Find a Coordinator
First someone needs to get the ball rolling or, in this case, get the can kicking! Ideally, the program coordinator should be a permanent employee of the school district, such as an administrator or teacher who can see the recycling program through long-term. (For example, science teachers may be interested in leading the charge because many incorporate environmental and recycling issues into their classroom instruction plans.) Parents also make great coordinators, as a recycling program can be extremely beneficial to booster clubs and parent-teacher organizations. 

Build a Recycling Team
The next step is recruiting team members. Your school’s “green team” should take responsibility to organize the program and then ensure it continues to run smoothly. Instrumental to your team is custodial staff because they will have valuable insights on the gathering and hauling of the aluminum cans. It’s also important for the school principal to be involved because he or she is a natural leader with valued opinions. Other team members should represent all facets of your school – staff, teachers, students, parents and community members.

Count on Success
So your team is ready to start a recycling program for your school. The size of your school and the student and faculty consumption of canned drinks will help you decide how many recycling bins you will need and how often the cans must be hauled to a local recycling center. To find a local recycling center, please visit www.earth911.com.
Increase your success by opening the aluminum can recycling program to the public. A recycling bin on school grounds is a convenient drop-off location for community residents and also gives them an opportunity to support students. For example, you may want to hold community “can drives,” picking a certain date each month when community residents are encouraged to drop off their aluminum cans at your school.

Put Cans in the Right Place
Once you estimate the amount of cans to be recycled, consider where the recycling bins will be placed. Make the bins accessible by placing them near vending machines and in the cafeteria and lounges. Other considerations include placing bins near sinks to encourage emptying the cans, and providing bins with can crushers to save space. However, schools in states with deposit laws do not want the cans crushed before recycling them.  

As a school with an aluminum can recycling program, you may be able to receive discounted rates from recycling bin vendors. If you’re creating your own bins, be sure to clearly mark them “Aluminum Only!”   

Decide on a central location where all the recycling bins can be emptied and stored until being taken to a recycling center. The storage location can be inside or outside, as long as the cans stay clean and dry. Or, if easier for your school, you may want to take the cans directly from the recycling bins to the recycling center.   

Contact your local aluminum recycler to see if they might be willing to provide you with a collection trailer(s) and/or containers. Some companies will provide them at no cost when you sell cans to them.

Cashing In
Several methods can be used to transport cans to a local recycling center/scrap dealer. Enlist the help of parents or other involved organization members to drop off the aluminum cans.  Or speak with the school’s custodial staff about transferring the cans using school-owned transportation. Another option is to coordinate pickup through the recycling center or the school’s waste hauler, although these services may require a fee or a minimum amount of cans. To find a recycling center near you, visit www.earth911.com. Also, be sure to maintain a regular schedule to keep your recycling program running smoothly.

Involve Everyone
Students learn by example, so it is vital that school staff members support the recycling efforts. Make sure all staff members are aware of the program and promote good behavior, such as emptying their cans before placing them in the recycling bins. Encourage the staff to talk about the recycling program. The principal may remind students to recycle during morning announcements. Teachers can integrate recycling into their lesson plans and librarians can feature books about recycling in the school library displays. Make sure to check out the Can Manufacturers Institutes website, www.cancentral.com, to find educational curriculum for grades 4 – 9.

And remember to purchase and serve soft drinks in aluminum cans at school events. PTA meetings, sporting events and other social gatherings are the perfect opportunity to get more people to participate in your recycling drive…and to collect more aluminum!

Keep Up the Enthusiasm
Perhaps the most important part of the recycling program is getting students excited. A recycling kick-off event such as an assembly or outdoor picnic and game day is an opportunity to let students know about the program. A kick-off event can include recycling-related speakers, videos and games as recycling educational tools.

Competitions and rewards help keep students motivated throughout the school year. Here are some ideas for keeping the momentum rolling:

Classes can have contests to see who can collect the most cans, with chances to win prizes like pizza parties or a trophy that is traded back and forth between competing classrooms.

Start a recycling art contest where students design posters, and exhibits and winning entries go on display for the entire school.

Launch your contests and events to coincide with America Recycles Day in November or Earth Day in April, making them more exciting and meaningful for students.

Also, once you get your recycling program in place, make sure to check out The Recycle Challenge, www.therecyclechallenge.com. The Recycle Challenge, a joint program between the Aluminum Can Council (ACC) and Anheuser-Busch, provides drop-off containers at schools and churches for the collection of aluminum beverage cans. Local schools earn money for what is collected and communities learn about recycling and the environment.