GET FIRED UP FOR RECYCLEMANIA

RecycleMania is back and UH has a title to defend! Coogs placed first in Texas in 2010 in recycling actual weights, and by working as a team UH can make 2011 the best year ever.

UH has entered the competition for three years. This year, the university is competing nationally in recycling and waste minimization. The competition challenges schools across the nation to recycle as much as possible on campus in an effort to promote green initiatives.

While competing with other schools, UH also hosts its own recycling team competitions, with head-to-head competition between student organizations and UH departments. For ten weeks, from Jan. 31 to April 1, student organizations and faculty/staff will battle to become the top recycling groups. Last year, the Accounting Society was crowned as the student group winner. The faculty/staff competition was won by the Admissions Processing Team. Each week, teams will drop off their recyclables in front of the University Center between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Friday afternoons starting Feb. 11.

To start the competition off right, a Kick-off Pep Rally will gear everyone up for the national challenge on Feb. 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the UC Satellite. During the pep rally, the winner of the Green UH T-shirt contest will be announced.

On Feb. 7, the UH Community was invited to an Introduction to the Campus Community Garden at Cougar Woods. On February 8-9 at PGH and the UC Satellite, students stopped by to talk to the �Green Commuting Doctor� and hear about carpools/vanpools, shuttles, Metro bus routes and other services offered by the university for green commuting. Students were also encouraged to come by the Green Commuter Fair to sign a pledge board displaying their promises to take part in green commuting solutions.

Students beware on Feb. 22-23 as the Green UH team will be out on the prowl for Caught Green Handed. The team will be watching and waiting to award students caught in the act of recycling. From Feb. 28 through March 3, the team will move to the residential halls including Moody Towers, Cougar Village, Cambridge Oaks and Calhoun Lofts for Residential Raid, encouraging the residents to take part in the national competition and turn in their recyclables.

Then on March 9, the RecycleMania Olympics come to Butler Plaza from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students can take a break from their afternoon classes to knock over some oversized bowling pins or toss an enormous horseshoe, all made from recyclable materials. Between games, they can stop by the tables to hear about the Green UH program.

On March 22, students can exercise their creativity at the Art of Recycling Contest from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the UC World Affairs Lounge. UH students are challenged to construct works of art, with the top winner receiving a Barnes and Noble gift card.

The festivities will come to a close on April 5 at the UC Satellite from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. as the UH community gathers to celebrate their accomplishments over the months. Winners of the team competition will be announced and congratulated for their efforts.

For more information on RecycleMania or to get involved and sign up for the team competition, visit www.uh.edu/recyclemania.