Want to go green and help your school win a national competition at the same time? Both are possible because West Virginia University is participating in RecycleMania through April 5.

RecycleMania, which kicked off Sunday (Jan.27), is a national contest among universities around the country. A record 387 schools are competing this year to see which one can recycle the most.

Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to participate in this 10-week challenge to reduce, reuse and recycle. Items can be placed in the color-coded recycling bins in residence halls and other bins throughout campus. The collection of paper, cardboard, cans and bottles will be measured weekly.

Four other West Virginia schools are participatingFairmont State University, Shepherd University, the University of Charleston and West Virginia Wesleyan Collegeas well as Backyard Brawl rival, the University of Pittsburgh.

We have a very strong recycling program at WVU , so participating in this program lets other schools see what we do, WVU Recycling Coordinator Barbara Angeletti said,and we can see how we rate among the other schools across the country.

There are several categories in the competition. WVU will be participating in the Per Capita Classic, which measures the largest amount of recyclables per person.

RecycleMania is supported by theU.S. Environmental Protection Agencys WasteWise programand theNational Recycling Coalition. It is one of the many ways the University is raising awareness about environmental issues through the WVU Environmental Conservation Awareness Now (WE CAN ) campaign. Efforts have included the WVU Ecolympics, a light bulb exchange, Web site with recycling information and energy saving tips, recent conservation fair and more.

To learn more about RecycleMania, visithttp://wecan.wvu.edu/(click on theWhats Newlink).