Elementary school students compete to win two million cans recycling contest
2 Million cans recycling contest
The Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) has announced the start of the 2 Million Cans Recycling Contest. This contest is a partnership with Recycling Is Like Magic! to engage students in recycling empty aluminium beverage cans at schools across America. The competition, which runs through 30 April 2025, will inspire environmental awareness, hands-on learning, teamwork, and community engagement with young learners.
“Last year, we challenged participating students to collect a million aluminium beverage cans, and they went above and beyond collecting more than 1.3 million cans for recycling,” said CMI senior vice president of sustainability, Scott Breen. “This year, the 2 Million Cans Recycling Contest is setting the bar even higher. The goal is to engage more than 1,600 2nd and 3rd graders in recycling best practices to see if they can recycle even more aluminium beverage cans.”
Schools from across the country will earn valuable funds and prizes throughout the contest to
support vital school programmes and infrastructure. Funding for schools occurs in one of two ways:
• Each school will earn money from the aluminium beverage cans collected and sold to a local
scrap yard partner. Aluminium cans are one of the most valuable recyclable commodities, and
scrap aluminium is paid at a market rate by the pound at hundreds of scrap yards across the
country.
• Schools will also receive prizes for hitting specific recycling goals throughout the year, and
three schools will be awarded top prizes. These prizes are sponsored by CMI members who
will serve as Aluminum Beverage Can Champion Sponsors. Learn more about the prizes and
view the full list of sponsors at the contest page.
“Recycling aluminium beverage cans comes with significant environmental and economic benefits, especially when we all work together as a team to collect and recycle as many cans as possible,” Breen said.
Aluminium can makers and suppliers are stepping up to support schools in 12 states: Alabama,
Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia. See the full list of participating schools at: recyclingislikemagic.com/2millioncans/
Every 2nd or 3rd grade student participating in the contest will also receive a free copy of The Girl
Who Recycled 1 Million Cans, the book that inspired this recycling contest.
“This initiative will teach students about the value of recycling used aluminium beverage cans,
and how it makes a difference for people and our planet,” said the book’s author, Jessica Alexanderson, also known as Scuba Jess, who is also the president of Recycling Is Like Magic! “Our youngest minds are leading the way in the 2 Million Cans Recycling Contest, and I’m excited to see what they will achieve this year.”
Follow along and track the progress of students participating in the 2 Million Cans Recycling Contest online and across social media with the hashtag: #2MillionCans.
