Recycling Program Benefits Animal Shelters (NAPSA)—Forthe eighth con- secutive year, corporations and community groups are making animalshelters their pet project. The program, called Paws to Recycle, is the nation’s first aluminum can recycling program to benefit animal shelters nationwide. Over 100 shelters participated in the 2000 program. Here’s howit works. Alcoa Inc., American Humane Association (AHA) and Friskies Pet Care supply animal shelters with tools and resources needed to conduct can drives from September through November. In the seven years the program has been in operation, it has raised over $2 million for animal shelters. The money raised for the shelters is intended to cover operating costs, such as food supply or spay and neuter programs. At the same time, participating shelters have recycled over seven million pounds of aluminum cans. It’s estimated this has kept over 230 million cansoutof landfills. The program awards grand prizes of $3,000 to the shelters that recycle the most pounds of aluminum cans, demonstrate the most community involvement and mount the best publicity campaign. In addition, $500 prizes are awarded to five “Wild Card” winners. All participating shelters receive couponsfor cat and dog food products manufactured by Friskies PetCare. “We are really pushing for a good turnout this year,” says Barbara Royer-Healy of Friskies PetCare. “Every can counts for recycling dollars that benefit the shel- Over the last seven years a recycling program has raised more than $2 million to benefit animal shelters nationwide. ters and anyone can easily help support their local shelter through this program. We encourage not only shelters to get involved, but communities as a whole.” According to Courtney Green, marketing associate for AHA, “The more cans that shelters and their communities recycle, the more money shelters have to support their services. We are proud to be part of Paws to Recycle.” Craig Covert, manager of marketing communications for Alcoa’s Rigid Packaging division, added that for each pound of aluminum cans recycled, the aluminum industry saves considerable energy resources and helps keep unnecessary waste out of landfills. Said Covert, “We are happy to support Paws to Recycle to help the environment and shelters thrive.” To learn how you can aid both the environment and animal shelters, call 1-800-664-7297 (PAWS).
