Aluminum Can Recycling Campaign Begins in Warren County and Bowling Green Elementary Schools

A city and county wide aluminum can recycling campaign titled “Drive to a Million” is set to begin with a kickoff ceremony at Briarwood Elementary School on Tuesday November 15th at 1:30 p.m. The goal of the program is to increase the recycling efforts of Bowling Green/Warren County by channeling the campaign through the city and county elementary schools.

Recycling bins will be placed at each of the Bowling Green and Warren County elementary schools and the students, parents, and general public are encouraged to bring their empty beverage cans to the school of their choice to be recycled.

The purpose of the campaign is to:

•	To teach students the importance of being good stewards of the environment by recycling
•	To reward students, classes, and schools who help in this effort
•	To help recapture needed aluminum to save energy

The goal of the campaign is to raise one million dollars for the recycled aluminum over a five year period that will be given directly to the schools for equipment and supplies. Each school will be compensated for the aluminum they collect at their location.

The program is slated to begin in the elementary schools and expand to the middle and high schools of Bowling Green and Warren County. The campaign will then expand to the ten county region and eventually go state wide.

The sponsors of the program are: The Bowling Green Technical College, Warren County Schools, Bowling Green City Schools, Logan Aluminum, Novelis, ARCO Aluminum Inc., Southern Recycling, Owl’s Head Alloys, Monarch Environmental Inc., and Houchens Industries.

Students from the elementary schools are taking part in naming contests to name their collection bin. Awards will be given to the first, second and third place winners of the contests.

“Recycled Aluminum has the potential to be a great source of revenue for schools,” states Mike Harris, retired President/CEO of Logan Aluminum. Every citizen can participate and benefit from this program. Recycling benefits students, the environment, and economic development.

Some facts about aluminum can recycling are:

•	100 billion aluminum cans with a recycling value of $2 billion are consumed annually nationwide.
•	1.5 billion aluminum cans with a recycling value of $23 million consumed annually in Kentucky.
•	40 million aluminum cans with a recycle value of $650,000 consumed annually in Warren County.
•	Americans drink an average of 380 beverages in aluminum cans each year.
•	Enough aluminum cans were recycled in 2003 to fill a hollow Empire State Building 24 times.
•	In 2004 Americans recycled 51.5 billion aluminum cans.
•	Recycling one aluminum beverage can saves enough electricity to power a TV for three hours, or a 100 watt light bulb for 4 hours.
•	It takes 95% less energy to recycle aluminum than create it from raw materials.
•	It produces 95% less emissions, such as greenhouse gases that impact global warming.
•	Helps save resources such as bauxite and water.

“Currently half of all aluminum cans consumed end up in landfills or are discarded by the side of the road,” states Harris. If Bowling Green/Warren County can reach a 75% recycle rate it would be a national news story.