The College and University Recycling Council (CURC) was formed in 1992 and became a technical council of the National Recycling Coalition in 1995. CURC is a network of campus-based recycling professionals who face similar challenges and opportunities in managing college and university programs.
NRC Congress Scholarship Application Available
CURC and NRC are again pleased to partner with The Coca Cola Company to sponsor five (5) scholarships for college students to attend the NRC’s annual Congress and Exposition in Pittsburgh, PA, September 21-24, 2008. The scholarships cover all related costs such as travel, hotel, meals and conference registration. The scholarships are intended as a way for college students interested in a professional career to gain exposure to the recycling field. They will have the opportunity to attend over 35 conference sessions, workshops and tours, as well as to meet and network with community, state and national recycling leaders.
Interested students should complete and return the application and one staff or faculty letter of recommendation to NRC no later than Friday, July 25th. Recipients of the scholarships will be announced on August 15th. For more information about the scholarship, contact Alec Cooley at alecc@nrc-recycle.org.
Download Scholarship Application
The online election for six of the twelve CURC steering committee seats is now open. Electronic ballots have been sent to all current CURC members. If you have not received a ballot and our an active CURC member, contact Andy Hoverman for assistance at ahoverman@nrc-recycle.org. Voting ends at the close of business Pacific time on May 23rd.
This ongoing series of webinar workshops is designed to share best-practices information on a range of collegiate recycling topics between recycling professionals, facilities managers and student leaders at schools large and small. The series presents real-time interactive presentations on topics such as the nuts and bolts of getting a recycling program off the ground, collecting reuseables from residence halls at the end of the year, and creating effective education and promotion programs to increase participation. Speakers are drawn from the professional ranks of colleges and univeristies across the United States. For information about the series, click here.
The next webinar will be "Program Nuts & Bolts pt 2: Collection Basics" on Tuesday - June 10, 2008. Details on previous webinars are available here.
RecycleMania is a friendly competition among university recycling programs in the N orth America. During the 10-week period from late-January to early-April, schools compete to see which institution can collect the largest amount of recyclables from residence halls, on-campus apartments and dining halls. Schools report measurements on a weekly basis in pounds recycled per student living on campus. The RecycleMania event provides students with a fun, proactive activity in waste reduction. The university that recycles the most wins. CURC is proud to be a sponsor of RecycleMania, more details about the competition can be found here.
The main goal of this event is to increase student awareness of campus recycling. In the end, this event shows that all participating universities have made achievements in recycling and waste reduction!
Please visit CURC's projects page to find valuable information that will help you reach your recycling goals. Currently available are:
- Recycling and Beyond: A College Campus Primer
- Toolkit for Soft Drink Contracts
- Award Recognition Programs for Colleges and Universities
- Membership
Membership is open to members of the National Recycling Coalition. Many state recycling organizations (SROs) are affiliated with the NRC and offer joint membership. For more information on joining CURC and the NRC please go here.
An email and web-based discussion list provides the opportunity for members and prospective members to network and exchange assistance and support for both fledgling and advanced programs and initiatives.
Plan to join NRC in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the 27th Annual Congress & Expo, September 21-24, 2008. More information on CURC networking events, workshops, and tours can be found here.