🏆 2 Million Cans Recycling Contest 🏆
Celebrating the power of kids, cans, and community!

Can Manufacturers Institute & Recycling is Like Magic teamed up to create something incredible! From October 2024 to April 2025, 18 schools across the USA joined forces with local scrapyards in a nationwide race to recycle millions of aluminum cans—and YOU made it happen again, recycling over 1 million cans two years in a row! 🎉

🏆 The 2 Million Cans Recycling Contest – Official Results! ♻️

1st Place!

Fairplain Elementary

2nd Place

Mendon Elementary School

3rd Place

Lewisburg Elementary School

States

Schools

Books Distributed

Cans Recycled

January Update

March Update

Can totals

1,666,210

Total Cans Recycled!

🥫 2 Million Cans Recycling Contest Leaderboard 🥫

Ranking by most cans per student. Let’s hear it for these recycling rockstars! 🌟

🏅 Rank	🏫 School	📍 State	👧 Students	🥫 Cans/Student	♻️ Total Cans
1	Fairplain Elementary	WV	19	8,186	155,540
2	Mendon Elementary School	PA	56	5,072	284,025
3	Lewisburg Elementary School	KY	46	2,827	130,025
4	Mt. Washington	KY	106	2,611	276,745
5	Yankeetown Elementary School	IN	52	2,566	133,455
6	Flynn Park Elementary	MO	46	1,917	88,200
7	Our Mother of Perpetual Help School	PA	26	1,640	42,630
8	Southaven Elementary	MS	131	964	126,280
9	L.E. Willson Elementary	AL	78	963	75,075
10	Environmental Charter School	PA	105	834	87,535
11	Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School	LA	99	758	75,005
12	Sherwood Forest Elementary STEAM School	WA	72	605	43,540
13	Rich Pond Elementary School	KY	150	564	84,665
14	La Vega Elementary School	TX	174	188	32,655
15	Marya Yates Elementary School	IL	46	161	7,385
16	Big Country Elementary	TX	145	80	11,585
17	David Lawrence Jr. K-8 Center	FL	161	52	8,400
18	Bradley West Elementary	IL	127	27	3,465
🏁 Total			1,685		1,666,210

Learn how rewarding recycling can be!

♻️ 🥳 🏆 Awards:

1st Place $3,000

Prize

2nd Place $2,000

Prize

3rd Place $1,000

Prize

75,000 Cans Pizza Party

For 2nd or 3rd grade

150,000 Cans $500 Bonus

Per School

** Schools keep 100% of the money earned from the cans they recycle! We use 35 cans for one pound

** Rankings are determined by the total number of cans recycled, divided by the number of students who received free copies of The Girl Who Recycled 1 Million Cans at each school.

Program Guide

Learn More

Recycling Pledge

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Press Release

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Can drop locations

View Map

2 Million Cans Recycling Contest Winners! 🥳

1st Place!

Fairplain Elementary

2nd Place

Mendon Elementary School

3rd Place

Lewisburg Elementary School

75,000 Cans Pizza Party Winners! 🍕🥳

284,025 Cans

56 Students

276,745 Cans

106 students

133,455 Cans

52 Students Indiana

130,025 Cans

46 Students

155,540 Cans

19 Students

126,280 Cans

131 Students

88,200 Cans

46 Students

Missouri

87,535 Cans

105 Students

84,665 Cans

150 Students

75,075 Cans

78 Students

Alabama

75,005 Cans

99 Students

150,000 Cans $500 Bonus Winners! ♻️💰🥳

276,745 Cans

106 students

284,025 Cans

56 Students

155,540 Cans

19 Students

School Leaderboard:

Ranks are based on cans per student! in 2nd or 3rd grade!

