Recycling World Records

Karachi sculptor MKS The Artist spent three months building this floor vase by hand, using a homemade paper mache clay made from old school books rescued from the trash, then sealed it in a high-gloss epoxy finish. In the video the artist slowly turns the vase on the studio floor, showing off its ribbed middle, carved openings and curling feet, then lets go and it stands on its own among other large pieces. A separate tape measure video shows it at 6 feet 9 inches from the floor to the top of its crown. Not bad for a stack of old schoolbooks.

On October 18, 2025, during the Michigan–Washington matchup, the University of Michigan rallied fans, students, and partners to turn game day into a sustainability showdown. Together they collected 47,175.42 pounds of materials for recycling—surpassing the University of Tennessee’s previous mark of 38,452.2 pounds set on November 12, 2022—and set a new world record for the World’s Largest College Recycling Event.

Sarah C. led people in Tacoma, Washington in making 359 reusable bags from t-shirts. They set the record to promote recycling.

Natalie Arroyave put five evian bottles in a recycling bin in 23.19 seconds using just her elbows. The record was set during evian's Live Young, Skate On! event in Miami, Florida. #evianwater

Paul Bryan fit 1600 pounds of recyclable paper in a Ford Fusion and drove it safely to a recycling station. Bryan set the record as part of Fusion 41, a URDB World Record Challenge created by the Ford Motor Company.