EcoKat: First Eco-Friendly College Mascot, Kansas State Goes Green [PHOTOS]

Kansas State University has gone green, releasing EcoKat, the first eco-friendly college mascot, highly criticized by students and the surrounding community.

Meet EcoKat, crusader of conservation and fanatic of fluorescents, Kansas State said in a press release. The new caricature has embarked upon Kansas State University with one mission: Reduce, reuse and recycle.

EcoKat was developed by K-State to add entertainment to an important initiative with a more humorous, tough-love take on environmentalism.

A senior at Kansas will wear the new EcoKat costume, made of 90 percent repurposed materials from the athletics department. While the outfit is green by description in terms of being sustainable, the outfit was dyed for aesthetics to match the university's colors using eco-friendly dye.

EcoKat will partner with current mascot, Willie the Wildcat, during appearances as a team, the Eco-Enforcers to bring action to the green initiative, according to Kansas.

If every single K-State student (that's more than 24,000!) makes an effort to be more environmentally conscious, big change can happen in our community, the University said. EcoKat and sidekick Willie the Wildcat, together known as the Eco-Enforcers, will take to the K-State campus to teach everyone how to save the world. Whenever you spot them, know that they're out and looking for YOU to conserve.

Since its announcement, many Kansas State University students have criticized and mocked the new eco-friendly, green mascot on Twitter.

Geoff Andrews (@coachandrews), a basketball coach at a nearby Salina Central High School, tweeted, EcoKat is an awful idea. Feel free to bash on us. I would to.