1st

8,186 Cans per student

19 Students West Virginia

2nd

5,072 Cans per student

56 Students Pennsylvania

3rd

2,827 Cans per student

46 Students Kentucky

4th

2,611 Cans per student

106 Students Kentucky

5th

2,566 Cans per student

52 Students Indiana

1,917 Cans per student

46 Students Missouri

88,200 Cans

1,640 Cans per student

26 Students Pennsylvania

964 Cans per student

131 Students Mississippi

963 Cans per student

78 Students Alabama

75,075 Cans

834 Cans per student

105 Students Pennsylvania

758 Cans per student

99 Students Louisiana

605 Cans per student

72 Students Washington

564 Cans per student

150 Students Kentucky

188 Cans per student

174 Students Texas

161 Cans per student

46 Students Illinois

80 Cans per student

145 Students Texas

52 Cans per student

161 Students Florida

27 Cans per student

127 Students llinois

Total weight

UBC Recycled Beverage Cans (Aluminum)

Ranks are based on cans per student!

Aamazing Can Manufacturers Institute Sponsors!

Ardagh Metal Packaging

Schools: Marya Yates & Southaven Elementary

Learn More

Canpack

School: Our Mother of Perpetual Help School

Learn More

Constellium

Schools: L.E. Willson Elementary & Fairplain Elementary

Learn More

Crown Cork & Seal

Schools: Bradley West & Rich Pond

Learn More

Envases

Schools: La Vega & Big Country Elementary

Learn More

Kaiser Aluminum

Schools: Yankeetown Elementary School

Learn More

Logan Aluminum

School: Lewisburg Elementary School

Learn More

Novelis

School: Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School

Learn More

PPG

School: Environmental Charter School

Learn More

Sherwin-Williams

School: Mendon Elementary School

Learn More

Tri-Arrows Aluminum

School: Mt. Washington

Learn More

Meet the C♻️♻️L Scrapyards!

Alter Trading

School: Flynn Park Elementary

Learn More

Big Daddy Scrap

Schools: Bradley West & Marya Yates

Learn More

CMC Recycle

School: Big Country Elementary

Learn More

Cumberland Scrap

School: Lewisburg Elementary

Learn More

Grade A Auto and Recycling

School: Mt. Washington

Learn More

Iskiwitz Metal

School: Southaven Elementary

Learn More

Louisiana Scrap Metal

School: Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School

Learn More

M. Lipsitz and Co.

School: La Vega Elementary

Learn More

Mon Valley Recycling

Schools: Environmental Charter & Mendon

Learn More

Radius Recycling

School: Sherwood Forest Elementary STEAM School

Learn More

RJ Recycling

School: Fairplain Elementary

Learn More

SA Recycling

Schools: L.E. Willson, David Lawrence, Yankeetown & Rich Pond

Learn More

Sahd Metal

School: Our Mother of Perpetual Help School

Learn More

CMI

Can Manufacturers Institue

Learn More

Where to drop cans

#2millioncans

View Map

Our amazing recyclers have made the news!
📰🍿♻️🥳

Fairplain Elementary, West Virginia

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!

Order a copy

How many cans will you recycle?

Take the can recycling pledge

Students across the USA are solving the recycling crisis by taking the can recycling pledge. They vow to never throw a can in the trash for the rest of their lives. Join us today in making a difference!

Print copies

Congratulations

You are a Recycling Rockstar!

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 certificate!

Check out photos of our amazing recycling superheros on our Facebook page.

#2MILLIONCANS

Which state will recycle the most? The USA recycles only 45% of cans—we CAN do better!

Learn More

Million Cans Recycling Contest Reviews!

Yankeetown Elementary

Taunya Kirsch
4th grade teacher & Environmental Club sponsor at Yankeetown Elementary.

Million Cans Recycling Contest Review

Our school has really enjoyed participating in The Million Cans Recycling Contest. It was great having our students & community all bring in cans to recycle instead of throwing them in the trash can. Hopefully those will have a lasting impact & everyone remembers how easy & valuable it is to recycle. “

La Vega Elementary

Laura Klander
Assistant Principal La Vega Elementary

Million Cans Recycling Contest Review

On behalf of La Vega Elementary, I want to express how truly grateful we are that Jessica, at Recycling is like Magic! (Scrap University Kids) in Bellevue, Washington, found and selected our school to represent all of Texas! We have had the best time working together on this amazing project all year. Yes, it is sticky, stinky, messy, and cumbersome, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Our school district united, we met new friends in the business community, and we hope to continue with our pledge to "never throw away another can again."

Jessica, you have had a tremendous impact in your first year. I cannot wait to read your next books, follow, and support you."