Purpose and Goals of Contest

The Mission of Campus Race to Zero Waste is to provide opporunities that mobilize colleges to improve efforts to reduce waste. The organization has been active since 2001, and has engaged over 1,000 schools. They strive to motivate students to be green and generate attention for campus recycling programs. Over time, the organization hopes to encourage colleges to measure recycling activity and move to improve their programs. In 2023, 4 million students and faculty participated from 200 colleges accross the US and Canada! 4 million pounds of waste was donated, composted, and recycled, and participants prevented 29,108 metric tons of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere. This friendly competition is both fun and ecological.

Description of the Categories

The Campus Race to Zero Waste competition has 4 main categories. The Zero Waste Category measures recyclables, food organics, trash weights, and meterials for reuse. Diversion reports recyclables, food organics, and trash weights. Per Capita measures recyclable weights. Finally, Food Organics reports food waste and organic materials. Schools have 8 weeks to record and report their data. The results are divided into three classifications based on campus size: small, medium, and large. Below are some of the past winners for the last 5 years!

Past Winners