INC NEWS - Durham Vies for Recycling Competition Win 11/15/06

[RW Pickle]

>From the City PR Dept.
RWP
27 Beverly

City Nets Over 600,000 Aluminum Cans in First “Cans for Cash” Recycling
Challenge
 
Durham, N.C. – Durham residents showed their recycling prowess this past
September by collecting more than 600,000 aluminum cans for the Third
Annual “Cans for Cash” City Recycling Challenge, a national contest that
could earn the community up to $10,000 in awards to go toward supporting
local recycling, education and awareness programs.
 
The City is competing with other cities of the same size and will learn if
it’s the national winner on America Recycles Day, which will be held on
November 15, 2006.  The contest, created by the United States Conference
of Mayors and Novelis Corporation, challenged cities from across the
country to collect recyclable aluminum beverage cans.  The two-week
contest officially began on September 15, 2006, and ended on September 30,
2006.  During this two-week period, the City collected 19,288 pounds of
aluminum cans from citizens, which equates to over 600,000 aluminum cans.
 
According to Brian S. Haynesworth, waste reduction coordinator with the
City’s Department of Solid Waste Management, the results are impressive. 
“As a first-year participant in the contest, the collection numbers are
good,” Haynesworth said.  “I am confident that next year our community
will at least double this year’s results, so we are already making plans
to make next year’s challenge bigger and better.” 
 
Major contributors and participants in this year’s local contest, which
include Durham County Government, Duke University, J & D Recyclers and
Tidewater Fibre Corporation Recycling, will be recognized during the
City’s celebration of America Recycles Day on Wednesday, November 15,
2006, at 1:30 p.m. in the lobby of City Hall. 
 
The Aluminum Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group
representing aluminum producers, reports that recycling is good for the
environment and municipal finances because aluminum is the most valuable
material in the household recycle bin.  Last year, just under $1 billion
was paid for recyclable aluminum beverage cans.  Yet, nearly 50 percent of
all aluminum beverage cans produced were not recycled, which equates to
nearly $1 billion worth of aluminum cans being thrown away annually. 
State of North Carolina research indicates that North Carolinians throw
away more than $20 million in aluminum cans each year.
 
For more information about the challenge or waste reduction and recycling
in Durham, visit http://www.durhamrecycles.org or call (919) 560-4186,
ext. 227.