PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--During the first 10 weeks of the Cans for Pets recycling campaign animal lovers in Western Pennsylvania have recycled more than 6,500 aluminum pet food cans – and already raised several hundred dollars to aid homeless animals at a local shelter.
In celebration of the milestone, the campaign’s organizers – Alcoa Foundation and Pennsylvania Resources Council – today presented a check to the Animal Rescue League & Wildlife Center to support the shelter’s efforts.
“Since the Cans for Pets campaign launched on November 1, concerned pet owners have dropped off 6,500 clean, empty aluminum pet food cans at our designated locations,” said PRC Regional Director Dave Mazza. “Through the generous support of the Alcoa Foundation, a nickel for every aluminum pet food can recycled is being donated to the Animal Rescue League to aid animals in our area.”
After accepting the check, ARL Executive Director Dan Rossi stated, “The Cans for Pets program is a great motivator for citizens and businesses to get involved in an effort that will help thousands of animals and enrich the lives of new adopting families. This first donation of $325 will provide funding for the shelter to purchase more than 450 cans of pet food to feed the animals in our care.”
The Alcoa Foundation launched the Cans for Pets campaign in partnership with PRC as a two-year effort to raise awareness while increasing the total number of aluminum pet food cans recycled each year. According to an industry survey, the recycling rates for aluminum pet food cans is significantly less than that of aluminum beverage cans: a 20% rate for pet food cans vs 65% rate for beverage cans.
“There’s no limit to how many times an aluminum pet food can may be recycled, which means that an aluminum pet food can that someone recycles today can be made into a new pet food can and be back on store shelves in as little as 60 days,” according to Alcoa’s Director of Corporate Communications, Kevin Lowery. “We see tremendous potential for recycling aluminum pet food cans and hope that rinsing and saving these containers soon becomes as routine as any other commitment to recycling.”
Individuals can drop off clean, empty aluminum pet food cans at the following locations:
ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE SHELTER
6620 Hamilton Avenue,
Pittsburgh (East End)
ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE WILDLIFE CENTER
6000 Verona Road, Penn
Hills
PENNSYLVANIA RESOURCES COUNCIL
64 S. 14th Street,
Pittsburgh (South Side)
THE DOG STOP
2858 Banksville Road, Pittsburgh (Banksville)
For hours of operation and maps to these collection sites, visit www.prc.org/petcan.
“Cans for Pets is a simple concept, but it’s definitely a win-win for everyone involved,” according to Mazza. “Fluffy and Fido get to enjoy their favorite meals, pet lovers get a chance to keep empty aluminum pet food cans out of local landfills, and the Animal Rescue League receives a nickel for every aluminum pet food can collected as part of this project.”
Cans for Pets is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Alcoa Foundation in partnership with PRC, Animal Rescue League Shelter & Wildlife Center, Petco and the City of Pittsburgh.
PET FOOD CAN RECYCLING
The simple act of recycling aluminum pet food cans has tremendous benefits:
- Recycling one 3 oz aluminum pet food can saves enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for over 2 hours.
- Recycling one 5.5 oz. aluminum pet food can saves enough energy to power a 30-inch (95W) TV for over 2 hours.
- Recycling aluminum cans saves 95 percent of the energy used to make aluminum cans from virgin materials.
ALCOA’s website: http://www.alcoa.com/recycling/en/info_page/why_recycle.asp
- Energy saved from recycling one pound of aluminum could power an average home for four days.
- Aluminum is the most valuable material in the recycling bin. Although by weight it is less than 2% of the USA’s recycled stream, aluminum generates 40% of the revenue to sustain all recycling programs.
- The United States is the world's biggest consumer of aluminum cans, but lags behind other industrialized nations in the percentage of these cans that we recycle. Alcoa has a goal to help the U.S. raise its recycling rate for aluminum beverage cans to 75% by 2015.
THE PENNSYLVANIA RESOURCES COUNCIL, established in 1939, is one of the Commonwealth's oldest citizen action environmental organizations. Recognized as a state and national leader in waste reduction and recycling, the remainder of PRC's work focuses on litter and visual blight prevention, watershed awareness, and composting. The strength of PRC's programs is derived from its continuing efforts to bring people, businesses, and government together to prevent and solve environmental problems. For more information, visit www.prc.org.
ALCOA FOUNDATION is one of the largest corporate foundations in the U.S., with assets of approximately US$446 million. Founded 60 years ago, Alcoa Foundation has invested more than US$570 million since 1952. In 2012, Alcoa Foundation contributed more than US$21 million to nonprofit organizations throughout the world, building innovative partnerships, engaging its people to improve the environment and educating tomorrow's leaders. The work of Alcoa Foundation is further enhanced by Alcoa's thousands of employee volunteers who share their energy, passion and purpose to make a difference in the communities where Alcoa operates. Through the company's signature Month of Service program, in 2012, a record 60 percent of Alcoa employees took part in more than 1,050 events across 24 countries, reaching 36,000 children, serving 13,000 meals, recycling 265,000 aluminum cans, and supporting 2,050 nonprofit organizations. For more information, visit www.alcoafoundation.com
THE ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE OF WESTERN PA’s mission is to provide temporary shelter, food, medical attention, and comfort to all abandoned, neglected and injured animals brought to us by the community; to restore lost animals to their owners or seek new homes for them; and to educate the public about the humane care of animals with a goal of reducing overpopulation. For more information, visit www.animalrescue.org.