ATLANTA – Rubicon and the National Wildlife Federation announced today a new partnership agreement focused on Rubicon becoming the premier sustainability and technology partner for RecycleMania, an annual competition under the management of the National Wildlife Federation. This is the first time that the National Wildlife Federation is piloting a technology element in the RecycleMania competition.
“Plastic pollution poses one of the most critical threats to our wildlife, nature and oceans, and human health. Through the RecycleMania competition, the National Wildlife Federation is educating college students, staff and faculty in the United States and Canada to tackle this issue head-on,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “We are thrilled to partner with Rubicon to improve and simplify the waste collection process for nearly 70 million pounds of waste recycled and composted through the competition in 2019.”
“Rubicon and the National Wildlife Federation share a commitment to end waste and keep our communities and natural habitats free of pollution,” said David Rachelson, vice president of sustainability at Rubicon. “We are excited to deploy our technology with universities to help them achieve their sustainability goals. We look forward to collaborating with students on recycling and waste reduction best practices, instilling these future leaders with the knowledge to be environmental stewards on campus and in their future endeavors.”
RecycleMania began in 2001 as a competition between Ohio University and Miami University of Ohio to help motivate students to recycle more. Recycling coordinators tapped into the existing sports rivalry between the two schools to see which could recycle the most per student over a 10-week period. Since 2001, over 1,000 colleges and universities across the United States and Canada have participated in RecycleMania. Last year, more than five million students, faculty, and staff from 300 campuses recycled and composted 69.5 million pounds of waste, preventing the release of 99,254 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2E) into the atmosphere, which is comparable to preventing the annual emissions from 20,895 cars.
Rubicon is a technology company born in the waste and recycling industry that powers a digital marketplace, provides a suite of Software as a Service (SaaS) products for waste, recycling, and smart city solutions, and collects and analyzes data for businesses and governments worldwide. Using technology to drive environmental innovation, the company helps turn businesses into more sustainable enterprises, and neighborhoods into greener and smarter places to live and work.
For RecycleMania, the National Wildlife Federation will pilot versions of Rubicon’s waste audit technologies, which will be delivered to five schools: Agnes Scott College, Clark Atlanta University and Spelman College in Georgia, Colgate University in New York and the University of New Haven in Connecticut. The Rubicon waste audit technologies will be used to help schools in the measurement and recording of recycled material.
Beyond the technology, Rubicon will also be providing recycling best practices, briefings and consulting, and useful sustainability methodologies to all of the schools that participate in the 2020 competition.
Schools interested in learning how to get involved in RecycleMania can visit https://recyclemania.org. Schools that sign up will be encouraged to share their results on social media using the hashtag #RecycleMania2020. Additional marketing and social media components of the program will be announced throughout the year.
RecycleMania, Inc., a non-profit 501c (3) organization, governs all aspects of the RecycleMania: Campus Race to Zero Waste program, including the rules and structure of the competition. RecycleMania, Inc.’s board of directors is made up of recycling and sustainability managers from a variety of participating universities. The National Wildlife Federation is the manager of the RecycleMania Program, and works in partnership with RecycleMania, Inc.
Rubicon Global is a technology company that powers a digital marketplace, provides a suite of SaaS products for waste, recycling, and smart city solutions, and collects and analyzes data for businesses and governments worldwide. Using technology to drive environmental innovation, the company helps turn businesses into more sustainable enterprises, and neighborhoods into greener and smarter places to live and work. Rubicon’s mission is to end waste, in all of its forms, by helping its partners find economic value in their waste streams and confidently execute on their sustainability goals. The company is a Certified B Corporation, affirming that Rubicon meets the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance. Through its technology, Rubicon is transforming the entire category of waste and recycling. With more than 2.6 million service locations worldwide, Rubicon Global is headquartered in Atlanta, GA, and has core teams in New York, NY; San Francisco, CA; St. Louis, MO; and Tinton Falls, NJ. Rubicon was named a Great Place to Work® in 2018 and 2019, and was recognized as one of Glassdoor’s “Top Ten Companies with Seriously Impressive Benefits” in 2018.
Jessica Ordóñez-Lancet, National Wildlife Federation
Charles Zinkowski, Rubicon
More than one-third of U.S. fish and wildlife species are at risk of extinction in the coming decades. We're on the ground in seven regions across the country, collaborating with 52 state and territory affiliates to reverse the crisis and ensure wildlife thrive.