PPG announced its second year of participation in the national “Million Cans Recycling Contest.” PPG is supporting more than 100 second grade students at Environmental Charter School (ECS) in Pittsburgh to collect and recycle aluminum beverage cans. For the 2025-26 school year, ECS students have collected more than 30,000 cans.

 In honor of Global Recycling Day on March 18, PPG, the Pittsburgh Penguins, Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), The Recycling Society and Michael Brothers Companies held a pep rally for Pittsburgh-based second graders at Environmental Charter School (ECS) to celebrate their progress in the Million Cans Recycling Contest. (Source: PPG)

The Million Cans Recycling Contest is a nationwide competition between 54 schools that encourages elementary students to collect aluminum cans for recycling. The initiative, organized by Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) and The Recycling Society, brings together elementary schools, scrapyards and aluminum can makers and suppliers to raise awareness about the circular economy of aluminum while providing schools with financial incentives and sustainability education. The campaign will continue through April 30, culminating in a May celebration event recognizing top-performing schools in the contest. The latest contest results can be viewed online.

“At PPG, our mission to protect and beautify the world includes recycling and there’s no better time to celebrate that work than Global Recycling Day,” said Meghan Barrera, PPG director, global strategic marketing, Packaging Coatings. “Aluminum cans are infinitely recyclable, making them a sustainable packaging solution. Together with our local and industry partners, we’re proud to play a role in helping children build lifelong recycling habits while contributing to a nationwide sustainability effort that needs attention in the U.S.”

Pennsylvania recycles just 25% of its aluminum beverage cans, well below the U.S. average of 43% and ranking 18th among all states, according to Eunomia’s 50 States of Recycling report. The gap is even wider when compared globally. Europe recently reported a 76.3% recycling rate, highlighting the impact of stronger recycling policies. In the U.S., eight of the 10 top‑performing states for aluminum can recycling have bottle deposit laws, with Maine leading the nation at 83%—the highest recycling rate for any material in any state. In Pennsylvania alone, recovering additional aluminum cans could generate an estimated $107 million in economic impact annually, while also delivering significant greenhouse gas reductions.

Ahead of Global Recycling Day on March 18, representatives from PPG, the Pittsburgh Penguins, CMI, The Recycling Society and Michael Brothers Companies joined ECS students for a pep rally featuring educational presentations, prize giveaways, and special appearances by Penguins mascot, Iceburgh, and ECS mascot, Hero the Hawk. The Penguins also recognized the students and partners during the team’s “Penguins Pledge” sustainability game, collecting more than 2,000 aluminum beverage cans to support ECS’s contest total.

During the 2024–25 school year, PPG helped ECS second grade students collect 87,535 aluminum cans, earning the school a top‑10 finish among 18 schools across 12 states.

To learn more about PPG’s commitment to sustainability, visit here for more information.