Cans for Habitat is a partnership between The Aluminum Association and Habitat for Humanity International that promotes the value of aluminum can recycling. Through Cans for Habitat aluminum cans are recycled to raise money for Habitat for Humanity to build decent, affordable housing with low-income families nationwide. Established in 1997, the program now boasts more than 590 member affiliates and 2,000 participating recyclers. 

Quick Facts:

·     Since 1976, Habitat has built more than 100,000 homes around the world.  At the end of 2005, more than 1 million people worldwide lived in decent, affordable Habitat for Humanity houses.

·     5.1 million American families have "worst-case" housing needs, forced to pay more than half their income for housing, endure overcrowded conditions and/or live in houses with severe physical deficiencies.

·     In the United States, nearly one out of every five children live in poverty.

·     With almost 90% of Indiana’s existing housing stock valued at $50,000 or more, and the average ‘starter home’ priced over $90,000, homeownership remains out of reach for low-income Hoosiers.

·     In the past 5 years, Habitat affiliates in Indiana have built 856 homes, have raised $48 million in cash contributions, received in-kind donations valued at more than $7 million and utilized nearly 1.2 million hours of volunteer labor.

·     Northwest Indiana Habitat for Humanity will celebrate its 20^th Anniversary this year by building its 50^th home in Lake County.

·     In 2005, 98.9 billion aluminum cans were produced in the United States, and 51.4 billion of those were recycled, equal to 1.5 billion pounds.

·     If one percent of all cans recycled were recycled for Habitat, 250 new homes could be built each year.

·     More than one million tons of aluminum containers and packaging are thrown away each year.  That is enough aluminum cans to rebuild four whole commercial air fleets.

·     It takes anywhere from 100-500 years for an aluminum can to decompose.

·     The average employee consumes 2.5 cans of soda each day at work.

·     If one company, with 5,000 employees recycle all they consume at work for Habitat, one home could be built a year.

·     If 2,750 households in your community recycle four aluminum cans a day, they can build a Habitat home for a family in need in just one year. That is equivalent to each person in a family of four recycling one can a day!

How can you get involved?
 

• Contact us about getting a Cans for Habitat can collection box for your work place, place of worship, or any other location you think of and then collect cans.  Depending on your location we may be able to arrange for them to be picked up or you could deliver them to our office at 6114 W. Ridge Road Gary, IN 46408.
   

• Volunteer to join our Can Carrying Club [CCC] and help pick up and deliver cans from collection sites that are near your home or work place.  Our program is built on the volunteers.  Only with your help will it be successful.  Call us at (219) 923-7265 or email us at nwihabitat@habitat.com for further information about getting involved.  All CCC members will receive a 30% discount on all purchases at our ReStore.
   

• Enter your business, church or organization into our Can Drive Matching Pledge program where you can choose to match our aluminum can recycling earnings over different time periods and at different levels of contribution.  Whether it is 50 cents to the dollar for the quarter or 10 cents to the dollar for the year, your contribution would be greatly appreciated.  Applications can be found here.

Collection Locations

• IVY Tech in Gary

• Our ReStore at 6114 W. Ridge Road Gary, IN 46408

• With your help this list will grow soon.  Thanks in advance!