FAQs

  1. How does a school register? Who can register?
  2. What’s the difference between the Competition category and the Open category?
  3. Must the entire school participate or could we target, say, one grade level?
  4. When is the deadline for registration?
  5. When does the competition officially start?
  6. I am a recycling coordinator that provides collection to multiple schools, can I easily register all the schools at once?
  7. If my school collects material commingled (cans, bottles and paper all mixed together for later separation) can we still participate?
  8. How do I calculate the school’s population?
  9. Can I edit my school’s information after I register?
  10. Who needs to complete the certification module?
  11. Do we need to re-register each year?
  12. What if the Recycle-Bowl coordinator for my school resigns at some point during the competition?
  13. Can we count recycled/composted yard waste, food waste or grease trap material in our weights?
  14. Can we count recycled polystyrene trays in our weights?
  15. Can we count milk cartons in our weights?
  16. Is it okay to report one time file purges in our weight data?
  17. What is the reporting deadline?
  18. Do we have to provide actual weights or are estimates allowed?
  19. Where do I find the link to log in and report my data?
  20. I have forgotten my username and password. What should I do?
  21. Can more than one person be allowed access to our school’s account?
  22. Who is competing in the 2011 Recycle-Bowl competition?

Registration

1. How does a school register? Who can register?

The registration link is on the Recycle-Bowl homepage. Recycle-Bowl is open to all elementary, middle and high schools in the 50 states of the United States and the District of Columbia. Public, private and charter schools are eligible. Home schools and schools in U.S. Territories, Canada and Mexico can participate in the competition but will be placed in the Open Division. No prizes, awards, or other recognition will be awarded to any participant in the Open Division. To view the registration form prior to creating an online account, click here.

2. What’s the difference between the Competition Division and the Open Division?

Competition Division – School vs School or Community Drop-off Division Open Division
Open to schools only Open to schools and individual classrooms
Open to US schools Open to US schools, US territories, Canada and Mexico
Register via www.Recycle-Bowl.org Register via www.Recycle-Bowl.org
Eligible for prizes Not eligible for prizes
Eligible for registration toolkit Eligible for registration toolkit
Eligible for reporting incentives Eligible for reporting incentives
Can use material on website Can use material on website
Can register for America Recycles Day Can register for America Recycles Day
Allow single stream or source separated material Allow single stream or source separated material
Can accept material from the community and be placed in the Drop-off category Can not be placed in the Drop-off category
Report via www.Recycle-Bowl.org Report via www.Recycle-Bowl.org
If data is estimated, must complete certification module If data is estimated, does not need to complete certification module
Weigh recyclables and/or convert from volume to weight Weigh recyclables and/or convert from volume to weight
Must provide published population figure if winner Does not need to provide published population figure
Verification of data by KAB staff KAB staff will not verify data
Need to report data in US pounds by 12/16/2011 Need to report data in US pounds by 12/16/2011
Listed in official statewide rankings Listed in national rankings

3. Must the entire school participate or could we target, say, one grade level?

You must provide weight for the whole school in order to participate in the competition division and be eligible for prizes. However, if you would like to have a couple of classrooms or grade-levels compete against each other, you can participate in the Open Division. The Open Division will allow your classroom, grade-level or subject matter teachers to be ranked against each other. You will be able to use all the downloadable material but will not be eligible for prizes.

4. When is the deadline for registration?

The registration deadline is October 10, 2011, 11:59 pm, Eastern time.

5. When does the competition officially start?

The competition officially starts on October 17, 2011.

6. I am a recycling coordinator that provides collection to multiple schools, can I easily register all the schools at once?

A recycling coordinator can register multiple school locations by completing this spreadsheet and emailing it to info@recycle-bowl.org.

7. If my school collects material commingled (cans, bottles and paper all mixed together for later separation) can we still participate?

Yes. Within both the Competition and Open Divisions you will be asked to provide data for your recyclable material. You can report your data broken out by commodities or commingled. The awards will be given out based on aggregated data (pounds of cans, bottles and paper added together) so if you track your material broken out by commodity, you will be asked in the reporting section to sum it together.

8. How do I calculate the school’s population?

Your school population should include teachers and students. Competition Division schools will be asked to provide us with a link to a publicly published population figure for your school. If one is unavailable, you can manually calculate the population, but your school might be asked to verify the figure during the competition.

9. Can I edit my school’s information after I register?

You can log into the system as much as you would like after your school is registered. You can change your school from the competition to the Open Division or vice versa.

10. Who needs to complete the certification module?

The certification module is for those Competition Division schools estimating data. If you will be receiving weight data from your hauler or utilizing the nurse’s scale to get accurate data you do not need to complete the certification module.

11. Do we need to re-register each year?

Yes. We ask that every school register each year in order to keep our list of contacts current. You may use the same username and password each year.


During Competition

12. What if the Recycle-Bowl coordinator for my school resigns at some point during the competition?

Please contact us at info@Recycle-Bowl.org and we can work with you to transfer the contact name to a new individual.

13. Can we count recycled/composted yard waste, food waste or grease trap material in our weights?

No. This material is not accepted as part of the competition division.

14. Can we count recycled polystyrene trays in our weights?

If your service provider collects this material as part of your standard service contract, it can be included.

15. Can we count milk cartons in our weights?

If your service provider collects this material as part of your standard service contract, it can be included.

16. Is it okay to report one time file purges in our weight data?

File purges that are part of normal operations or a Recycle-Bowl promotion to encourage individual behavior are allowed. Schools may not stockpile material for the primary purpose of reporting it during the 4 week competition or otherwise schedule institutional purges with the intent to increase Recycle-Bowl reporting numbers.


Reporting

17. What is the reporting deadline?

The reporting deadline is December 16, 2011, 11:59 pm, Eastern time.

18. Do we have to provide actual weights or are estimates allowed?

Estimates are allowed but you will need to follow the estimating rules and regulations found on the Tracking and Reporting webpage.

19. Where do I find the link to log in and report my data?

To register your school for the first time, go here – http://connect.re-trac.com/register/RecycleBowl. To login after your initial registration, go here – http://connect.re-trac.com.


Technology

20. I have forgotten my username and password. What should I do?

On the login page you will see a “forgot password” link. Click this and submit your email address, and a password reminder will be sent to you. Your username is always your email.

21. Can more than one person be allowed access to our school’s account?

There is only one username and password for each school. You can share the username and password with additional people who will be helping you. If this is a problem, email info@Recycle-Bowl.org.

22. Who is competing in the 2011 Recycle-Bowl competition?

The final list of competing schools can be found here and a map of all competing schools can be found here.