Aluminum Can Council Collects 105 Million UBCs during America Recycles Day Challenge

The Aluminum Can Council (ACC) has announced that over a 12-week period, more than 105 million beverage cans were collected for recycling. The campaign raised more than $2.3 million for Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, Toys for Tots, local parks, other non-profit groups, schools and recycling programs.

The campaign was held as part of the ACC’s America Recycles Day Challenge in which Alcoa Inc., Arco Aluminum, Novelis Inc., Ball Corp., Metal Container Corp. and Rexam competed to see which facility could recycle the most UBCs cans per employee. Last year, 30 aluminum supplier and beverage can manufacturing facilities participated in the contest.

According to Robert Budway, president of the Can Manufacturers Institute, "ACC members really stepped up to the challenge in 2009, recycling 679 percent more aluminum beverage cans than they did in 2008. This is such a positive example of sustainable initiatives."

Rexam's Chatsworth, Calif., beverage can plant recycled more than 34 million UBCs to win the America Recycles Day Challenge.

Second place went to Rexam's beverage plant in Fairfield, Calif., which recycled 560,788 pounds of UBCs. Third place honors went to Rexam's beverage can plant in St. Paul, Minn., which recycled 565,087 pounds of UBCs.  

The Novelis plant in LaGrange, Ga., bested the competition in the Mayor/Municipal Recycling Outreach Category, recycling 12,963 pounds of UBCs. ARCO Aluminum, Louisville, Ky. was second, recycling 17,580 pounds per employee.