VCU news

By Leila Ugincius

Virginia Commonwealth University is hosting tours of the Virginia Waste Services Recycling Center to celebrate RecycleMania and the university's Zero Waste initiative.

The two-hour tours take place Wednesday and Thursday, March 13 and 14. Buses to the recycling center will leave the University Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave., at 1 p.m.

In August, VCU signed a contract with Virginia Waste Services that specifies the university’s intent to become a Zero Waste university. Zero Waste is the process of conserving and reusing all resources to ensure materials are neither burned nor buried. Zero Waste typically carries a goal of 90 percent diversion from a landfill, meaning that almost no waste ends up at a landfill.

The eight-week RecycleMania competition serves as a benchmarking tool for colleges and allows them to improve their recycling and waste reduction efforts based on the results. The competition generates support for campus recycling programs and motivates students to participate.

To sign up for the tour, visit http://www.doodle.com/wumfvhp85ncku84g. For more information, contact Shelley Campbell at campbellem@vcu.edu.