America Recycles Day Raises Nearly $183,083 for Charities

As the nation celebrated America Recycles Day, the aluminum beverage can industry announced it had collected and recycled more than 235,100 lbs. of cans, raising nearly $183,830 for local charities across the country, the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) announced today.

The Rexam North American beverage can headquarters office in Chicago won first place in the annual industry competition, with 70,775 lbs. of used aluminum cans (874 per capita), followed by Novelis in LaGrange, Ga., whose employees collected 3,517 lbs. of cans (352 per capita). In third place is Ball Corporation’s plant in Findlay, Ohio, collecting and recycling 36,611 lbs. (101 per capita). Winners are selected from the highest per-capita collection rates based on the number of pounds of aluminum collected per employee at each site.

“The can manufacturing industry competition is a great opportunity to promote aluminum can recycling,” said Tom Walpole, president of Novelis North America. “As the global leader in aluminum recycling, Novelis is proud to be associated with this competition and give back to the communities where we live and work.”

The Great American Can Roundup Industry Challenge is a nine month competition that involved 87 facilities, including plants and corporate offices of three major American can manufacturers -- Rexam, Ball Corporation, and Crown Holdings Inc., and the two aluminum suppliers -- Alcoa and Novelis. Individual facilities partnered with schools and local organizations to collect and recycle used beverage cans. Proceeds from the effort will benefit local Ronald McDonald House charities; Habitat for Humanity; Findley, Ohio, schools; The Ball Foundation; the Boys Scouts; Keep Blount Beautiful and other charities throughout the United States.

“Aluminum cans are endlessly recyclable and can be recycled into new cans and put back on store shelves in as a few of 60 days,” said CMI President Robert Budway. “Our industry is proud of the can’s environmental benefits, which is why this industry contest provides an opportunity for can manufacturers to show they are environmental stewards, while also being able to give money to a local charities prior to the holiday season.”

The Great American Recycling Industry Challenge is part of a larger initiative to promote and engage community recycling involvement, sponsors recycling events, and distributes educational materials regarding the importance of environmental awareness. Originally launched in 2003 as the America Recycles Day Challenge, the contest's goal was to raise awareness of recycling and with intrinsic value of the can give back to local communities. In the last nine years, the contest has recycled more than 9.3 million lbs. of aluminum cans.