Use Your Imagination
| Use Your Imagination |
Suggestions.
our RoundUp should be fun. Part of the fun is coming up with new ways to collect aluminum cans. Following are a few ways you can keep your group motivated to make sure they all keep "Rounding Up" aluminum cans.
ompetition is keen when school classes challenge each other to see which class can recycle the most aluminum beverage cans in a week. The winning class receives ten percent of the other classes' proceeds.
Posters and announcements should be made daily and class collection bins ideally are placed in an easily accessible area. Place a barometer by each bin so daily tallies can be compared. Encourage teachers and staff to recycle for their favorite class.
Wash Cars/Recycle for the Environment.
roups in need of cash and desiring to help the environment are conducting pro-rated
aluminum can car washes. Cars bringing in 100 aluminum cans receive a free car wash (the fee is pro-rated for drivers recycling fewer cans).
Participants make money for their project and help encourage recycling. Publicize the car wash at least three weeks in advance by hanging posters and sending information to public service directors at newspapers and local radio and television stations for inclusion in community bulletin board announcements.
Parades.
arades happen in all towns. Add the element of recycling to your next parade. Recycling is easy, gives your parade an environmental edge and helps control litter. RoundUp recycling teams buddy up, provide signs to vendors and recycle. As the crowds arrive, let them know to save their cans and pass them forward to the RoundUp recycling team who will be the last participant in the parade. Prior to the start of the parade, a RoundUp recycling team can let parade attendees know that they will be back at the conclusion of the parade to recycle their beverage cans. Vendors will often post a recycling bin or display signs about your group recycling during the day.
Carnival.
number of our RoundUp school groups keep their program going through their entire school year and build enthusiasm by rewarding recyclers with tokens to be used at their annual carnival. The tokens could be used as cash at the carnival. Some games were designated for recycling tokens only, making a winner at those booths extra special. Last-minute tokens could be earned as students build a Great Aluminum Can RoundUp recycling mountain at the carnival.
Challenges/RoundUps.
usinesses challenge other businesses, schools challenge other schools, Scouts, similar clubs and groups can all join. The idea is to recycle and achieve the challenged goal. For business challenges, the local Chamber of Commerce or service organizations often support this type of environmental outreach.
Environmental Pledge.
he RoundUp's "Environmental Pledge"
certificate can be used to gain support and generate participation before a RoundUp recycling program or to reward participants for their efforts during Earth Day or similar environmentally-themed activities. Participants are asked to "Make Every Day Earth Day" by incorporating the three R's (reduce, reuse and recycle) into their lives. They can pledge to do more to encourage environmental awareness through community service such as environmental education, environmental action and public service. For certificates that you can personalize for your group, call us at 1-888-9RoundUp.
Make An Environmental Wish.
luminum can banks hold participants' wishes. All you need to supply is a pen or pencil and a slip of paper stating "My environmental wish is..." and place the wish in the can bank. Wishes make for interesting press release or newsletter copy. Share your filled can banks with elected officials from the County Council to the Governor.
E.B. Erwin Elementary School students presented Vice President Albert Gore, Jr. with a "Make An Environmental Wish" can filled with their wishes. Contact the RoundUp for can banks and a sample wish slip.
Build a Mountain of Cans.
id you ever wonder what 100,000 of something looks like? The Boy and Girl Scouts of Alexandria, Virginia did, and they discovered that their mountain of 100,000 used aluminum cans filled two tractor trailers and earned them $1,000. A mountain of aluminum cans, whether it is created in a day, week or over several months, is a great way to rally the community to earn funds for a special project by recycling aluminum cans. In Texas, Dyess Elementary School is building many Great Aluminum Can RoundUp mountains of used beverage cans to earn funds for a memorial playground. The media has seen the mountain grow and has brought increased participation to the program, enabling them to raise over $10,000 for the playground.
Check with local recycling centers to see if they have any suggestions or can help you transport the cans by providing a trailer. Retail store parking lots make convenient locations to host mountain-building events. All you have to do is set a goal as a rallying point and keep the community informed and involved in the progress.
Students Teach Recycling.
lder students become recycling "assistant teachers," serving as role models, developing lesson plans and initiating RoundUp activities with younger students. Schools have networked with senior citizens to help them recycle on a regular basis. Teachers and parent-teacher organizations can assist students and generate goodwill; and, where applicable, students can earn community service graduation credits.
RoundUp Display.
aving a large event or fair and need a display? CMI loans its Great Aluminum Can RoundUp free standing and table top displays to groups interested in promoting recycling. In addition to fun facts about recycling and the closed-loop aluminum can recycling process, the display has panels to decorate with photos of your recycling events and other information. The display is booked on a first come, first serve basis. Call 1-888-9-RoundUp if you are interested.
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