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Ten Hamilton students designed outfits to compete in the second annual Trashion Show, organized by the Recycling Task Force, on March 2.  They pieced together garbage and recyclable items for their models to sport on the runway in front of the judges, four members of the Task Force.

Clothing constructed of everything from banana peels and straws to garbage bags and recyclable bottles hit the runway as the Recycling Task Force hosted Hamilton’s first “Trashion Show” on March 3. The show was part of Recyclemania, an eight-week program that encourages student to reevaluate their waste and improve recycling.

Twenty eight percent – that’s the amount of  landfill waste Hamilton College’s annual Cram & Scram program reduces each May. Entering its fifth year, Cram & Scram is a non-profit, student-run recycling program aimed at reducing the inevitable landfill contribution that comes every summer as students move out of their residence halls.

When Hamilton College started measuring its CO2 emissions in 2007, carbon equivalents measured 22,540 metric tons. By 2011, the College had reduced emissions to a total of 17,817 metric tons, surpassing its 2015 Climate Action Plan goal of 18,032 and achieving a 20 percent reduction four years ahead of schedule. In 2010 the College’s emissions totaled 18,323 metric tons.

Bag it, don’t toss it. Hamilton’s annual clear bag reuse and recycle program known as Cram & Scram is back. Its purpose is to reduce the college’s burden on the local landfill by putting aside items that the student body can use next year.

The Recycling Task Force replaced the waste baskets in Spencer House on Feb. 13, making it the first Hamilton building that "Canned the Can."  Can the Can is a waste reduction program where office waste is targeted for recycling by reducing the waste basket or eliminating it from the office work station. Ninety-five percent of office waste is white paper, which should be recycled, and often a large waste basket is unnecessary.

Coming off the success of the first big year-end waste reduction project, "Ham Cram & Scram," the Recycling Task Force (RTF) initiated the "Mini-Scram" for semester break. In each residence hall's common room, a collection station was created for unwanted items and food for the local food bank.

Hamilton College is conducting its first "Ham's Cram & Scram" from May 14-24. The project is designed to reduce the College's end-of-year waste by recycling and reusing items that would typically be thrown out at the end of the academic year.

Hamilton’s Environmental Action Group (HEAG) and Recycling Task Force distributed free mugs to members of the community who signed a pledge to sort and minimize waste. The reusable mugs, distributed as part of Hamilton’s Recyclemania campaign, will be used instead of disposable paper cups in Commons. Hamilton is one of 400 colleges across the country participating in Recyclemania. This contest, sponsored by the EPA, encourages waste reduction and waste minimization with a friendly challenge to improve campus recycling.

The food isn't all that's environmentally friendly at The Green Café in Hamilton's McEwen Dining Hall. During the summer McEwen's furniture was replaced with new tables, chairs and carpet that are made from recyclable materials.