Recycling Contest Heats Up On Alberta Campuses

CALGARY , Oct. 2 /CNW/ - The Back to School contest to collect the most empty beverage containers is heating up on campuses across Alberta. Students are hosting recycling parties, going door-to-door and organizing themselves into groups to try to win the grand prize. The contest launched on August 31, 2009 . The student or student group with the largest Bottle Depot returns will win an ski weekend getaway for 21 to Lake Louise. A draw prize of an Apple MacBook is also available to all contest entrants.

"We've been holding recycling parties in our residence," said Grant MacEwan student Adam Tien . "People from my residence I don't even know are dropping bags full of empties off to my room. Most Sundays I can barely move in my room, as it's full of bags of recyclable empties. Everyone in res really wants to win this ski trip."

Clay Williams , a third-year student at the University of Calgary , is sure his team will have a shot at winning. "We've been visiting residences on campus and collecting empties at friends' places on Sundays," said Williams. "We have a large stockpile of empties we haven't brought to the Bottle Depot yet. We plan on making one big trip and then taking the lead."

"We're thrilled by the reaction and response we've received so far, from students from campuses across Alberta," said Guy West , ABCRC President. "Research has always suggested that a difference can only be made when everyone takes responsibility and works together to increase beverage container recycling. We look forward to being able to award both prizes to some well-deserving students following the October 19th contest end date."

In the meantime, provincial competition is alive and well, as all four leading school groups at the start of this month look to be from Northern Alberta, beating out the Southern Alberta campus schools. As of Thursday morning, Tien was in the lead, but that was before a student from Keyano College in Fort McMurray had a $4,195 entry. With almost three weeks remaining before the contest end date, this contest is any school's bet to win.

For more details on the contest, to view current leaders, or to log into enter your own Bottle Depot receipts, visit www.dontbeatosser.com.

About ABCRC

ABCRC is a provincially incorporated not-for-profit product stewardship corporation. Their mandate is to be the agent for the beverage manufacturers to operate a common collection system for registered containers, to be responsible for recycling beverage containers, to comply with regulation and BCMB by-laws, and to promote the economic and efficient collection of beverage containers.

For further information: Guy West, President - ABCRC, [phone] x233/[email protected]; Cherie Cohen, VP, Communications & Marketing - ABCRC, [phone] x223/[email protected]; Adam Tien, Grant MacEwan student, [phone], Clay Williams, University of Calgary student, [phone]