Growing Interest

Spread the Word About Your

he Great Aluminum Can RoundUp is "good news" for your organization, your community and the environment. Organizing a recycling activity is a news event of great interest. By letting your local media -- newspapers, radio and television -- know about it, you can generate coverage and free publicity that helps bring in even more cans while calling attention to the good work your school or organization is doing. Remember to send articles to community newsletters as well.

Communicating with the news media is easy. Just be sure to provide timely, complete details of what you are doing. This means sending a news release about what you are planning prior to start-up, and reporting on your progress at regular intervals. Sending a color photo with a caption is a quick way to convey information. Be sure to list the names of those pictured.

You can begin by contacting your local daily and weekly newspapers, television and radio stations. Ask who should receive news releases about community projects. (We've included a sample news release for you to use.) You can also consider writing a "letter to the editor" to highlight your project and its benefits. And a skillful writer in your class or organization can draft an op-ed (opinion column) for the newspaper, highlighting the benefits of recycling and its impact on the community. Look at letters to the editor and op-eds in your local daily and weekly newspapers to get an idea of the length and style of these pieces.

Consider sending letters to local public officials and other community leaders who should know more about the project. You may even consider enlisting their help for your project. (A sample letter is also included.)

If you conduct an event to mark the completion of your project, consider the visual possibilities that might attract the attention of your local news media (i.e., a "mountain of cans" collected, a sports personality, celebrity or government official who has become associated with your project). Remember, the more advance notice you can give news outlets, the better your chance of getting some coverage.

Please contact The Great Aluminum Can RoundUp Hotline, 1-888-9RoundUp, if you have questions or would like suggestions for dealing with the media to publicize your activity.

Sample letter to an

Dear (local official):

We invite you to join The Great Aluminum Can RoundUp, which is our effort to clean up our community by collecting and recycling aluminum cans. On (date) we will be (event description). We hope that you will be able to join us.

The RoundUp is a national program that brings community groups like ours together with area businesses to maximize the benefits of recycling aluminum cans while cleaning up the environment. Proceeds from the collection and sale of these aluminum cans will stay in the community and be used to (worthwhile cause).

The RoundUp has a long-standing tradition of embodying the spirit of community-industry cooperation. As we celebrate our Great Aluminum Can RoundUp, your presence would mean a great deal to the students, parents and faculty who have worked so hard to recycle aluminum beverage cans.

Originated in 1987, The Great Aluminum Can RoundUp is sponsored by the Can Manufacturers Institute, the national trade group for the can industry and its suppliers. The RoundUp was launched to help schools, community groups, Boy and Girl Scouts, 4-H Clubs, charities and businesses learn how easy it is to turn aluminum beverage cans into cash. Since then, thousands of participants have earned money by "Rounding Up" aluminum beverage cans.

We are proud to be a part of such a wonderful program and hope you can find time in your schedule to join us for this worthwhile event.

Sincerely,

RoundUp Coordinator

Sample

Regardless of the approach you use for a news release, it should answer five basic questions: who, what, where, when and why. For example, who is starting the project? What will the project accomplish? Where and when can people who want to donate cans do so? Why is this project needed? News releases should be typed on school or organization letterhead. Double-space between lines and leave plenty of margin.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: (Your Name) (Your Telephone)

YOUR ORGANIZATION OR SCHOOL JOINS THE GREAT ALUMINUM CAN ROUNDUP

YOUR TOWN, USA, (date) -- (Your organization) has joined The Great Aluminum Can RoundUp to help fight litter, save valuable resources and conserve energy. Proceeds from the sale of used aluminum cans will be used to fund (your worthwhile cause).

Members of (your organization) will accept donations of all-aluminum beverage cans (time, date, place).

(Your organization's spokesperson) said the used cans will be sold to an aluminum company for recycling.

The group's Great Aluminum Can RoundUp is supported by the national Great Aluminum Can RoundUp sponsor, the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI). CMI represents all beverage can makers and is committed to ensuring that all aluminum cans get recycled. The RoundUp was created in 1987 to help groups like (your group name) in their efforts to recycle.