Aluminum Dynamics works to teach younger generations about recycling
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Aluminum Dynamics is working with the community to give back to local schools and teach children about recycling.
In partnership with Million Cans, students with the Lowndes County School District will be competing to recycle the most cans.
The goal is to get the whole community involved and give back through the Million Can Recycling Challenge.
Now in its 3rd year, the non-profit, Recycling Society, has held this competition with an important goal in mind: to educate younger generations.
Dan Cosio with Aluminum Dynamics said the founder of the non-profit has a passion for recycling, because many cans don’t make it back into the supply chain.
“In the United States, the recycling rates for aluminum cans are only 43% so that means 57 out of the 100 cans go into a landfill,” Cosio said. “If it goes into a landfill, it’s not going to get re-melted and reused and made into a new can. So we really need to do a better job of educating people. There is definitely some infrastructure that is going to have to improve to get the recycling rates up. But that’s not really what we’re focusing on. We’re really focusing on the education side. If there is more recycled material available to us, that also helps us use more recycled material when we’re making a product, which is going to be lower energy costs. So, we try to give different facts to the students, and one of the things that we say is that if you recycle 1 can, the amount of energy that you save by recycling that one can could run a television for 3 hours. So, that’s pretty powerful stuff that probably a lot of people don’t realize. So, that’s really the motivation that we have, is we need to get the recycling rates up in this country, and in Mississippi, the rate is only 12%.”
Cosio said recycling isn’t always easy in parts of Mississippi, and the competition allows for more education, interest, and recognition of recycling across the state.
This competition allows for the schools involved to make some money as well because those used cans have value.
“If they get recycled, recycling companies will pay to get those cans back,” Cosio said. “Usually, just to give a rule of thumb, 35 cans weigh 1 pound, and the schools can make potentially 50 cents per pound for all the cans they get back. So it’s going to add up to be a couple of thousand dollars, most likely.”
44 schools nationwide will be taking part in this challenge. To keep students motivated, once the first goal is met, the 3rd graders will win an ice cream party and a book on recycling, The Girl Who Recycled a Million Cans by Jessica Alexander.
Lowndes County Superintendent Dr. Sam Allison said the district is excited, and the schools are ready.
“One, you can teach your kids to be responsible, but also teach them how something right here in the area can benefit from us teaching recycling and gathering cans,” Allison said. “So, I think all of our elementary schools are on board, they have their bins in place, and they are excited to not only recycle but to compete against each other and compete against other people in the state and across the country. I think the knowledge that our kids will gain about recycling, about the aluminum industry, will just help them moving forward.”
The Million Can Recycling Challenge runs until the end of April.
Cosio said Aluminum Dynamics will be collecting cans at its security stations for businesses wanting to be involved.
An Aluminum Dynamics Spokesperson said Mudd Dobbers in Columbus will be supporting the project by placing a container out front to collect cans. If more local businesses would like to get involved, you can contact Crystal Powell at 662-251-6893 or email crystal.powell@aluminumdynamics.com.
