Students Recycled Enough Aluminum to Build an Entire Boeing 737! That’s Only the Beginning!
More Than 3 Million Aluminum Beverage Cans Recycled by Students Across America in Just 8 Months
The Recycling Society Celebrates Students, Donors, Scrapyards, and Metal Recycling Partners Powering One of America’s Largest Youth-Led Recycling Programs
The First Million Cans Contest Organized Under The Recycling Society Nonprofit
BELLINGHAM, WA — May 2026 Elementary school students across America recycled more than 3 million aluminum beverage cans during the 2025–2026 Million Cans Recycling Contest, helping keep approximately 87,000 pounds of aluminum out of landfills while raising awareness about sustainability, recycling, and the circular economy.
Now in its third year, the Million Cans Recycling Contest has grown into one of the country’s most measurable youth-led recycling programs, with 56 schools across 14 states participating during the 2025–2026 school year.
The 56 participating schools are located in: Alabama (1), Arizona (3), Colorado (1), Florida (4), Illinois (3), Indiana (4), Kentucky (24), Louisiana (1), Mississippi (4), Missouri (2), Pennsylvania (4), Texas (2), Washington (2), and West Virginia (1). Schools keep 100% of the money earned from the cans they recycle!
This year also marked a major milestone, the contest became the first national recycling contest officially organized under The Recycling Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded on Earth Day 2025 to inspire the next generation of recycling superheroes.
The Million Cans Recycling Contest is led by The Recycling Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, in partnership with The Ball Foundation, GlobalGiving, the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), metal recyclers, scrapyards, schools, and sustainability partners nationwide.
Together, these organizations are working to improve aluminum can recycling rates across the United States while inspiring the next generation to make recycling fun, easy, and impactful.
A Growing National Movement
Since the contest first began in November of 2023, over 10,062 books have been donated, students have now recycled more than 6.5 million aluminum cans by 63 schools in 15 states nationwide. That’s approximately 188,000 pounds of recycled aluminum, equivalent to the airframe weight of a commercial Boeing 737 aircraft.
The contest officially runs from October 1 through April 30, with recycling bins and educational books delivered to participating schools during the last week of September. Winners are announced in early May after all aluminum cans have been collected and weighed by local recycling partners.
To make participation easy, schools do not need to count cans individually. The contest uses a standard conversion of 35 aluminum cans per pound. Schools work with local scrapyards, recyclers, businesses, and community partners to raise awareness about aluminum recycling, sustainability, and careers in the recycling and manufacturing industries, all while helping schools raise money and increase recycling rates across the United States.
Inspired by The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million CansInspired by The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans
The Million Cans Recycling Contest was inspired by the award-winning children’s book The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans, part of the Recycling is Like Magic metal recycling book series.
During the contest, students in selected grades each receive their own copy of the book, courtesy of generous Recycling Society donors. These students become the school’s “Can Captains”, student recycling leaders who help inspire the entire school to participate in the contest.
The Can Captains visit classrooms throughout the school to read The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans aloud, encourage classmates to recycle more aluminum cans, and lead students in taking the official Can Recycling Pledge:
“I pledge to never toss a can in the trash for the rest of my life, and (say your favorite animal) will love me!”
To make the experience even more exciting, The Recycling Society provides special Recycling Superhero capes that the Can Captains can take turns wearing, transforming them into real-life recycling superheroes. On “Can Day,” the Can Captains help collect cans from classrooms and bring them to the school’s large recycling bin.
After the readings, students take their books home to share with family, friends, and neighbors, helping entire communities get excited about collecting and recycling aluminum cans.
Students are also encouraged to personalize their books by writing their name, age, aluminum can recycling goal, and the animals they want to help protect through recycling. They share ways they can help the environment, including recycling cans, never littering, going on cleanup walks, using reusable bags and water bottles, and practicing “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” every day.
