Recycling Is Like Magic & Can Manufacturers Institute Present

The MILLION CANS Recycling Contest!

Teaching kids to NEVER throw a can in the trash for the rest of their lives!

How many cans can your school recycle?

Learn how rewarding recycling can be!

What: The Million Cans Recycling Contest is a fun contest where schools and scrapyards team up to see which school can recycle the most aluminum cans per student.

Who: 2nd or 3rd graders will rally their schools and communities to recycle. Each school can pick which grade they would like to lead the way.

When: October 01, 2024 to April 30, 2025

Where: 16 elementary schools across the USA

Why: Only 45% of cans get recycled in the USA. We need your help to make a difference!

Let’s join forces to recycle one million cans!

Perks:

  • Students get FREE copies of the book The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans.
  • $10,000 in books and prizes will be awarded!
  • Teach students about the importance of recycling!
  • Help your school, community, and the planet while having fun!
  • Earn money for your school for all the cans you collect! Aluminum is paid for by the pound (35 cans per pound).
  • The more cans you collect, the more money your school will get!

Steps: 

  • Scrapyards drop off a large bin at the school
  • Students and the community fill it up 
  • Schools get to keep the money from the cans they recycle

It's a win-win help our planet and your local school by recycling cans!

Can your school win? Grand prizes will be based on the number of students who got the books divided by the number of cans each school recycles. 

Follow the contest on social media #MillionCans

Million Cans Recycling Contest Program Guide
Can Manufacturers Institute
Congratulations to our winners

‘Million Cans Recycling Contest’ Exceeds Expectations

Congrats to the 8 elementary schools that rocked the MillionCans Recycling Contest! ♻️ Combined they collected more than 1.3 million empty aluminum beverage cans! Special thanks to the amazing CMI members that supported this project We cannot wait to do it again in the fall.

And now, drumroll please! 🥁🎉 The top-3 schools that collected the most cans (per students participating) are…
🏆1st Place: Yankeetown Elementary will receive a $3,000 prize!
🏆2nd Place: Lewisburg Elementary will receive a $1,000 prize!
🏆3rd Place: Rich Pond Elementary will receive a $500 prize!

🌟Let's celebrate their awesome efforts in making such a difference!

The next round will run from October 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025.

Press Release
The book that sparked a movement

The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans

Did you know that the USA recycles only 45% of cans, even though they're 100% recyclable? Let's turn that number around by teaching kids how they can make a difference!

Meet Ellie, the unicorn-loving, can-recycling superstar who's on a mission to save the planet. When she discovers that she can get money for recycling cans, she sets her sights on collecting one million of them to buy her very own unicorn. But she can't do it alone, so she enlists the help of her friends and the entire school to join in her crusade. Will they succeed? You'll have to read the book to find out!

Order a copy

Meet the AMAZING schools who recycled over
1.3 MILLION cans from Oct 2023 to May 2024!

  • 918 Students
  • 8 Elementary Schools
  • 39,260 LBS of Aluminum
  • 1,374,100 Total Cans Recycled

Indiana

1st Place: Yankeetown Elementary 
Yankeetown Elementary in Newburgh, IN, recycled an incredible 163,590 cans! With 46 dedicated fourth graders in the recycling club, they even convinced a nearby bar to start saving cans for their school. Collaborating with SA Recycling and Kaiser Warrick Aluminum, this was truly a fantastic community effort! 🌟♻️🎉

Congrats on winning the contest! It's great to see the school recycling cans all summer, with everyone in the community enjoying bringing their cans to the school.

 
  • 46 3rd graders
  • 3,556 Cans per student
  • 4,674 LBS of Aluminum
  • 163,590 Total Cans

Kentucky

2nd Place: Lewisburg Elementary
Congratulations to Lewisburg Elementary on securing 2nd place in the million cans recycling contest! Working with Logan Aluminum and Cumberland Scrap Recycling in Kentucky, they recycled an impressive total of 177,800 cans. With 65 third graders in the recycling club, that’s an astounding 2,735 cans per student, amounting to 5,080 pounds of aluminum. Fantastic job, everyone! 🌟♻️🎉
 
  • 65 3rd graders
  • 2,735 Cans per student
  • 5,080 LBS of Aluminum
  • 177,800 Total Cans

