Collect-a-Can breaks its own Guinness world record

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Mongezi Mtati

Collect-a-Can will once again be acknowledged in the Guinness World Records book for collecting the most steel cans in a single month. The organisation has recorded a collection figure of 2 656 286 cans for the month of October 2010.

The company currently record a 69% recovery rate of all beverage cans manufactured; making cans the best packaging choice for preserving the environment.

"This equates to more than 80 tons of steel cans," says Gregory Masoka, operations manager at Collect-a-Can, "which is equivalent in weight to around 60 motor vehicles."

To bring in the bumper numbers of cans during the month of October each year, the company challenge schools to help them and award the top collecting schools per region with prizes. This year Collect-a-Can has given institutions such as animal welfare shelters, old age homes and orphanages the opportunity to participate and win prizes in their own category. Prizes for the winning schools, which totalled 1 511 547 cans, were generously sponsored by Pan Macmillan, Nampak Bevcan and MySchool while Collect-a-Can sponsored the prizes for institutions, which brought in a further 534 048 cans.

Winners - schools

• Oasis Association from Cape Town will receive a cash prize of R10 000
• Second prize of R5000 will go to Dirk Postma Kleuterskool in Pretoria.
• Regional winners were Mthethomusha Senior Primary School in KZN, Panda Bear Day Care Centre in Cape Town and Swartkop Valley School in Gauteng. These schools will each receive R4000 and a book prize from Pan Macmillan.