States

Schools

Books Distributed

Total Cans Recycled

Total cans recycled since November 2023

2025-2026 Current Can Count

The Million Cans Recycling Contest

♻️ 54 schools across the USA are competing
from October 01 – April 30th to recycle the most aluminum cans!

The Million Cans Recycling Contest is a win-win: students help the planet 🌎 and schools keep 100% of the money from the cans they recycle.

Every can counts let’s cheer on our recycling superheroes! 🦸‍♀️🥳

🏆 Current Leaderboard 🏆
Updated:
April 26, 2026

Leaderboard PDF

Congratulations!!!

You are a Recycling Superhero! 🦸🏼♻️🥫💖🥳🏆

You helped recycle a Million Cans in the Million Cans Recycling Contest, you've made a huge impact.

Write your name on this certificate to celebrate your amazing achievement! 🌟♻️

Print your certficate!

Print Coloring Certificate!

🏆 Kentucky Million Cans Recycling Contest Leaderboard

Let’s go, KY recycling superheroes! 💙♻️
24 amazing Kentucky schools are competing in the #MillionCans Recycling Contest — rallying their students, families, and communities to recycle aluminum cans and raise money for their schools.

Schools are grouped by size (Small, Medium, and Large), and 3 winners in each group will earn prizes:
🥇 $500 • 🥈 $400 • 🥉 $300

Schools with the most total aluminum cans per size win!

Every can counts — scroll down to see who’s leading the race! 🥫🦸‍♂️

🍕 75,000 Can Pizza Party Winners! 🥫♻️

When a school hits 75,000 recycled aluminum cans, their recycling superheroes earn a well-deserved pizza party to celebrate their hard work and teamwork — and for rallying their entire school and community to collect cans! 🍕🥫

It’s our way of saying THANK YOU for keeping cans out of the trash and helping protect our planet. Amazing job, superheroes — thanks a MILLION! 💚

Your donations help make it all possible — covering books, pizza parties, ice cream celebrations, and more rewards for our incredible recycling superheroes. ♻️✨

Mt. Washington Elementary

Mt. Washington Elementary’s recycling superheroes teamed up with Tri-Arrows Aluminum and Grade A Auto Recycling to recycle over 88,900 cans so far this year — earning their pizza party and keeping cans out of the trash! Last year, they recycled an incredible 276,745 cans. Amazing work, Kentucky! ♻️🥫 #millioncans

253,400 Cans

Tri County Primary

♻️⭐ Tri County Recycling Superheroes! The amazing students at Tri County Primary in Indiana are crushing it again this year with 151,900 aluminum cans recycled so far! 🥫 Last year’s contest champions are back and coming in strong, working with the great teams at Lewis Salvage Recycling and Ball Corporation. Keep up the incredible work, recycling superheroes! 💪♻️

Mendon Elementary

🐾♻️ The recycling superheroes at Mendon Elementary School in Yough, Pennsylvania have already recycled 90,650 cans this year and earned their pizza party! 🍕🥫 Last year they finished 2nd place nationwide with 284,025 cans and an incredible 5,072 cans per student. They’re working with the awesome team at Mon Valley Recycling. We can’t wait to see how they finish this year! Crush it like a Cougar! 🐾♻️

Flynn Park Elementary

🌟♻️ Flynn Park Lions – Pizza Party Champions! ♻️🌟 Flynn Park Lions in St. Louis have recycled 76,055 cans and earned their pizza party! 🍕🎉 In their 2nd year of the Million Cans Contest, they’re crushing it with Alter Trading and Gallium the Unicorn 🦄💚 Recycling superheroes in action—one can at a time! 🦁♻️

Oriole Beach Elementary

🌊🐢 Oriole Beach Elementary – Recycling Superheroes! 🐢🌊 Oriole Beach Elementary in Gulf Breeze has recycled over 112,700 cans and earned their pizza party! 🍕 Working with EMR Recycling and the Ocean Hour Beach Clean Up Team, these sea turtle superheroes are protecting our oceans—one can at a time! 💚

Prospect Ridge Academy

Prospect Ridge Academy is rocking their first year in the Million Cans Recycling Contest — teaming up with Aluminum Dynamics and Rocky Mountain Recycling as the only school in Colorado! Way to go, Miner Mania — we love seeing those recycling superheroes in action. Keep up the amazing work! ♻️🥫 #miners #minermania #millioncans

84,000 Cans

🏆 Million Cans School Groups – $1,000 Prize each

54 schools across the USA are competing in 4 groups — and one school per group will win! 🏆
Prizes go to the schools with the highest number of aluminum cans recycled per student. Let’s go recycling superheroes! 🦸‍♀️🥫

School Group Leaderboard
$1,000 Winner Per Group
Updated 04/13/2026

Group A

Oriole Beach, FL

Group B

Mendon Elementary, PA

Group C

Fairplain Elementary, WV

Group D

Mt. Washington, KY

School Groups PDF

Pledge - Color - Recycle

Our Recycling Pledge coloring pages help kids learn that aluminum cans and batteries don’t belong in the trash.
Take the pledge and inspire your family, friends, and school! 🥫⚡️

The book that sparked a movement

The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans

Did you know that the USA recycles only 45% of cans, even though they're 100% recyclable? Let's turn that number around by teaching kids how they can make a difference!

