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America Recycles Day Aluminum Can Challenge Saves Energy, Raises Money and Conserves National Resources

Posted on: Wednesday, 29 March 2006, 09:00 CST

WASHINGTON, March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Participants of the national America Recycles Day Aluminum Can Challenge competition, an effort by the Can Manufacturers Institute and the Aluminum Association, recycled a record 229 tons (457,861 pounds) of aluminum beverage cans and raised a total of $151,386 for local charities from September 1 to November 15, 2005. This shattered last year's total of 122,910 pounds of aluminum and $88,000 during the same contest period.

Challenge Accepted

The competition challenged all aluminum suppliers and beverage can manufacturers across the nation including Puerto Rico to collect the most pounds of recycled cans per employee with proceeds benefiting local charities. Demonstrating a strong commitment to recycling, thousands of employees from 58 participating can manufacturers and aluminum supplier facilities participated in the challenge. Proceeds from their efforts were donated to local chapters of charities including Habitat for Humanity, United Way, American Red Cross- Katrina Relief Fund, Guayama Schools, City of Golden Recycling Center, Monticello (Indiana) Parks Department and Louisville Metro Government recycling efforts.

"Our industry's participation in the America Recycles Day Aluminum Can Challenge underscores our commitment to the environment," said Robert Budway, CMI president. "Not only is this challenge beneficial to the environment, but also to the local charities to which each facility has elected to contribute."

Did You Know?

Every minute, 119,482 cans are recycled nationwide. The aluminum can is currently recycled at more than double the rate of any other beverage package. The Aluminum Can Challenge recognizes the impact aluminum recycling has on the environment and is proud to sponsor this yearly contest. In fact, recycling just one aluminum can saves enough energy to keep a 100-watt light bulb burning for almost four hours.

And The Winner Is ...

The winner of the Aluminum Can Council America Recycles Day Aluminum Can Challenge in the Aluminum Supplier/Can Manufacturer Category is ARCO Aluminum of Louisville, Kentucky. The facility worked with Louisville Metro to collect a total employee per capita collection of 4,430 pounds. This yielded a monetary donation of $10,500, which includes an ARCO Aluminum donation of $5,000, a U.S. Conference of Mayors "Cans for Cash" Recycling Innovation Award of $5,000 and the ACC's award ($500) to the Louisville Metro Government educational recycling efforts.

"The aluminum can creates value as a sustainable, completely recyclable package," said Patrick M. Franc, president, ARCO Aluminum. "Louisville is taking advantage of the opportunity that recycling brings to a community, creating social, economic and environmental value."

Top Finalists Also Include:

Second place honors in the Aluminum Supplier/Can Manufacturer Category were awarded to Rexam Beverage Can Americas in Freemont, Ohio for recycling 753 pounds per capita of aluminum beverage cans. Rexam's St. Paul, Minneapolis facility finished a strong third place with 686 pounds per capita. Less than 100 pounds per capita separated the two plants.

"We are very proud of our (Fremont, St. Paul and fourth place Whitehouse) facilities for showing the kind of local community leadership we strive to achieve in the cities we do business," said Harry Barto, president and CEO, Rexam Beverage Can North America. "This is a great example of industry cooperation to drive awareness of the great environmental benefits of the most popular beverage package in the world."

This year's Aluminum Can Challenge includes a special category: awarding a $500 charity check to the Novelis Corporations' Berea, Kentucky plant for recycling the most aluminum cans per capita. Their 2005 aluminum can recycling proceeds combined with contest earnings including an in-house Novelis recycling competition and matching fund campaign netted $10,500 for their selected Marion County Habitat for Humanity.

About the Aluminum Can Council

The Aluminum Can Council represents a partnership between the Can Manufacturers Institute and the Aluminum Association beverage can makers and aluminum sheet suppliers and is committed to increasing the aluminum recycling rate and promoting the value of recycling to consumers.

Aluminum Can Council

CONTACT: Dianna Chapman for Aluminum Can Council, +1-202-835-9467

Source: PRNewswire

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