Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Monday, November 29, 2010

Students across Lexington collected 7,823 pounds of aluminum in the annual “Cans for Cash” City Recycling Challenge, which encourages communities to be a part of the solution.

Organizers emphasize that recycling conserves natural resources and energy. For example, recycling 40 cans saves the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline.

Twenty-seven schools took on the challenge this fall, including 21 from Fayette County Public Schools. Those collecting the most cans per capita (total weight of aluminum divided by number of students) receive cash prizes of $1,000 for first place, $800 for second and $600 for third.

Category I, with fewer than 300 students:

• 1^st place: Montessori Middle (not in FCPS)
• 2^nd place: Family Care Center
• 3^rd place: Lexington Day Treatment Center

Category II, with 300 to 599 students:

• 1^st place: Russell Cave Elementary
• 2^nd place: Meadowthorpe Elementary
• 3^rd place: Ashland Elementary

Category III, with 600 or more students:

• 1^st place: Rosa Parks Elementary
• 2^nd place: Bryan Station Middle School
• 3^rd place: Paul Laurence Dunbar High

This year’s local sponsors were Wise Recycling, Baker Iron and Metal, Phinix LLC and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government’s Division of Waste Management. The winning schools are recognized at a county council meeting.

The nationwide contest, which ran during October, is sponsored by a partnership of the United States Conference of Mayors, Novelis Corp. (a world leader in aluminum rolling and recycling) and Keep America Beautiful Inc. LFUCG’s Bluegrass Partnership for a Green Community is the organizer for Lexington, and Bluegrass PRIDE handles school registrations.

For more information, contact Carol Bradford at Bluegrass PRIDE, (859) 266-1572 or carol@bgpride.org.