WASHINGTON — As the nation celebrated America Recycles Day, the aluminum beverage can industry announced it had collected and recycled more than 235,100 lbs. of cans, raising nearly $183,830 for local charities across the country, the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) announced today.

The Rexam North American beverage can headquarters office in Chicago won first place in the annual industry competition, with 70,775 lbs. of used aluminum cans (874 per capita), followed by Novelis in LaGrange, Ga., whose employees collected 3,517 lbs. of cans (352 per capita). In third place is Ball Corporation’s plant in Findlay, Ohio, collecting and recycling 36,611 lbs. (101 per capita). Winners are selected from the highest per-capita collection rates based on the number of pounds of aluminum collected per employee at each site.

”We’re pleased to team with our industry and local communities in showing the easy connection between recycling, environmental friendliness and charity,” said Rich Grimley, president and CEO, 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,” said 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,” said Michael Hranicka, president, Ball 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; the Boys Scouts; 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 a few of 60 days,” said 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, sponsors recycling events, and distributes educational materials regarding the importance of environmental awareness. CMI is aggressively involved in raising awareness of the environmental benefits of recycling cans. More information about CMI’s sustainability campaign can be found at cancentral.com/sustainability.

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 lbs. of aluminum cans.

Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI)
CMI is the national trade association of the metal can manufacturing industry and its suppliers in the United States. The can industry accounts for the annual domestic production of approximately 124 billion food, beverage and other metal cans; which employs more than 28,000 people with plants in 33 states, Puerto Rico and American Samoa; and generates about $17.8 billion in direct economic activity. Our members are committed to providing safe, nutritious and refreshing canned food and beverages to consumers.

Contact: Sherrie Rosenblatt, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Phone: 202-232-4677; E-mail: srosenblatt@cancentral.com