2025-2026 Final Can Count

The Million Cans Recycling Contest

♻️ 56 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! 🦸‍♀️🥳

States

Schools

Books Distributed

Total Cans Recycled

Total cans recycled since November 2023

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 Poster

🥫♻️ USA National Winners — Top 3 Schools ♻️🏆

Winners are determined by the total number of aluminum cans recycled divided by the number of books sent to the selected grade level, giving each school a final “cans per student” score. 🥫📚♻️

1st Place Fairplain Elementary, WV

$3,000

2nd Place Mendon Elementary, PA

$2,000

3rd Place Tri County Primary, IN

$1,000

🏆♻️ 150,000+ Cans $500 Bonus Winners:

Mt. Washington, KY
288,400 Cans

Tri County Primary, IN
235,200 Cans

Prospect Ridge, CO
189,175 Cans

Mendon Elementary, PA
184,275 Cans

Fairplain Elementary, WV
160,790 Cans

🏆 Final 2025-2026 Leaderboard 🏆
October 1, 2025 - April 30, 2026

National rankings are based on Cans Per Student, not total cans collected, so small schools can compete with larger schools.

Cans Per Student is calculated by dividing the total number of cans recycled by the number of books donated to each school.

**Updated: May 14, 2026

35 cans = 1 pound

Leaderboard PDF

🥫🏆 Schools in 14 states competed in
the Million Cans Recycling Contest! ♻️

2025- 2026 State by State can totals :

01 School - Alabama - 43,400 Cans

03 Schools - Arizona - 72,100 Cans

01 School - Colorado - 189,175 Cans

04 Schools - Florida - 173,775 Cans

03 Schools - Illinois - 107,450 Cans

04 Schools - Indiana - 488,005 Cans

24 Schools - Kentucky - 851,515 Cans

01 Schools - Louisiana - 54,215 Cans

02 Schools - Missouri - 183,330 Cans

04 Schools - Mississippi - 222,950 Cans

04 Schools - Pennsylvania - 317,135 Cans

02 Schools - Texas - 32,900 Cans

02 Schools - Washington - 95,410 Cans

01 School - West Virginia - 160,790 Cans

56 Schools - 2,993,270 Total Cans

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

56 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.

$1,000 Group A

Washington West, MO

$1,000 Group B

Mendon Elementary, PA

$1,000 Group C

Fairplain Elementary, WV

$1,000 Group D

Mt. Washington, KY

School Groups PDF

♻️ MVR: Most Valuable Recycler Award 🏆

Not every award is about collecting the most cans, sometimes, it's about being the most creative, enthusiastic, and inspiring recyclers in the game!

The MVR (Most Valuable Recycler) award is a special $1,000 prize given to one lucky school that goes above and beyond in promoting recycling and community engagement.

$1,000 Prize

Medina Academy, Redmond, WA

Learn More

🍕 75,000 Cans Pizza Party Winners! 🥫♻️

When a school hits 75,000 recycled aluminum cans, their recycling superheroes in the grade the school selects will 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!

Mt. Washington Elementary, KY

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

288,400 Cans

Tri County Primary, IN

♻️⭐ 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! 💪♻️

Prospect Ridge Academy, CO

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

189,175 Cans

Mendon Elementary, PA

🐾♻️ 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! 🐾♻️

Fairplain Elementary, WV

At Fairplain Elementary School, 20 student “Recycling Superheroes” inspired their community to recycle 160,790 cans, earning a pizza party for their amazing teamwork and environmental impact.

Oriole Beach Elementary, FL

🌊🐢 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! 💚

Newburgh Elementary, IN

In their first year of the Million Cans Recycling Contest, 115 superheroes rallied their school and community to recycle an incredible 116,200 cans! 🍕👏 Amazing teamwork, Newburgh — enjoy your well-earned pizza party, and great job making a big impact! 💙

Flynn Park Elementary, IN

🌟♻️ 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! 🦁♻️

Bradley West Elementary, IL

With 140 students leading the way and support from Big Daddy Scrap, the school rallied the community to recycle an amazing 97,055 cans! 🍕👏 Great job earning your pizza party — what an awesome first-year impact! 💙

Washington West Elementary, MO

In their very first year in the Million Cans Recycling Contest, 57 students rallied their community to recycle an amazing 82,390 cans and earned their pizza party! 🍕 Great job, Blue Jays — we are so proud of your recycling teamwork and community spirit! 💙

Yankeetown Elementary School, IN

In their 3rd year in the Million Cans Recycling Contest, the 48 amazing 3rd graders recycled 75,005 cans and earned their pizza party! 🍕 We are so proud of these students and their community for making a big difference one can at a time. 💙 Let's go Indiana!

