© Photo by Marianne Peters

Aluminum gets recycled more than any other material in the United States. Unlike some substances, it can be recycled repeatedly and, in fact, most of the beverage cans we toss in our coolers already contain recycled aluminum. Aluminum cans are an example of a closed-loop system — no matter how many times we recycle them, the quality of the material stays the same.

To capitalize on that recycling process and to encourage more, the Aluminum Association Inc. has organized Cans for Habitat to benefit Habitat for Humanity International. The program encourages communities to recycle aluminum beverage cans and funnels the proceeds to Habitat to build homes for low-income families.

Cans for Habitat started when a group of aluminum-industry executives built Habitat homes as part of the Jimmy Carter Work Project in Pikesville, Ky., in 1997, and were influenced by Habitat’s vision of decent, affordable housing for everyone and decided to help. Since then, more than 1,000 local organizations have enrolled in the program. The Aluminum Association through Cans for Habitat provides receptacles, promotional materials and organizational guidelines to participating organizations and communities. In 1999 it established a grant program to reward outstanding affiliates.

Elkhart leads the way

“To get started, we contacted businesses through our Chamber of Commerce and followed up with phone calls. We also sent letters to local churches. My main tasks are to raise awareness and encourage participation,” said Becky Bateman, administrative assistant at Elkhart County Habitat for Humanity. She estimates 32 businesses in the county regularly collect cans. Since January 2006, her affiliate has collected $10,785.72 from can recycling with a goal of raising $48,000 for one single-family home.

People can drop off their cans around the county in colorful, designated bins provided by the Aluminum Association. Bateman picks up the cans at each location and delivers them to the Goshen, Ind., recycling facility of OmniSource Corp., a Fort-Wayne scrap-metal company.

“People can bring material straight in here and designate it for donation,” said Kevin Campbell, manager of the Goshen yard. “We typically pay around 70 cents per pound, then add four cents for Habitat.” The cans are baled and shipped to Alcoa, where within 60 days, the used cans are recycled into new ones and are back on the grocery shelf. Once a month, OmniSource cuts a check for Elkhart’s Habitat for Humanity.

Easy to recycle

Most city and county curbside waste services will accept aluminum cans for recycling. Still, billions end up in the waste stream every year. Bateman says that despite the convenience of the Cans for Habitat program — including free pick-up — she still encounters resistance from local businesses.

“People will tell me that it’s inconvenient, or they don’t have a place to put a box,” she says. However, she is gratified that every month Elkhart Habitat for Humanity gets closer to its goal of a house built entirely by aluminum-can recycling. “After the funds are all in,” Bateman says, “I’m going to contact the people who donated their cans for our house and say, ‘you guys have helped fund it. Now, would you like to help build it?’ ”

Indiana Cans for Habitat Affiliates

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