We hope you try to do your best to recycle no matter where you are – at home, on-the-go or at the office.  So find out what you can do to make recycling a part of your life, if it isn’t already. Find out if your community has a curbside recycling program.  A good place to start is by contacting your local department of recycling, transportation or sanitation.  Some cities also have public space recycling bins available on streets, in parks and in other locations to help you out when you’re on the move. And many office buildings have recycling requirements.  If your office doesn’t, try checking out Earth911.com for great tips on how to create a workplace recycling program.  Earth911.com also has a nifty tool to help you find out “what” you can recycle “where” by entering your location to find a recycling center.

Wherever you may be, we encourage you to “Think Inside the Bin.” And if you’d like to learn more about some examples of ABA member companies’ efforts to support and promote recycling in their businesses and among consumers, check out our news release from last year’s America Recycles Day.

We hope you find time to “refresh” – but when you do, please be sure to recycle.

Being environmentally responsible is a continuous effort for our member companies, too.  They are constantly working on new ways of further reducing their impact on the environment. This includes reducing and reusing 100 percent recyclable packaging, using more post-consumer recycled materials and deploying hybrid trucks for deliveries. Our companies are working on saving energy and reducing green house gasses (GHGs), too.

To learn more about our environmental and recycling efforts, please visit our website.  And be sure to check back with us here or on Facebook and Twitter!

There are lots of ways to take part in this special day; and if you visit the America Recycles Day website, you can plug in your zip code to find out what’s happening in your community. You can also take the pledge to learn about recycling options in your community and reduce your personal waste.

If you don’t know about the recycling options available in your local community, you can often find out by visiting the website of your local department of public works or Earth911.com.  We also encourage you to visit the Recycle Together website to find out all kinds of things about recycling, and to read about some interesting efforts underway around the country. You can also read more about recycling by visiting our issue site.

It’s all about three very important words:  reduce, reuse, recycle! So today, and every day, remember to “Think Inside the Bin” and recycle your favorite beverage containers – they are made from 100 percent recyclable packaging.  And while you’re at it, don’t forget about all of your other recyclables – from newspapers and magazines to laundry containers and more.

And, if you’d prefer to keep up with us here, don’t forget that you can also access more information on Clear on Calories, School Beverage Guidelines, recycling, our products and who makes what (among other topics) right on our website.

We appreciate you spending time with us!

Carts for recyclables are provided to households at no cost, and, to make it even more convenient, residents do not have to sort any of the materials!  More than 17,600 homes have already registered for the program, and more are joining up every day.

We wanted to take a minute to applaud city leaders who worked on bringing this program to the citizens of Knoxville – excellent work!

We at Sip & Savor have had the benefit of being able to use a number of recycling programs in our own neighborhoods of Washington, D.C., and the surrounding areas.  Our member companies provide public space recycling bins in the city and on the National Mall and have committed to supporting local community recycling programs to ensure that our containers find their next life in the recycling stream..

As our member companies continue to find ways to promote environmentally conscious ways of conducting business, we encourage you to keep your eyes open for the prominent three-arrow logo reminding you to reduce, reuse and recycle.  And remember – Think Inside the Bin!

So today we thought we’d share with you an article that not only provides advice on how to prepare your vehicle to recycle everything from beverage containers to newspapers and candy wrappers, but also some important tips to keep in mind as you travel by car.  And if you happen to have Internet access on the road, check out our recycling issue site for some fun recycling facts.

Safe travels – and remember to “Think Inside the Bin!”

While the Internet holds a vast array of different project ideas, we’ve compiled a couple of our favorites. The “ocean-in-a-bottle” craft is perfect for a younger age group, that can also serve as an educational opportunity. For an older crowd, a bubbling lava lamp is an exciting option. And as an added bonus, learning the science behind the reaction can be just as fun.

The best part of all? By making any of these crafty projects, you’ll be doing your part to help recycle and pass the message on to the next generation.

So, get out there and get creative this summer!

If you happen to be cruising through the South, be sure to stop by and tour a few of our member companies’ headquarters and museums. In addition to offering refreshing soft drinks, you’ll be able to pick up interesting history and stories about how your favorite beverage companies began.

While enjoying the sights and sounds of travel, it is easy to forget to hydrate. And with temperatures forecasted in the 90s for many parts of the country this Fourth of July weekend, hydration becomes that much more important.

Our member companies’ wide array of beverages allow for portability and convenience, which makes them perfect to take along on a trip. As always, when you finish enjoying a beverage, be sure to do your part for the environment by thinking inside the bin and recycling your container. We at Sip & Savor wish you safe travels!

“This was a great team effort and every participating company, facility and employee should be proud of the difference we have made in our local communities and for our environment,” said Robert Budway, president of the Can Manufacturers Institute, in a news release announcing the challenge results.  “Through this effort we diverted more than four million pounds of cans out of the waste stream and back into new products, and in so doing we raised a lot of money for a lot of worthy causes.”

Rexam plants in California and Minnesota won the top three spots.  Fifty-five facilities, including plants and corporate offices of aluminum companies and can manufacturers, participated in the 76 day challenge—working with schools and local organizations to collect and recycle beverage cans.

In announcing the challenge results this week, CMI noted that recycled aluminum cans can be back on store shelves in 60 days and that recycling not only benefits the environment by reducing landfill waste, but also by reducing the energy that would be needed to produce new cans.  Since the America Recycles Day Challenge began in 2003, more than 290 million cans have been recycled.

Our industry, too, has a longstanding commitment to the environment. You can learn more about our efforts on recycling by visiting our recycling issue site.

Today, we’d like to encourage you to seek innovative ways to reuse (or recycle) many of the items that you come across each and every day this holiday season. For example, did you know that plastic bottles can be used to make a tree topper?  Or that you can make aluminum cans into tree decorations shaped like angels? These are just two of many holiday uses for our industry’s packaging. So be creative – you can find lots of ideas on the Internet – or come up with your own.

Happy holidays – and happy crafting!