Wyoming's Riverton Alternative High School Wins Aluminum Recycling Challenge

Sponsored by the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), nearly 23,700 students participate in the 2015-2016 challenge, which ran from Nov. 15, 2015 (America Recycles Day) through April 22, 2016 (Earth Day). More than 28 of the competing schools collected 1,000 pounds or more aluminum beverage cans.

Riverton Alternative High School will receive $5,000 as the GACR national champion, along with an additional $1,000 prize for coming in first place in the state. The school in each state with the most pounds of aluminum recycled per student also receive a $1,000 prize for their achievements in recycling.

"The GACR recycling program creates an environment of community pride, social responsibility and develops collaborative relationships by fostering a work ethic in our students," said Fremont County School District Director of Special Education Dallas Myers.  "Sustainability of our resources has never been more important. The GACR opportunity allows students to develop a 'participatory' mind set of civic responsibility, community pride and active engagement in an activity that does make a difference, recycling."

Second place in this year's GACR School Challenge is awarded to another Wyoming school:  Roosevelt Learning Center, whose 14 students collected and recycled more than 2,200 pounds of aluminum beverage cans.

The State of Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality representative Craig McOmie congratulated the Riverton High School and said, "In an era when national attention is rightfully focused on the conservation of natural resources for the benefit of current and future generations, the GACR award highlights the possibilities that can be achieved through concerted group efforts."

CMI created the GACR to build awareness of the environmental benefits of recycling cans. At 50-cents-per-pound for recycled aluminum cans, competing schools raised more than $73,000 to put towards school activities, local charities, special causes and community outreaches of their choice.

"Students participating in the CMI recycling challenge are learning the importance of recycling and the integral part it plays in the environment," said CMI President Robert Budway. "They also learn the value of aluminum cans, which stems from its unique characteristic of being 100 percent recyclable. Once recycled, cans are back on a store shelf in as little as 60 days. This closed-loop recycling process has kept millions of tons of material out of landfills. In fact, 75 percent of all aluminum ever produced is still in use with an impressive 68 percent average of total recycled content."

For more information about the can's sustainability attributes, visit www.cancentral.com/sustainability.

For more information about the Great American Can Roundup, visit www.canroundup.com.

2015-2016 Great American Can Roundup School Winners by State

Alabama:  Holy Family Regional School, Huntsville

Arizona:  Sonoran Science Academy, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson

Arkansas:  Quest West Middle School of Little Rock, Little Rock

California:  Believe! Manteca/Redwood High School Campus, Stockton

Colorado:  Flagstaff Academy Charter School, Longmont

Florida: St. Andrew Catholic School, Orlando

Georgia:  Midway Middle School, Midway

Hawaii:  Hanalei School, Hanalei

Idaho:  Skyway Elementary School, Coeur d'Alene 

Illinois:  Kidz Korner, Chicago

Indiana:  Forest Ridge Academy, Schererville

Kansas:  Newton Bible Christian School, Newton

Louisiana: Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, Kenner

Maryland:  Chesapeake Public Charter School, Lexington Park

Massachusetts:  Lynch Elementary School, Winchester

Minnesota:  Mabel-Canton School, Mabel

Missouri:  Saint George Catholic School, Hermann

Montana:  Fortine School, Fortine

Nebraska:  Christ Lutheran School, Columbus

New Hampshire:  Epsom Central Elementary School, Epsom

New Jersey:  Weymouth Township School, Dorothy

New Mexico:  Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic School, Albuquerque

New York:  P.S. - 149 The Danny Kaye School, Brooklyn

North Carolina:  Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School, Rocky Mount

Ohio:  Wilcox Elementary School, Bainbridge

Oklahoma:  Perkins-Tryon Elementary School, Perkins 

Pennsylvania:  Central High School, Martinsburg

South Carolina:  Taylors Elementary School, Taylors

Tennessee:  Sacred Heart Elementary School, Loretto

Texas:  Greenhill School, Addison

Vermont:  Champlain Elementary School, Burlington

Virginia:  Northern Neck Montessori School, Kilmarnock

Washington:  Secondary Academy for Success, Bothell

Wisconsin:  Saint Paul Lutheran School, Bonduel

Wyoming:  Riverton Alternative High School, Riverton -- National Recycling Champion Winner!

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

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SOURCE Can Manufacturers Institute

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