More Than 57,000 Pounds of Aluminum Recycled For The Great American Can RoundUp Scout Council Challenge

WASHINGTON, June 5, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Girls Scouts of Kansas Heartland Council receives National Recycling Champion award in the third annual Great American Can RoundUp (GACR) Scout Council Challenge by recycling 32,199 pounds of aluminum cans and generating more than $16,000 for scouting activities. The top recycling troop of the 2014 GACR Scout Council Challenge, Troop 50244 from Hutchinson, KS, won $500, plus the value of the cans collected for recycling nearly 1,500 pounds of aluminum per scout.

The GACR Scout Council Challenge, sponsored by the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), is designed to create awareness of the environmental benefits of recycling cans. The challenge began on January 15, 2014, and ended on April 30, 2014. A total of 27 councils competed for top honors with more than 800 scouts from 56 troops participating in this year's recycling challenge.

"We are extremely proud of our girls' hard work and the incredible commitment they make to recycling year after year," said Liz Workman, CEO of Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland. "They exhibit leadership by not only achieving but surpassing their goals and involving the community. We're also thankful for partners like Midwest Iron and Metal in Hutchinson that continue to support Girl Scouting for the benefit of both the girls and the community."

Second and third place troop recycling honors went to Girl Scout Troop 50028 from Kansas Heartland Council and Girl Scout Troop 9869 from Girl Scouts of Greater South Texas Council. These top ranking troops recycled 976 and 363 pounds per capita, respectively. 

The Girl Scouts of Greater South Texas Council distinguished itself as GACR Reserve National Recycling Council Champion by recycling more than 3,460 pounds of aluminum beverage cans and won $300. 

"Congratulations to all of the boy and girl scouts that participated in this year's challenge," said CMI President Robert Budway. "Educating the public on the recycling benefits of aluminum beverage cans is an important cause for our industry. Because beverage cans are infinitely recyclable, we are in a unique position to engage and educate our younger generations on the importance of not polluting and cherishing our natural resources. Encouraging youth to recycle aluminum cans in a competitive environment enables them to take steps today for a more sustainable environment in the future." 

Registration for the 2015 Great American Can Roundup Scout Council Challenge is now open.  Scout troops/units can register at http://wwww.cancentral.com/roundup/ruRegistration.cfm.

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: [email protected]
Jenny Day: [email protected]
Phone: 202-232-4677

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SOURCE Can Manufacturers Institute