Recycling contest collects over 1.6 million beverage cans

Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and Recycling Is Like Magic! have announced that more than 1.6 million empty aluminium beverage cans were collected during the 2 Million Cans Recycling Contest.

This student-led competition, which ran from 1 October 2024 to 30 April 2025, challenged second and third graders in the US to recycle used aluminium beverage cans and compete in a nationwide contest.

Collectively, thousands of students from 18 schools across 12 states participated: Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and West Virginia.

These schools were supported by 11 Can Champions from CMI’s membership: Ardagh Metal Packaging, CANPACK, Constellium, Crown Holdings, Inc., Envases, Kaiser Aluminum, Logan Aluminum, Novelis, PPG, Sherwin-Williams, and Tri-Arrows Aluminum.

“Congratulations to all the students who surpassed last year’s total to collect more than 1.6 million cans. Impressively, in two years, our students have recycled about 3 million cans,” said Scott Breen, CMI’s senior vice president of sustainability.

“This achievement was made possible through the efforts of students and teachers, as well as the support of each CMI aluminium beverage can sector member and local scrap yards, who partnered up with participating schools,” Breen said. “This contest is proof that there is a meaningful and effective way to engage young learners in hands-on recycling practices while delivering valuable funding to support their schools. Aluminium beverage cans are uniquely positioned to support this model given their high monetary value and the hundreds of metal recyclers across the country that readily buy these used cans.”

Schools that competed earned valuable funding from selling used beverage cans (UBCs) to local scrap yards. That money can then be used to support various educational activities and partnerships, further enriching the learning experience. This contest also comes with a significant environmental benefit for local communities.

Aluminium recycling slashes energy use and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 95% versus producing new aluminium, while serving a steady, reliable domestic supply chain. In fact, recycling more than 1.6 million cans produced more than $26,000 in scrap value and represents a GHG energy savings that is enough to power more than 20 million smartphones.

When UBCs are recycled properly, they become a new can in less than 60 days on average. And nearly 97% of recycled aluminium beverage cans in the United States go on to become new cans.

Additionally, CMI members provided thousands of dollars in funding that schools received if they met certain challenges or targets during the competition. For example, the top three schools received grand prizes for collecting the most cans per student participating:

• 1st Place: Fairplain Elementary School in Ripley, WV, will receive a $3,000 prize.
• 2nd Place: Mendon Elementary School in Ruffs Dale, PA, will receive a $2,000 prize.
• 3rd Place: Lewisburg Elementary School in Lewisburg, KY, will receive a $1,000 prize.

The contest also recognised several schools with a pizza party for recycling 75,000 cans: Environmental Charter School (PA), Fairplain Elementary (WV), Flynn Park Elementary (MO), L.E. Willson Elementary (AL), Lewisburg Elementary School (KY), Mendon Elementary School (PA), Mt. Washington (KY), Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School (LA), Rich Pond Elementary School (KY), Southaven Elementary (MS), and Yankeetown Elementary School (IN).

A special congratulations to Fairplain, Mendon, and Mt. Washington Elementary Schools for each recycling more than 150,000 cans. These schools earned an additional $500 bonus. Beyond the prize funds, CMI also paid for every student to receive a copy of the children’s book, The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans.

“This contest was originally inspired by our children’s book. The story became a reality thanks to the spirit of students across America who collected empty aluminium beverage cans throughout the school year,” said Jessica Alexanderson, executive director of The Recycling Society nonprofit and Author at Recycling is Like Magic!

“The book taught a valuable lesson – recycling comes with significant economic and environmental benefits. These recycling superheroes worked hard and showed us that if we make recycling fun and easy for them, they will fill huge bins with cans! We are blown away by their recycling skills.”

For more information on the 2 Million Cans Recycling Contest and to access photos and videos from the contest for media use and publication, visit: recyclingislikemagic.com/2millioncans.