Alcoa, Alcoa Foundation and Keep America Beautiful Launch 'Action to Accelerate Recycling? Commitment to Increase U.S. Recycling Rates
![Alcoa, Alcoa Foundation and Keep America Beautiful Launch 'Action to Accelerate Recycling? Commitment to Increase U.S. Recycling Rates](https://www.minenportal.de/media/goldseiten-news.jpg)
Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation Announce $2 million Clinton Global
Initiative Commitment to Action
At the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting today, Alcoa
(NYSE:AA), Alcoa Foundation and Keep America Beautiful (KAB) announced a
national commitment to increase U.S. recycling rates. 'Action to
Accelerate Recycling? will generate awareness, create incentives, and
provide recycling access and infrastructure to increase U.S. recycling
of aluminum, plastic, glass and paper. The commitment, which includes $2
million in funding from Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation, is expected to
engage millions of Americans and increase the current U.S. recycling
rate by 10 percentage points. Increasing the rate to 75 percent would
generate close to 300 additional tons of recycled content, resulting in
the avoidance of more than 2,850 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
The U.S. recycling rate lags the rest of the world, which has financial
and environmental implications: millions of dollars spent on landfills
and transporting waste; billions of dollars lost from residual value of
scrap; and missed opportunities to create green jobs. A recent report
from the Blue-Green Alliance found that increasing recycling rates in
the United States to 75 percent for all municipal solid waste would
create 1.5 million jobs.
'For every can that is recycled, we save energy and money, reduce our
environmental impact, and create economic opportunities in U.S.
communities,? said Klaus Kleinfeld, Chairman and CEO of Alcoa. 'Our
partnership with Keep America Beautiful is a "call to action′ for
companies, consumers and community organizations to make recycling a
priority. Together with our industry partners, we set and can achieve an
ambitious yet achievable 75 percent aluminum can recycling rate by 2015
in the U.S.?
'We are singularly focused on influencing people′s recycling behaviors
at work, at home and at play through education, programs and awareness
campaigns,? said Matt McKenna, president and chief executive officer of
KAB. 'One of our commitment′s key initiatives is the launch of a
first-ever, multi-million-dollar national media campaign on recycling
scheduled for early next year.?
'Action to Accelerate Recycling? includes the design and launch of
innovative global recycling programs that educate and activate people of
all ages, incentivize behavior change, increase access to recycling
bins, and help parks, housing complexes and universities build
infrastructure to create and expand recycling programs.
'The Action to Accelerate Recycling? commitment includes:
Alcoa and Alcoa Foundation Initiatives:
- 'Pass
the Can? - For every virtual can passed through
this Facebook app, Alcoa Foundation will donate $1 (up to $75,000)
to Keep America Beautiful, International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) and Planet Ark to fund recycling programs around the
world. For more information: www.passthecan.com/cgi - Net Impact - 'Small Steps, Big Wins? Campus Challenge will
reach 50 college campuses around the world and incentivize
students to take 50,000 small steps towards environmental action.'
- DoSomething.org - The largest youth-led aluminum recycling
drive in the U.S.
- Tailgate Recycling Programs - The Ohio State University,
University of Tennessee, Purdue University and Clemson University
will create innovative recycling programs that encourage fans to
recycle in parking lots during football season.
- Pennsylvania Resources Council - The program will educate
consumers about the recyclability of pet food cans and create a
model for collecting cans that is easily replicated.
- 'Pass
Keep America Beautiful Initiatives:
- Industry Pledge to Increase Recycling - Solicit industry to
pledge a 10% increase in the recycling of aluminum, paper, plastic
and glass in the workplace through variety of programs;
- Recycling Media Campaign - Multi-media campaign to reach
200 million people; and,
- State Fairs Recycling Initiative - Provides recycling
access and develops best practices in 4-6 underserved public
venues with funding from Alcoa.
- Industry Pledge to Increase Recycling - Solicit industry to
'We are excited to create awareness, incentives and programs with
dynamic non-profits and universities that share Alcoa′s passion for
improving the environment,? said Paula Davis, president, Alcoa
Foundation. 'By tapping into strong existing networks and developing
multiple programs online and on the ground, we will enlist students,
professors, colleagues and friends all over the country in the drive to
increase recycling, a meaningful step towards more sustainable and
prosperous communities.?
About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful is the nation's leading nonprofit that creates
vibrant communities. With a strong affiliate and partnership network,
the national nonprofit works with millions of volunteers to take action
in their communities through programs that deliver positive and lasting
change. For additional information, visit www.kab.org.
About Alcoa Foundation
Alcoa Foundation is one of the largest corporate foundations in the
U.S., with assets of approximately US$446 million. Founded more than 50
years ago, Alcoa Foundation has invested more than US$550 million since
1952. In 2011, Alcoa Foundation contributed more than US$20 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 (NYSE:AA) 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 2011, a record 56 percent of Alcoa employees took
part in more than 1,200 events across 24 countries, reaching 81,000
children, serving 9,000 meals, planting 34,000 trees and supporting
1,800 nonprofit organizations. More information can be found at www.alcoafoundation.com.
About the Clinton Global Initiative
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global
Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to create and implement
innovative solutions to the world′s most pressing challenges. CGI Annual
Meetings have brought together more than 150 heads of state, 20 Nobel
Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and
NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date CGI
members have made more than 2,100 commitments, which are already
improving the lives of nearly 400 million people in more than 180
countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be
valued at $69.2 billion.
CGI also convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative
solutions to economic recovery in the United States, and CGI University
(CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to
address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. For
more information, visit ?clintonglobalinitiative.org ?and
follow us on Twitter ?@ClintonGlobal
and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.
About Alcoa
Alcoa is the world′s leading producer of primary aluminum, fabricated
aluminum and alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum
industry, Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the
aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial
transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets over the
past 120 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled
products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa ? wheels,
fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building
systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such as
titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral
part of Alcoa′s operating practices and the product design and
engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow
Jones Sustainability Index for 11 consecutive years and approximately 75
percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in
active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 61,000 people in 31
countries across the world. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.
Alcoa Foundation
Suzanne van de Raadt, 646-404-4027
Suzanne.vanderaadt@alcoa.com
OR
Keep
America Beautiful
Lynn Markley, 203-659-3072
lmarkley@kab.org