CHICAGO , May 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row, Kidz Korner in Channahon, Ill. , was declared a winner in the Great American Can Roundup School Challenge, a national recycling contest sponsored by the Can Manufacturing Institute (CMI). 

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Kidz Korner recycled a total of 1,982 pounds of aluminum cans, the most of any participating school in Illinois , and earned more than $1,000 in recycling proceeds. The school won $1,000 from the CMI as well as another $1,000 from Rexam, a leading global aluminum beverage can maker, which teamed with Kidz Korner providing recycling boxes and aligning the school with the industry contest.

Kidz Korner bested 38 registered schools in Illinois , recycling 16.38 pounds of aluminum beverage cans per student. Kidz Korner was among the top 11 recycling per capita schools nationwide out of 1,015 schools.  

"I am so proud of our students and teachers who worked so hard to help us win this contest for the second consecutive time," said Tiffany Farkas , director/principal of Kidz Korner . "Through their efforts, they continue to raise awareness of the importance of recycling and at the same time raise a lot of money for charity."  

"We are pleased that our partnership with Alex Caraynoff resulted in another impressive recycling victory for Kidz Korner ," said Nancy Mose , senior supply chain analyst at Rexam. " Alex Caraynoff continues to rally the school students, local community and businesses to recycle their cans and raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. We are happy to support their efforts and continue with our commitment to work closely with our communities to increase awareness for the sustainability of the aluminum beverage can."

CMI sponsored the contest, the Great American Can Roundup – School Challenge , which drew the participation of 1,015 schools from 50 states and the District of Columbia . Collectively, the schools recycled more than 206 pounds of (7.1 million) aluminum beverage cans, which generated more than $103,281 in recycling proceeds. CMI awarded $1,000 to the top recycling school in each state and an additional $5,000 to the national recycling champion.  

Schools were judged on a per capita basis, comparing the number of cans recycled to the number of students participating. The contest period was November 15, 2012 , (America Recycles Day) to April 22, 2013 ( Earth Day ).

Cans are the most valuable package to recycle, with American consumers earning more than $1 billion annually in recycling proceeds. It therefore is not surprising that cans are also the most recycled beverage container in the world – by far – with a U.S. recycling rate of 65.1 percent.  

The can's significant value stems from its unique characteristic of being 100% recyclable back into the original package. Once placed in a recycling bin, a can could be back on a store shelf in as few as 60 days.  

The infinite recyclability of cans also makes them an energy efficient package. A can made from a recycled can requires 95 percent less energy to produce and therefore has a 95 percent lower carbon footprint than one produced from raw material. Just one recycled can saves enough energy to run a load of laundry, and the energy saved from all cans recycled annually could power the entire city of Washington, D.C. , for nearly four years.

About Rexam

Rexam is a global consumer packaging company. We are one of the leading global beverage can makers and a major global player in rigid plastic packaging for healthcare applications. We are business partners to some of the world's most famous and successful consumer brands. Our vision is to be the best global consumer packaging company.

We have 67 plants in 24 countries and employ 11,100 people. Our sales from ongoing operations in 2012 were in the region of $6 billion . Rexam is a member of the FTSE 100 and its ordinary shares are listed with the UK Listing Authority and trade on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol REX. For further information, visit www.rexam.com .

SOURCE Rexam