Thank you to our donors!

Your donations help make it all possible covering books, pizza parties, ice cream celebrations, and more rewards for our incredible recycling superheroes. Thanks a MILLION! 💚

3,065,195 Total Cans

🏆 State Winners! 🏆

In States with 2 or More Schools, the Top School with the most total cans Wins $500 ♻️💰🥳

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. 🌎✨

Alabama

L.E. Willson Elementary
43,400 Cans

Arizona

Carrillo K-5 Magnet School
60,200 Cans ($500)
Rivera Elementary
8,575 Cans
Booth-Fickett Math
3,325 Cans

Colorado

Prospect Ridge Academy
189,175 Cans

Florida

Oriole Beach Elementary
144,900 Cans ($500)
Round Lake Charter
18,200 Cans
David Lawrence Jr. K-8
8,400 Cans
Independence Academy
2,275 Cans

Illinois

Bradley West Elementary
97,055 Cans ($500)
Marya Yates Elementary
7,805 Cans
Jordan Catholic school
2,590 Cans

Indiana

Tri County Primary
235,200 Cans ($500)
Newburgh Elementary
116,200 Cans
Yankeetown Elementary
75,005 Cans
Delphi Community
61,600 Cans

Louisiana

Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School
54,215 Cans

Mississippi

New Hope Elementary
93,170 Cans ($500)
Southaven Elementary
61,320 Cans
Caledonia Elementary
43,505 Cans
West Lowndes Elementary
24,955 Cans

Missouri

Flynn Park Elementary
100,940 Cans ($500)
Washington West Elementary
82,390 Cans

Pennsylvania

Mendon Elementary
184,275 Cans ($500)
Environmental Charter School
69,825 Cans
Weatherly Area Elementary
43,330 Cans
Our Mother of Perpetual Help School
19,705 Cans

Texas

La Vega Elementary
26,250 Cans ($500)
Sky Harbour Elementary
6,650 Cans

Washington

Enterprise Elementary
48,055 Cans ($500)
Medina Academy
47,355 Cans

West Virginia

Fairplain Elementary
160,790 Cans

List of Schools and Recyclers

View 56 Schools On Map

🏆 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 the winners! 🥫🦸‍♂️

24 Schools in Kentucky

Recycled 851,515 Total Cans

Adairville School
44,135 Cans ($300)
Alvaton Elementary
21,945 Cans
Auburn School
26,530 Cans ($300)
Berea Independent Schools
45,500 Cans ($400)
Briarwood Elementary
20,930 Cans
Chandler's School
56,560 Cans ($400)
Cumberland Trace
23,275 Cans ($300)
Greenville Elementary
36,715 Cans ($400)

Jennings Creek Elementary
1,260 Cans
Jody Richards
4,620 Cans
Lewisburg Elementary
143,990 ($500)
Lost River Elementary
7,560 Cans
Mt. Washington
288,400 Cans ($500)
Muhlenberg South
23,975 Cans
North Warren Elementary
6,895 Cans
Olmstead School
21,420 Cans

Plano Elementary
9,205 Cans
R.E. Stevenson Elementary
40,320 Cans
Rich Pond Elementary
13,755 Cans
Richard B. Cartmell
38,500 Cans ($500)
Richardsville Elementary
9,310 Cans
Rockfield Elementary
26,320 Cans
Warren Elementary
3,570 Cans
William H. Natcher
8,925 Cans

♻️✍️🎨 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

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! Donate today to help us grow. 🦸‍♀️🥫♻️💚