9/1/2005
Media Contact:
Angie Nussmeyer, 327-2053 |
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Indianapolis accepts the City Recycling Challenge
20% of proceeds earned from cans collected at the mobile recycling container to benefit Hurricane Katrina relief efforts; Residents urged to help make a difference INDIANAPOLIS – This morning, Deputy Mayor Melina Kennedy kicked off the 2005 City Recycling Challenge, which runs through September 16, and announced that 20% of the proceeds earned from the aluminum cans collected at the mobile recycling container will go to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
"Aluminum can recycling is easy to do and it just makes sense," said Deputy Mayor Kennedy. "Not only does it protect our natural resources, but recycling also spurs economic development. For example, for every one job collecting recyclables, another 26 are created in the processing of the materials or manufacturing of new products."
All Marion County residents are encouraged to participate by using the city's 29 drop-off locations or curbside recycling program. In addition, the mobile recycling container provided by Republic Recycling will be placed at various events throughout the city to raise awareness about aluminum can recycling. Besides a contribution to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, four local non-profit organizations will also benefit from the proceeds, including Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Earth Day Indiana, Indiana Recycling Coalition and the Girl Scouts of Hoosier Capital Council.
"In 2004, Indianapolis-Marion County collected nearly 100,000 pounds of aluminum or nearly 3.5 million cans during the City Recycling Challenge," said Kennedy. "Our plans for this year should help us surpass last year's total and make us much more competitive in our division."
Sponsored by the U.S Conference of Mayors and Novelis Corporation, the Cans for Cash City Recycling Challenge is a national contest that rewards cities for recycling aluminum beverage cans. The Challenge will award a total of $40,000 to participating municipalities for furthering recycling efforts.
Locally, the contest allows the Department of Public Works to educate residents about the benefits of recycling consumer goods like aluminum beverage cans.
For more information about the Cans for Cash City Recycling Challenge, please visit the U.S. Conference of Mayors' website at www.usmayors.org/mwma/novelis. For more information about the city's participation in the Challenge, please visit the website for the Department of Public Works at www.indygov.org/dpw.
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