National Recycling Competition Kicks Off

<BODY readability="10"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-60293" height="358" src="/iStock000010842412Small-1.jpg" title="iStock_000010842412Small-1" width="600"> Stock Photo</P><P>The first-ever nationwide recycling competition for elementary, middle school and high school students launches this month. Keep America Beautiful’s <a class="extlink" href="http://recycle-bowl.org/">Recycle-Bowl</A> competition starts Oct. 17, but schools can start registering <a class="extlink" href="https://connect.re-trac.com/register/RecycleBowl">now</A>.</P><P>The idea is simple. Register as a school or a classroom, recycle as much as you can for a month and then report your results to KAB.</P><P>There are more details, like if you want to compete in the Competition or Open Division, or if you want to be on the Flexible Game Plan instead, but KAB does a good job of explaining it all <a class="extlink" href="http://recycle-bowl.org/overview/">here</A>.</P><P>State Champions receive $1,000 based on the most recycled material per person, per school. The top performer among the State Champions will receive an additional $2,500.</P><P>“Recycle-Bowl is about much more than simply winning a prize,” said Matt McKenna, president and chief executive officer of Keep America Beautiful, in a press release. “Through this fun competition, we’re providing students, teachers and administrators across the country with an opportunity to learn more about the economic and environmental benefits of recycling, and inspire their families to take similar actions both at home and in their communities.”</P><P>KAB also provides schools with educational recycling activities online and through a registration toolkit, which should make kick starting the competition that much easier. Let the games begin!</P><P><STRONG>

National Recycling Competition Kicks Off

Stock Photo The first-ever nationwide recycling competition for elementary, middle school and high school students launches this month. Ke...

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Aluminum Can Recycling Rate Highest in a Decade

<BODY readability="10"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-60586" height="350" src="/Aluminum-Pepsi-Can.jpg" title="Aluminum Pepsi Can" width="615"> Photo: Amanda Wills, Earth911</P><P>If you’re one of the many Americans who tossed your beverage cans into the recycling bin last year, give yourself a pat on the back. You helped save millions of barrels of oil.</P><P>The U.S. recycling rate for aluminum beverage cans has reached its highest level in more than a decade, with 58.1 percent of all cans recycled in 2010, according to the <a class="extlink" href="http://www.aluminum.org/">Aluminum Association</A>, <a class="extlink" href="http://www.cancentral.com/index.cfm">Can Manufacturers Institute</A> and <a class="extlink" href="http://www.isri.org/iMIS15_prod/ISRI/default.aspx">Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries</A>.</P><P>Americans recycled nearly 56 billion aluminum cans last year. And since it takes 95 percent less energy to produce a can from recycled materials, the increase in recycling meant huge oil savings.</P><P>The amount of energy saved from aluminum can recycling in 2010 is equal to the energy equivalent of 17 million barrels of crude oil or nearly two days of all U.S. oil imports.</P><P>High recycling rates amounted to 4.6 million metric tons of aluminum scrap processed in the states last year, which was used to create new cans in America and 50 other countries, said Robin Wiener, president of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries.</P><P>Unlike many recyclables – such as plastic bottles and cardboard boxes, which are rarely reused to create the same product – aluminum can be repeatedly recycled back into new cans.</P><P>Easy recyclability gives aluminum cans the highest recycling rate and greatest recycled content (a whopping 68 percent) of any beverage container.</P><P><a href="http://earth911.com/recycling/metal/aluminum-can/facts-about-aluminum-recycling/">READ: Facts About Aluminum Recycling</A></P><P>“There’s a huge difference between what’s recyclable and what’s actually recycled,” said Robert Budway, president of the Can Manufacturers Institute. “Not only are cans infinitely recyclable back into new cans, they actually are being recycled at a rate nearly twice that of every other beverage package.”</P><P>So, the next time you take a sweet sip of your favorite canned beverage, don’t forget the chasing arrows. You may help America make recycling history again next year.</P><img alt="Mary Mazzoni" class="photo" height="80" src="/mmazzonithumbnail.jpg" width="80"> <P>Mary lives and works in Philadelphia, Penn.</P><P><a href="about:earth911.com/news/author/mmazzoni/">More articles by Mary</A></P><BR class=clear>

Aluminum Can Recycling Rate Highest in a Decade

Photo: Amanda Wills, Earth911 If you’re one of the many Americans who tossed your beverage cans into the recycling bin last year, give you...

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