Feb 12 2009
The U.S. Conference of Mayors, Novelis Inc. and Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB) announced the winners in the fifth annual Cans for Cash: City Recycling Challenge at the U.S. Conference of Mayors 77th Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. To encourage recycling, the program challenges like-sized cities to compete against each other in aluminum can collection for monetary awards. During October 2008, more than 40 cities collected over 115 million used beverage cans.
"We are proud that our Cans for Cash Program helped jump-start existing programs and redirected many communities to focus on a common goal," said Conference President Miami Mayor Manny Diaz. "The City Recycling Challenge is an excellent example of the type of sustainable initiatives we are encouraging through the U.S. Conference of Mayors' 10-Point Plan.
"Recycling plays a critical role in maintaining the aluminum can as an environmentally sustainable package," said Jean-Marc Germain, President, Novelis North America. "Every can that is recovered is turned back into a new beverage can, saving energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and decreasing the use of natural resources. Plus, the aluminum beverage can is the only packaging material that more than covers the cost of collection and re-processing for itself and subsidizes other containers."
The winners of the $5,000 awards for the most aluminum cans recycled are:
Division One (population 250,000+) Milwaukee, WI* - 1,750,595 pounds, Mayor Tom Barrett
Division Two (population 100,000-249,999) Fontana, CA* - 266,271 pounds, Mayor Mark Nuami
Division Three (population 50,000-99,999) Hesperia, CA - 1,120,660 pounds, Mayor Mike Leonard
Division Four (population below 50,000) - University City, MO 56,211 pounds, Mayor Joseph L. Adams
* Note: 2007 Winners in Division Category
To help mayors engage their communities in recycling and raise awareness about its importance over the long term, cities submitted innovative education and marketing ideas for an additional $5,000 award. The cities being recognized for the most innovative campaigns are as follows:
Division One: Lexington, KY, Mayor Jim Newberry
Division Two: Irvine, CA, Mayor Sukhee Kong
Division Three: North Miami, FL, Mayor Kevin Burns
Division Four: Troy, OH, Mayor Mike Beamish
The following winning cities will be awarded $5,000 and their local Keep America Beautiful, Inc. affiliate will be awarded $2,500:
Division One: Louisville, KY*, Mayor Jerry E. Abramson
Division Two: Newport News, VA, Mayor Joseph Frank
Division Three: Gastonia, NC, Mayor Jennie Stultz
Division Four: LaGrange, GA*, Mayor Jeff Lukken
* Note: 2007 Winners in Division Category
"Keep America Beautiful encourages individuals and communities to increase their recycling rates, thus saving energy and reducing carbon emissions," said Keep America Beautiful President & CEO Matthew McKenna. "With partners Novelis and the U.S. Conference of Mayors - as well as Keep America Beautiful affiliate winners in Louisville, Ky., Newport News Va., Gastonia, N.C. and LaGrange, Ga. - we believe Cans for Cash is helping to heighten awareness of aluminum can recycling, and helping recycling to flourish in cities across the nation."
For a complete list of cities that participated in the 2008 Cans for Cash program, please visit: www.cans4cash.com.