The results are in, and The Ohio State University is leading the Big Ten in recycling - and leaving that team up north in the dust.
Ohio State placed first in the Big Ten and among all Ohio colleges in the Per Capita Recycling category of the 2025 Campus Race to Zero Waste competition, with an impressive 16.9 pounds of recycling per person. This category measures how much material is diverted from landfills per person - a true team effort from the Buckeye community.
When it comes to Organics, which includes food donation and composting, Ohio State finished second in the Big Ten, beating the University of Michigan by five points and securing second place statewide. In the Diversion category, which tracks the total percentage of waste diverted from the landfill, Ohio State clinched third place in the Big Ten with a 39.9% diversion rate, once again outpacing Michigan (37%).
“This competition is a fun way to engage the campus, but the impact goes far beyond a few weeks in spring,” said Molly Kathleen, Zero Waste Manager for Recycling and Refuse Services. “It shows what we can accomplish when Buckeyes work together - and we’re just getting started. Every pound of waste diverted brings us closer to zero waste.”
Campus Race to Zero Waste (formerly known as RecycleMania) is a nationwide competition and benchmarking program that helps colleges and universities improve their waste reduction and recycling programs. More than 130 schools and over 1 million students and staff participated this year, spotlighting sustainability through education, food waste reduction, and creative waste minimization strategies.