Elementary school students across 14 states recycled more than 3 million aluminum beverage cans during the 2025-2026 Million Cans Recycling Contest, collectively diverting enough aluminum from landfills to build the airframe of a Boeing 737. Cumulatively across three contest years, students have now recycled more than 6.5 million cans, turning what began as a grassroots classroom challenge into one of the country’s most measurable, youth-led recycling programs in the United States.
The contest is led by聽The Recycling Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, in partnership with the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and other beverage can industry partners, driving sustainable aluminum packaging. The 2025鈥�26 cycle is the program’s first year operating under nonprofit governance, a structural step taken to scale corporate partnerships, expand school participation, and open tax-deductible giving for donors.
The Million Cans Recycling Contest was founded by Jessica Alexanderson and has grown from eight schools in seven states in its inaugural year (2023-24) to 56 schools across 14 states this year. With the program now fully under The Recycling Society’s leadership, 2026鈥�27 marks the start of a national expansion, purpose-built to onboard new corporate sponsors, deepen CMI member engagement, and bring measurable, classroom-led recycling education to underserved school districts across the country.
“What I especially love is teaching kids that recycling is a tangible action that can work to protect and strengthen our communities and the environment around us, including wildlife and sea creatures. These elementary students in 14 states recycled more than 3 million cans this year and raised approximately $56,000 for their schools. They aren’t just collecting cans, they’re changing behaviors in their communities and becoming real-life recycling superheroes. We couldn’t be more proud,鈥� said Jessica “Scuba Jess” Alexanderson, Executive Director, The Recycling Society and co-author of The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans.
The 2025鈥�26 contest results drove measurable results for schools, local communities, and the environment:
- More than 6 million aluminum cans collected since the contest first started, weighing approximately 188,000 pounds, equivalent to the airframe weight of a commercial Boeing 737 aircraft.
- Energy savings equivalent to charging an estimated 36 million smartphones. Aluminum recycling is 95% less carbon-intensive than primary production.鹿
- Approximately $56,000 in direct funding raised by and donated back to participating schools at market scrap rates, channeled directly to classroom resources and school programs.
- 4,979 books were donated and over 21,734 elementary students engaged across 14 states in hands-on recycling, so they can learn about the circular economy in action.
- From bin to can in 60 days or less 鈥� that鈥檚 the time it takes for a recycled can to become a new can. Recycling is fast and efficient for used aluminum beverage cans.虏
This year鈥檚 Can Champions included: Aluminum Dynamics, Ardagh Metal Packaging, Ball Corporation, CANPACK, Constellium, Crown Holdings, Envases, Kaiser Aluminum, Logan Aluminum, M2 Innovation, Metals Agency, Novelis, PPG Industries, Sennebogen, Sherwin-Williams, and Tri-Arrows Aluminum Inc.
鈥淐an Manufacturers Institute (CMI) members teamed up with schools across the country for a third consecutive year to demonstrate the value of recycling used aluminum beverage cans,鈥� said Roxanne Sharif, Director of Sustainability at CMI. 鈥淭his recycling program is proof that there are meaningful and effective ways to engage young learners in hands-on recycling practices while delivering valuable funding to support their schools. Since 97% of recycled cans become new cans, we鈥檙e excited to take the aluminum these recycling superheroes kept in the recycling system and make it part of new cans.鈥�
🥇 1st Place 鈥� Fairplain Elementary (WV) recycled 160,790 cans, averaging an incredible 8,040 cans per student.
🥈 2nd Place 鈥� Mendon Elementary (PA) recycled 184,275 cans, with an impressive 6,143 cans per student.
🥉 3rd Place 鈥� Tri County Primary (IN) recycled 235,200 cans, averaging 3,856 cans per student.
&#虫1蹿3肠6;听Honorable Mention 鈥� Mt. Washington Elementary (KY) recycled an amazing 288,400 cans, the highest overall can total in the entire contest, averaging 3,204 cans per student.
Congratulations to all the schools for their incredible teamwork and community support!