“We’re pleased to team with our industry and local communities in showing the easy connection between recycling, environmental friendliness and charity,” says Rich Grimley, president and CEO of Rexam BCNA. “This contest and community outreach is another way our industry can show how the beverage can is the most sustainable beverage package in the world, recycled at more than double the rate of any other package.”

“The can-manufacturing-industry competition is a great opportunity to promote aluminum-can recycling,” says 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.”

“Infinitely recyclable aluminum drives value in the recycling supply chain, offering economic as well as social and environmental sustainability benefits to local communities,” says Michael Hranicka, president of Ball Corporation’s metal-beverage-packaging division, Americas. “Volunteer efforts like this one complement ongoing industry initiatives focused on increasing the can’s recycling rate even further and saving natural resources and energy in the process.”

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; Boy Scouts of America; 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] few [as] 60 days,” says 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, sponsor recycling events and distribute educational materials regarding the importance of environmental awareness. CMI is aggressively involved in raising awareness of the environmental benefits of recycling cans.

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 pounds of aluminum cans.

More information on CMI’s sustainability campaign can be found at www.cancentral.com/sustainability.

Photo: © Tiberius Dinu | Dreamstime.com, http://www.dreamstime.com/can-imagefree86678