Before you head out to spring break and eliminate your thoughts of work, purge your workspace of its paper.
March 22 through 28 is UT’s Paper Purge Party, where faculty and staff are invited to purge unwanted paper.
Simply put paper in a box, bin, pile, or bag, mark it for “recycling” and set it outside your office door. Volunteers with the Facilities Services department will make the rounds and do the heavy lifting.
If you have so much paper that it will block a hallway or it is an especially large load, call 974-3480 to arrange for a special pick-up.
Last year, UT collected nearly 60,000 pounds of paper during the week of the Paper Purge Party, roughly four times as much as is collected during a normal week on campus.
The Paper Purge Party is a way for UT to improve its chances in the RecycleMania Tournament, a competition between colleges and universities to see who can recycle the most. RecycleMania aims to increase recycling participation by students, faculty, and staff and raise awareness about the significance of waste reduction programs on campuses.
The recycling efforts really add up and help the environment. Last year, during the eight-week RecycleMania Tournament, UT recycled nearly five pounds of paper, more than 2.5 pounds of cardboard, nearly a half a pound of food waste, and 1.25 pounds of plastic bottles and aluminum cans for each faculty member, staff member, and student.
Through week four of the eight-week competition, UT is trailing its RecycleMania rival, the University of Florida, in per capita recycling. The Gators have recycled a cumulative total of 5.33 pounds per person, while the Vols have recycled 4.44 pounds per person.
“If we do as well this year with the Paper Purge Party as we did last year, we should be able to beat Florida,” said Jay Price, environmental coordinator. “We need faculty and staff to step up and clean out their offices. What better time to do it than during spring break?”
The Paper Purge Party is sponsored by UT Recycling. For a schedule of the days UT Recycling staff will be visiting your building and more information about the recycling program, visit the UT Recycling website.
To learn more about Recyclemania and keep current on scores, visit the Recyclemania website.