Kentucky

3rd Place: Rich Pond Elementary 
Congratulations to Rich Pond Elementary School in Bowling Green, Kentucky, for their outstanding performance in the Million Cans Recycling Contest! With the collaboration of Crown Aluminum and Parrish Recycling, their 134 second graders recycled an impressive total of 241,010 cans. This remarkable effort averages 1,799 cans per student, amounting to 6,886 pounds of aluminum. Fantastic job, Rich Pond Elementary! 🌟♻️🎉
 
  • 134 2nd graders
  • 1,799 Cans per student
  • 6,886 LBS of Aluminum
  • 241,010 Total Cans

Pennsylvania

4th Place: Our Mother of Perpetual Help
We are thrilled to announce that the third-grade students at Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Pennsylvania, in collaboration with Sahd Metal Recycling, have excelled in The Million Cans Recycling Contest by collecting an impressive 39,620 aluminum cans! Their dedication and teamwork earned them 4th place in the competition. ♻️🏫🤩
  • 23 3rd graders
  • 1,723 Cans per student
  • 1,132 LBS of Aluminum
  • 39,620 Total Cans

Texas

5th Place: La Vega Elementary
The 267 third graders at La Vega Elementary in Waco, TX recycled an incredible 429,380 cans! With support from local businesses like the Magnolia Silos, t-shirt shops, newsrooms, skating rinks, Envases Aluminum, CMC Recycling, and M. Lipsitz Metal Recycling scrapyards, the whole city rallied together. It was amazing to watch! We are so proud of everyone involved! 🌟♻️🎉
 
  • 267 3rd graders
  • 1,608 Cans per student
  • 12,268 LBS of Aluminum
  • 429,380 Total Cans
Screenshot

Alabama

6th Place: L.E. Willson Elementary 

🌟 Congratulations to L.E. Willson in Alabama for an Outstanding 6th Place Finish in the Million Cans Recycling Contest! 🏆🎉

Hats off to L.E. Willson in Alabama for their impressive 6th place finish in the Million Cans Recycling Contest! Teaming up with SA Recycling and NASCAR, they collected a whopping 71,750 cans—equivalent to 2,050 pounds of aluminum. This effort involved 55 dedicated 3rd graders contributing an average of 1,305 cans each. Their goal? To revamp their gym bleachers with the funds raised from recycling aluminum cans. Bravo, L.E. Willson—your commitment to sustainability and community is truly commendable! 🌍♻️

 
  • 55 3rd graders
  • 1,305 Cans per student
  • 2,050 LBS of Aluminum
  • 71,750 Total Cans

Mississippi

7th Place: Pleasant Hill Elementary
🌟 Congratulations, Pleasant Hill Elementary! 🏆🎉

A big shout-out to Pleasant Hill Elementary in Mississippi for securing an impressive 7th place in the Million Cans Recycling Contest! With 177 enthusiastic 3rd graders each collecting 1,157 cans on average, they amassed 204,750 cans—that's 5,850 pounds of aluminum! They even received a cool can trailer from Nesbit Recycling and partnered with Iskiwitz Metals. Well done, Pleasant Hill Elementary—your dedication to recycling and community impact is truly inspiring! ♻️👏

  • 177 3rd graders
  • 1,157 Cans per student
  • 5,850 LBS of Aluminum
  • 204,750 Total Cans
DeSoto County News : Crushing the competition for recycling

South Carolina

8th Place: L.E. Willson Elementary

Let's give a big round of applause to L.E. Willson Elementary in South Carolina for their impressive 8th place finish in the Million Cans Recycling Contest! Their dedication and teamwork have truly made a difference.

With 151 enthusiastic 3rd graders participating, each averaging 306 cans collected, they gathered a total of 46,200 cans—equivalent to 1,320 pounds of aluminum! This achievement highlights their commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

L.E. Willson Elementary also formed valuable partnerships with Resonac Graphite and B&D Scrap Metal, enhancing their recycling efforts and strengthening community ties.  ♻️🤩

 
 
  • 151 3rd graders
  • 306 Cans per student
  • 1,320 LBS of Aluminum
  • 46,200 Total Cans
Congratulations!

You are a Recycling Rockstar!

By helping recycle over 1.3 million cans in the Million Cans Recycling Contest, you've made a huge impact. Write your name on this certificate to celebrate your amazing achievement! 🌟♻️

Get Your Certificate!
How many cans will you recycle?

Take the can recycling pledge

Students across the USA are solving the recycling crisis by committing to the can recycling pledge. They vow to never throw a can in the trash for the rest of their lives. Join us today in making a difference!

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