From 8 Schools to 56: Three Years of Recycling Growth
Over the past three years, our recycling contests have continued to grow, evolving through a few name changes while keeping the same mission at heart, inspiring students across the USA to recycle aluminum cans and protect the planet.
In Year 1, Scrap University Kids partnered with the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) to launch the first national school recycling contest. Eight schools across the country participated, recycling an incredible 1.37 million cans.
In Year 2, Scrap University Kids became Recycling is Like Magic and teamed up again with CMI for the 2 Million Cans Recycling Contest.
At the same time, Recycling is Like Magic and The Ball Foundation launched the Ball Can-Do Recycling Challenge in Indiana and Kentucky, where students worked together to recycle even more cans and learn about can making and sustainability.
By Year 3, all of the contests were combined under the Recycling Society nonprofit organization and officially renamed The Million Cans Recycling Contest. Thanks to the generosity of sponsors and supporters, the program expanded to 56 schools across 14 states.
The Ball Foundation and GlobalGiving supported 18 schools, the Can Manufacturers Institute supported 20 schools, Metals Innovation Initiative (MI2 Kentucky) supported 9 schools, and Sennebogen and other partners helped support the remaining schools.
Students recycled more than 3 million cans and thousands of educational books were donated to participating schools.
Contest Growth Over 3 Years
Year 1 (2023–2024) 1 Million Cans Contest (Scrap University Kids and CMI) 8 schools in 7 states (AL, IN, KY, MS, PA, SC, TX) 918 Books Donated 1,374,100 cans recycled 39,260 LBS of Aluminum Schools earned over $21,000 from can money and prize money
Year 2 (2024–2025) 2 Million Cans Contest (Recycling is like Magic and CMI) 18 schools in 12 states (AL, FL, IL, IN, KY, LA, MS, MO, PA, TX, WA, WV) 3,920 Books Donated 1,666,210 cans recycled
Year 2 (2024–2025) Ball’s CAN-Do for Kids Recycling Challenge! 17 schools in 2 states (IN, KY) 2,272 books donated Indiana: 216,825 cans recycled (3 schools) Kentucky: 259,560 cans recycled (14 schools) 476,385 Total Cans
Year 3 (2025–2026) The Million Cans Recycling Contest under Recycling Society 56 schools across 14 states (AL, AZ, CO, FL, IL, IN, KY, LA, MS, MO, PA, TX, WA, WV) 4,979 books donated 87,577 pounds recycled 3,065,195 cans recycled
“These students aren’t just collecting cans, they’re changing behaviors in their schools and communities and becoming real-life recycling superheroes,” said Jessica “Scuba Jess” Alexanderson, Executive Director of The Recycling Society and co-author of The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans. “We couldn’t be more proud.”
Recycling Superheroes in Action
Schools created recycling drives, classroom education programs, community collection stations, recycling-themed music lessons, and local partnerships that brought entire communities together around sustainability.
“Participating in the Million Cans Recycling Contest has really brought the community together and made a huge impact on both the school and the community. We have cans being collected in places where recycling wasn’t previously an option, and kids now go out into their community to make it a cleaner place.” – Samantha Palmieri, Oriole Beach Elementary, Gulf Breeze, FL.
“Our third grade students went into other classrooms to read stories and educate other students about the importance of recycling. Our music teacher led an entire unit with third graders to create songs about recycling using recycled materials as instruments. We have truly taken recycling and embedded it into our school and community in so many ways. We have had several groups collecting outside of school hours and even set up a collection bin inside our local Kroger and we were featured in our local newspaper. Thanks to everyone in our town who helped Mt. Washington recycle 288,400 cans, the most cans overall in the contest.” –Julie Adams, Mt. Washington Elementary, near Louisville, KY.
“For our kids, this contest wasn’t about winning. It was about making the world better, one can, and one person at a time.” –Chely Gregory, 3rd Grade Teacher, Lewisburg Elementary School in Lewisburg, KY.
