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THIEL COLLEGE IS STRUCK BY RECYCLEMANIA

Feb. 4 , 2010

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GREENVILLE, PA – For the second year, Thiel College is in the grips of RecycleMania, an international competition among college campuses to see who can reduce, reuse and recycle the most on-campus waste. 

For a 10-week period, beginning in mid-January and running parallel to the college basketball season, Thiel College along with 606 schools representing 49 states (including 52 from Pennsylvania), the District of Columbia and Canada will compete in eight categories to see who recycles the most on a per capita basis, who produces the least amount of waste and who recycles the largest percentage of their overall waste stream. Colleges and universities submit weight data for paper, cardboard, cans and bottles, food waste and general trash each week, and are in turn able to see how they measure up against each other in the continuously updated results.

Thiel is competing in the “Targeted Materials: Bottles & Cans” division and was ranked 32 out of 151 schools during the first practice week. After two weeks, Thiel has collected 985 pounds of recyclable material.

“RecycleMania’s success comes from its ability to use competitive spirit and campus rivalries to motivate students who are less likely to respond to ‘save the earth’ kinds of messages,” according to Stacy Wheeler, co-founder of the RecycleMania competition.

In 2009, 510 participating colleges and universities collected over 69.4 million pounds of recyclables and compostable organics, and therefore preventing the release of 88,739 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E) into the atmosphere.

Thiel placed 109 out of 210 schools in the "Targeted Materials: Bottles & Cans" division during last year’s competition. The college’s goal for this year’s competition is to place in the top 85 in its division.

About Thiel College

Founded in 1866, Thiel College is a liberal arts, sciences and professional studies institution located in Greenville, Pa., that provides a great balance of academic challenge, personal and social involvement, and exceptional value to its 1,000 students. For more information about Thiel College, which is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, visit www.thiel.edu or call 800-24-THIEL.

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