When it comes to recycling, Ohio University Southern students lead many of their peers.

RecycleMania, a competition started in January 2001 between Ohio University and Miami University, is a nationwide challenge comprised of 523 schools spanning 49 states, the District of Columbia and Canada.

OUS ranked 52 out of 273 in the competition division according to the final tally on the RecycleMania website.

Ohio University’s main campus in Athens came in 109 in the rankings. OUS high spot is notable due to the competition hosting schools of all sizes, Adam Riehl, director of facilities management at OUS, said.

Stacy Wheeler, president of RecycleMania, Inc., was full of praise in a release announcing the end of the event.

“Each year universities eagerly wait for the final results of the competition,” Wheeler said. “Because everyone participating is a competitor, this helps create the spirited atmosphere for students to develop new and better ways to recycle more. In the end, it’s a win for the home team and planet earth.”

Recyclemania is an eight-week competition in which schools are ranked according to how much recycling, trash and food waste they collect. According to the release, 90.3 millions pounds of recyclables and organic materials were collectively recovered during the event by the schools involved.