“Yes We Can! Yesterday our partners from PPG’s Packaging Coatings Business, the #millioncans Recycling Contest and the Pittsburgh Penguins joined our second graders for a pep rally to celebrate the incredible work our students have been doing to help our planet by recycling!
So far, our students have collected more than 27,000 cans, joining 56 schools from around the US that are working to collect more than 1 million cans!
At the rally our students took the pledge to never throw a can in the trash, learned more about the recycling process, delighted in seeing our very own Hero the Hawk meet the Pittsburgh Penguins Iceburgh, and got pumped for the Penguins game that they attended as VIP guests last night!
The drive continues through April 30th, 2026 so make sure to help us reach our goal and donate your cans at the Primary School!
We’d like to offer a huge thank you to our partners Can Manufacturers Institute, Michael Brothers Hauling & Recycling, Pittsburgh Penguins, Recycling is like Magic!, and Recycling Society on this cross-sector collaboration!” – Environmental Charter School Pittsburgh, PA
At The Recycling Society, we believe recycling education works best when it is fun, hands-on, community-driven, and rewarding for students.
The Million Cans Recycling Contest helps students understand that aluminum recycling is more than just throwing a can into a bin, it’s an opportunity to protect wildlife, conserve energy, strengthen local communities, and support American manufacturing jobs.
Schools team up with local scrapyards, metal recyclers, businesses, and sustainability partners to collect aluminum cans while students learn about:
The importance of recycling metal
How aluminum cans are recycled
Careers in the recycling and manufacturing industries
Sustainability and environmental leadership
The circular economy in action
How recycling helps reduce energy use and mining
One of our biggest goals is raising awareness about low aluminum can recycling rates in many states across America. Students and teachers share what they learn with their families and communities, helping spread recycling awareness far beyond the classroom.
We want students to understand that one of the easiest ways to help the planet is by never throwing aluminum cans in the trash. An aluminum can can be recycled and turned into a new can in as little as 60 days.
The more aluminum we recycle:
The less new metal needs to be mined
The less energy is used
The fewer materials need to be imported or transported
The more we help protect our environment for future generations
Together, students, schools, recyclers, and communities can make a huge difference, one can at a time.
2025–2026 Million Cans Recycling Contest Winners
Winners Ranked by Cans Recycled Per Student
🥇 1st Place — Fairplain Elementary (West Virginia) 160,790 cans recycled Average: 8,040 cans per student
🥈 2nd Place — Mendon Elementary (Pennsylvania) 184,275 cans recycled Average: 6,143 cans per student
🥉 3rd Place — Tri County Primary (Indiana) 235,200 cans recycled Average: 3,856 cans per student
🏆 Honorable Mention — Mt. Washington Elementary (Kentucky) 288,400 cans recycled, the highest overall total in the contest Average: 3,204 cans per student
$19,100 in prize money was sent to schools across the USA
Congratulations to every participating school, student, teacher, recycler, and community partner who helped make this year’s contest a success.
Recycling Delivers Measurable Results The 2025–26 contest results drove measurable results for schools, local communities, and the environment:
3,065,195 cans (approximately 87,577 pounds) recycled by students across the USA in just 8 months!
Energy savings equivalent to charging an estimated 36 million smartphones. Aluminum recycling is 95% less carbon-intensive than primary production.¹
Approximately $56,000 in direct funding raised by and donated back to participating schools at market scrap rates, channeled directly to classroom resources and school programs.
4,979 books were donated and over 21,734 elementary students engagedacross 14 states in hands-on recycling, so they can learn about the circular economy in action.
From bin to can in 60 days or less – that’s the time it takes for a recycled can to become a new can. Recycling is fast and efficient for used aluminum beverage cans.²
More than 6 million aluminum cans collected since the contest first started in November of 2023, weighing approximately 188,000 pounds, equivalent to the airframe weight of a commercial Boeing 737 aircraft.
