At the Ohio State vs. Illinois football game on November 3, 2012, the university achieved zero waste for a second time by diverting 98.2 percent of game-day materials from landfills: 6.5 tons recycled, 5.5 tons composted, and only 447 pounds sent to fill—a new record low for a game.
At the Ohio State vs. Purdue football game on October 20, 2012, Ohio Stadium became the largest stadium in the nation to achieve zero waste by diverting 94.4 percent of game-day materials from landfills: 6.4 tons recycled, 7.7 tons composted, and only 1,600 pounds sent to fill.
Ohio State ranks second on the EPA’s Green Power Partnership Top 20 College & University list for 2013, and in the National Top 50 overall, based on the university's use of wind power as an energy source.
On December 1, 2012, Ohio State began receiving part of its substantial electricity needs from wind energy. The purchase of clean, renewable wind energy capacity equates to between 20-25 percent of the entire Columbus campus electricity load and is one of the single largest purchases of actual renewable energy by any university in the country.
Ohio State was selected "National Champion" of the Second Annual Environmental March Madness tournament by Enviance, Inc., based on the university's demonstrated excellence in environmental academics and sustainability, as well as outstanding student and faculty engagement in the tournament.