What We Do | Mission, Programs & Impact

Recycling is confusing and accurate information is difficult to find. This leads to recyclable materials being disposed of in the garbage. Due to this problem, our landfills continue to grow out of control with items that should have been recycled. The Recycling Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization devoted to solving this problem with our proven formula:

Education

Capturing the imagination of children through engaging stories involving unicorns will lead them to believe that recycling is like magic! This is the spark that moves them into action much like the characters in the award winning book, The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans. The story explains that a problem exists that they can help solve. Aluminum cans (used beverage containers) are not being recycled and are often found in parks, schools, and in the trash. The book explains how recycling works and that simply picking up discarded cans helps the planet.

Convenience

Schools participating in the Millions Cans Recycling Contest receive a roll-off bin from a local recycling center (scrapyard) which is typically positioned in the school parking lot for ease of access to students, teachers, and parents. One of the main deterrents to recycling is a lack of convenient drop-off locations. Most recycling centers are located on the outskirts of town making it challenging for on the go families to recycle their beverage containers.

Competition

School spirit can be displayed in a variety of ways. One of the most common methods is by competing in sports with other schools. Winning is a good feeling and often brings out the best in each participant. Friendly competition with other schools in various States motivates students to collect as many cans as possible. While collecting the most cans is certainly a motivation, we have added cash prizes for schools that recycle the most cans. The entire school and community come together to become the can champion.

Incentive

Even though prizes are only awarded to winning schools, aluminum cans are a valuable commodity. Schools in deposit states redeem their cans for the posted value in their State while schools in non-deposit States are paid by the pound for their cans. 35 cans equal 1 pound. At the end of the competition, the recycler connected with each school sends a check for the total amount of cans collected. In some cases, this equates to thousands of dollars which is a significant amount of unexpected funding. Some schools have used these funds to improve playgrounds, purchase gym equipment, and even buy new bleachers.

Help Power This Program

State-by-State Impact

We start with the states that have the lowest recycling rates—because that’s where we can make the biggest difference. Every can counts, and by focusing our efforts where the need is greatest, we’re helping build momentum for a cleaner, greener future.

🏅 Rank	🗺️ State	♻️ Cans Recycled
🥇 1	Kentucky	1,169,805
🥈 2	Indiana	513,870
🥉 3	Texas	473,620
4	Pennsylvania	453,810
5	Mississippi	331,030
6	West Virginia	155,540
7	Alabama	146,825
8	Missouri	88,200
9	Louisiana	75,005
10	South Carolina	46,200
11	Washington	43,540
12	Illinois	10,850
13	Florida	8,400
🎉 Grand Total		3,516,695