The Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI, www.cancentral.com) says it raised close to $75,000 through its Great American Can Roundup Industry Challenge, which lasted 108 days and involved 68 can plants in the United States. The facilities involved in the program included the plants and corporate offices of three major American can manufacturers: Rexam, Ball and Crown Holdings.
Through the challenge, individual facilities partnered with schools and local organizations to collect and recycle aluminum used beverage cans (UBC).
“Our contest provides an opportunity for can manufacturers and their employees to give something back—not only to the environment, but to their local communities,” says CMI President Robert Budway.
“Our industry is proud of its efforts to optimize aluminum beverage can recycling while re-energizing the recycling ethic among consumers,” Budway comments. “We are even prouder of our efforts to reach out and help individuals who are really struggling in this tough economy.”
The CMI, in a news release, says Rexam’s manufacturing plant in Elk Grove Village, Ill., won first place in the competition with nearly 615,000 cans collected and recycled. Second and third place went to two Ball Corp. plants. A plant in Findlay, Ohio took second place and one in Monticello, Ind., finished third. Findlay and Monticello collected about 720,000 cans and 245,000 cans, respectively.
Winners were selected from the highest per capita collection rates based on the number of pounds of aluminum collected per plant employee.
CMI is a national trade association representing the metal can manufacturing industry and its suppliers in the United States.