“There are a lot of recycling programs in America. Very few of them can hand a CFO a per-pound impact number, a per-school engagement number, and a per-dollar return number. This one can.” – Andrew Hyde, President, The Recycling Society
Thank You to Our Sponsors & Industry Partners
The Recycling Society extends a huge thank you to the donors, recyclers, manufacturers, scrapyards, and community partners who helped make the contest possible.
Key supporters included:
Aluminum Dynamics
Ardagh Metal Packaging
The Ball Foundation
CANPACK
Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI)
Constellium
Crown Holdings
Detroit Scrap
Envases
GlobalGiving
Kaiser Aluminum
Logan Aluminum
Magnar Metals
Metals Agency
Metals Innovation Initiative (MI2)
Novelis
Phinix, LLC
PPG Industries
Sennebogen LLC
Sherwin-Williams
Tri-Arrows Aluminum Inc
and many more recycling industry partners nationwide.
“Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) members teamed up with schools across the country for a third consecutive year to demonstrate the value of recycling used aluminum beverage cans,” said Roxanne Sharif, Director of Sustainability at CMI. “This recycling program is proof that there are meaningful and effective ways to engage young learners in hands-on recycling practices while delivering valuable funding to support their schools. Since 97% of recycled cans become new cans, we’re excited to take the aluminum these recycling superheroes kept in the recycling system and make it part of new cans.”
Thank You to Our Scrap Yard & Metal Recycling Partners
The Recycling Society would like to recognize the incredible scrapyards and metal recycling partners who helped students collect and recycle millions of aluminum cans during the 2025–2026 Million Cans Recycling Contest.
These recycling companies provided collection support, transportation assistance, educational opportunities, recycling infrastructure, and real-world lessons about the circular economy for students nationwide.
We are incredibly grateful for the support of:
Alter Trading
American Metal Salvage & Recycling
Big Daddy Scrap
Brenner Recycling
Cumberland Scrap Processors
EMR Southern Recycling
Grade A Auto Parts & Recycling
Iskiwitz Metals & Nesbit
Louisiana Scrap (LA Scrap)
Lewis Salvage
Logan Aluminum
M. Lipsitz Co.
Michael Brothers Companies
Mon-Valley Recycling Center
Monterrey I&M
Radius Recycling
Recyco, Inc.
River Metal Recycling
River Metal Recycling – Louisville
RJ Recycling LLC
Rocky Mountain Recycling
S.A. Recycling
Sahd Metal Recycling
Shapiro
Trademark Metals Recycling
…and the many additional recycling partners, processors, and community supporters who stepped up to help schools and students across the country succeed.
Looking Ahead to 2026–2027
Building on three years of measurable growth, The Recycling Society plans to expand the Million Cans Recycling Contest to more than 75 schools during the 2026–2027 school year, with priority enrollment focused on Title I schools and underserved communities.
Our goal is to bring the program to areas of the United States without bottle deposit systems and communities without curbside recycling programs, where millions of aluminum cans are still ending up in landfills every year. We believe this is a solvable problem, and together we can make a real difference.
By making recycling fun, educational, and community-driven, students are helping inspire lifelong recycling habits while protecting wildlife and the environment.
If you would like to help grow the program, please consider donating to The Recycling Society. Your support will help us expand to more schools and communities each year while making aluminum can recycling easy, exciting, and accessible for students across America.
Registration for the 2026–2027 contest opens July 13, 2026.
Schools, recyclers, scrapyards, and sponsors interested in participating can contact:
Follow the contest at RecyclingSociety.org and on social media using #MillionCans.
About The Recycling Society
The Recycling Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded on Earth Day 2025 with a mission to teach children that all metal has value and can be recycled. Through books, school recycling contests, community partnerships, and hands-on educational programs, The Recycling Society is inspiring the next generation of recycling superheroes while helping improve recycling rates across America.
