Miami wins the Kill the Cup University Challenge
University Challenge: Tons of impact
Eight schools participated in the inaugural Kill the Cup University Challenge, resulting in an environmental impact of:
• 15,700 reusable cups and 250 pounds of waste diverted from the waste stream
• 4,000 gallons of water saved
• 2 tons of carbon dioxide emissions saved from being released into the atmosphere
In all, 1,260 participants submitted 2,210 photos to Killthecup.com.
At Miami, 311 users submitted 534 photos – take a look here.
Miami University won the Kill the Cup University Challenge — Waste Reduction division, thanks to all who used reusable mugs instead of single use cups.
By using a reusable mug to purchase coffee at campus coffee shops, Miami students, faculty and staff helped reduce disposable single use cup waste on campus by 5.5 percent during the inaugural four-week competition.
Miami received the top prize of a $2,000 social impact grant from Social Ventures for Sustainability.
Results were announced Nov. 23 on Killthecup.com.
Anna Ginsky, sustainability education coordinator and organizer of Miami's participation in the competition, said that the competition brought together multiple student organizations and departments around campus.
Anna Ginsky, sustainability education coordinator and organizer of Miami's participation in the Kill the Cup Challenge.
"It's not every day that we all — staff, faculty and students — get to work closely to create environmental change," Ginski said. "This was our opportunity to do so and I think we all did a great job. There was a lot of support, and that is what brought us the win."
Miami placed third in the Kill the Cup Challenge Social Awareness division, measured by the percent of the campus population that submitted a photo with their reusable cup. The University of California-San Diego and Loyola University placed first and second, respectively.
Ginsky said that the $2,000 social impact grant will most likely be used to support a student art contest next semester. The aim of the contest, now in the planning phase, will be to creatively and visually represent Miami's carbon footprint.
Look for more reusable cup events during spring semester, said Ginsky, who encourages the Miami community to keep using reusable mugs and reducing consumer waste.