Meet Ellie, the unicorn-loving, can-recycling superstar who's on a mission to save the planet. When she discovers that she can get money for recycling cans, she sets her sights on collecting one million of them to buy her very own unicorn. But she can't do it alone, so she enlists the help of her friends and the entire school to join in her crusade. Will they succeed? You'll have to read the book to find out!

Learn More

🇺🇸 14 states across the USA have schools competing in the Million Cans Recycling Contest! 🥫🏆

States with 2 or more schools in the Million Cans Recycling Contest are competing for a $500 State Prize! 🥫🏆

The winner will be the school that recycles the most total aluminum cans by April 30th.

Every can counts — let the recycling showdown begin! ♻️✨

01 School - Alabama

03 Schools - Arizona

01 School - Colorado

04 Schools - Florida

03 Schools - Illinois

04 Schools - Indiana

24 Schools - Kentucky

01 Schools - Louisiana

04 Schools - Mississippi

02 Schools - Missouri

04 Schools - Pennsylvania

02 Schools - Texas

02 Schools - Washington

01 School - West Virginia

Total Schools Competing: 54

We focus on states without a bottle deposit program. Instead, we connect schools with local metal recyclers who provide collection bins and pay schools directly for their aluminum cans. ♻️🥫

This builds strong partnerships between schools and recyclers — and students get to see their cans recycled right before their eyes. Families learn where to recycle metal in their community, helping both the planet and their piggy bank.

Never tossing metal in the trash is one of the easiest ways to help our planet. 🌎✨

List of Schools and Recyclers

Alabama

L.E. Willson Elementary
25,935 Cans

Arizona

Carrillo K-5 Magnet School
52,850 Cans
Rivera Elementary
8,575 Cans
Booth-Fickett Math
5,425 Cans

Colorado

Prospect Ridge Academy
84,000 Cans

Florida

Oriole Beach Elementary
112,700 Cans
Independence Academy
2,275 Cans
Round Lake Charter
Cans TBD
David Lawrence Jr. K-8 Center
Cans TBD

Illinois

Bradley West Elementary
24,570 Cans
Marya Yates Elementary
Jordan Catholic school

Indiana

Tri County Primary
151,900 Cans
Newburgh Elementary
58,800 Cans
Yankeetown Elementary
63,000 Cans
Delphi Community Elementary
23,800 Cans

Louisiana

Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School
46,970 Cans

Mississippi

New Hope Elementary
73,815 Cans
Caledonia Elementary
28,350 Cans
Southaven Elementary
20,685 Cans
West Lowndes Elementary
Cans TBD

Missouri

Flynn Park Elementary
76,055 Cans
Washington West Elementary
41,300 Cans

Pennsylvania

Mendon Elementary
140,315 Cans
Environmental Charter School
51,800 Cans
Weatherly Area Elementary
31,185 Cans
Our Mother of Perpetual Help School
19,705 Cans

Texas

La Vega Elementary
18,550 Cans
Sky Harbour Elementary
6,650 Cans

Washington

Enterprise Elementary
36,855 Cans
Medina Academy
8,365 Cans

West Virginia

Fairplain Elementary
68,810 Cans

View 54 Schools On Map

Kentucky 24 Schools

Adairville School
Alvaton Elementary
Auburn School
Berea Independent Schools
Briarwood Elementary School
Chandler's School
Cumberland Trace Elementary
Greenville Elementary

Jennings Creek Elementary
Jody Richards
Lewisburg Elementary
Lost River Elementary
Mt. Washington
Muhlenberg South Elementary
North Warren Elementary
Olmstead School
Plano Elementary

R.E. Stevenson Elementary
Rich Pond Elementary
Richard B. Cartmell Elementary
Richardsville Elementary
Rockfield Elementary
Warren Elementary
William H. Natcher Elementary

Kentucky schools have been split into three groups — small, medium, and large. 🏫

Each group is competing for $500 for 1st place, $400 for 2nd, and $300 for 3rd. 🥇🥈🥉

Let’s go, Kentucky recycling superheroes! ♻️🥫✨

We 💖 Our Readers & Recycling Superheroes! ♻️🦸🏼‍♀️🦸🏼‍♂️

The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans is sparking real behavior change — inspiring students across the USA to spot cans, recycle more, and become true recycling superheroes! 🦸‍♀️🥫♻️💚