hall Council. Halls are divided up into competition categories.
- #FlashesGoGreen tagboard: Help promote Kent State’s ongoing recycling efforts and stay connected during Campus Race to Zero Waste by including #FlashesGoGreen on Twitter and Instagram
National Recognition
Throughout the United States and Canada, over 300 colleges and universities are participating in Campus Race to Zero Waste. National recognition is provided to the winning school in each category on the Campus Race to Zero Waste website and in a national press release. Winning schools receive an award made out of recyclable materials, and win the right to host that category’s special traveling trophy for the coming year.
See where Kent State ranks on the virtual scoreboard.
E-Cycle Drive 2025
Kent State University holds a FREE electronics recycling drop-off event, called E-Cycle Drive, open to students, faculty, staff and the Kent community. E-Cycle Drive is hosted by Kent State's University Facilities Management and the Office of Sustainability. Electronics recycling from the community and the Kent Campus contributes to Kent State University’s standings in Campus Race to Zero Waste.
2025 E-Cycle Drive is March 5, 12, 19, and 26, from 7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the Kent State University R-17 Parking lot behind the Surplus Store on 414 E. Main Street. (Between S. Willow Street and S. Lincoln Street).
Members of both the campus and city of Kent community can recycle used electronics through Dynamic Lifecycle Innovations an R2v3 and E-Stewards certified company, where materials are handled in an environmentally and socially responsible way. Materials permitted at E-Cycle Drive include: flat screen TVs, personal computers, laptop computers, servers and storage devices, monitors (LCD), iPads and tablets, flat screen TVs docking stations, floppy drives, DVD/CD burners, VCRs, circuit boards, scanners, copiers, printers, cables, wires, extension cords, digital cameras, cellular phones, string lights, DVD players, game consoles, network and telecom equipment and small kitchen appliances. Items that are NOT ACCEPTED include: kitchen appliances larger than a microwave are not acceptable (Microwaves are accpeted), CRT Monitors, CRT TV’s, Projection TV’s, Copiers, Medical Equipment, Lab Equipment, Freon Containing Devices, Toner/Ink Cartridges.
All items will be put in large boxes (that will be provided by KSU) by the public.