The Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and Scrap Kids University have collected more than 1.3 million empty aluminum beverage cans in the first Million Can Recycling Contest. The competition was conducted by students from October 15, 2023 to May 16, 2024. In this case, second and third graders from eight different schools in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Texas competed.
The schools were selected in communities where recycling rates were low and without established recycling protocols. Therefore, in the absence of this contest, the used containers would not have been recycled in any other way.
Scott Breen, senior vice president of sustainability for CMI Can Manufacturers Institute has stated that the Million Can Recycling Contest demonstrates that there is an effective way to actively engage young apprentices in recycling in a hands-on way, while providing valuable funding for their school.
The competing schools sold the used aluminum beverage cans to local scrap metal shops. This money will go to support various educational activities and partnerships, further enriching the students’ learning experience. In addition, CMI provided more than $12,000 in grants to schools that competed in specific contests in different categories.
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