Aluminum Can Recycling Program
The 2024 Bates Recycling Aluminum Can Drive will run March 1st to June 30th. If you want to contribute, you can sell any empty aluminum cans to the Bates Recycling Center at 12729 Jerry Rd. in Cygnet, and Bates will donate $0.05 for every pound recycled to the BGCC Foundation in support of BG BOOM! Cans can be brought during Bates Recycling's normal operating hours, which can be found on their website here. Rates at which Bates will buy your aluminum cans will also be available on their website.
Can donations through the year-round drop off locations will be collected by Work Leads to Independence and recycled at Bates Recycling. All proceeds will be split 50/50 between the BG BOOM Festival and Fireworks and WLI’s community activities and events for people with disabilities. You can drop off your rinsed, crushed aluminum cans at one of our partnering sponsor's locations below:
- Work Leads to Independence - 991 S. Main St. in Bowling Green. Drop off hours for WLI's location are 9:00 am – 3:30 pm, Monday through Friday. Please drop off at the south entrance to the right of the large overhead door.
- Gas & Express Mart BG Marathon - 525 N. Main St. in Bowling Green. Gas & Express Mart's location will be accessible 24/7.
- VFW Post 1148 - 719 S. Main St. in Bowling Green. Please drop off at the receptacle in the back parking lot.
If your organization is interested in sponsoring a can collection receptacle, please see the Sponsorship Program tab below.
Thank you for your interest in being a partner of the “Aluminum Can Recycling Program” benefiting the BG Boom Festival and Fireworks. This program was started by Bates Recycling as a way to raise additional funds dedicated to costs associated with the BG Boom Festival and Fireworks. The hope is that by expanding the drop off points with these colorful receptacles, we will create additional awareness for both the event and the recycling program! In addition to Bates Recycling, we are partnering with Work Leads to Independence (WLI) to provide weekly collection of cans. BG Boom is an annual event that happens July 3rd at the Wood County Fairgrounds with a rain date of July 5th.
Frames provide a tasteful way to protect the bins from theft or from blowing over. Bin frames come with 8 metal spikes for anchoring to the ground and steel hasps for securing pins the frame. This frame will need to be secured. Aluminum cans collected through these receptacles will be recycled by Bates Recycling, and the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce Foundation will split the payout 50/50 with WLI to aid their outreach and activities.
CURRENT SPONSORS: If you need to schedule regular can donation pickup with WLI, please contact Shannon Frankfather at sfrankfather@wlijobs.com.
A $750 sponsorship includes:
- A branded dual receptacle
- Logo recognition on the Foundation webpage
- Weekly pick-up of cans by WLI
- Mentions in press releases and communications about the program
It is our hope that each sponsor will care for these bins, as it will be cost prohibitive to replace the bins after the initial installation. The bins will remain the property of the Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce Foundation and should not be used for anything but the purpose intended. If at anytime the agreement is not being upheld, BGCC Foundation reserves the right to remove and relocate these bins. The sponsor also has the right to ask that the bins be removed if at any point it is not a good fit for their business. Sponsorship will not be refunded.
If your organization is interested in becoming a year-round drop off sponsor, please fill out and return the form linked here or contact us at director@bgchamber.net or by phone at 419-353-7945.
For those who would like to borrow a portable receptacle to collect cans at their party or event, a few will be available for loan with the completion of a Container Loan Application from the Wood County Solid Waste Management District (available at WCSWMD or WLI). You can also download the form here and return it to the WCSWMD. We hope that if you collect cans for recycle, you will consider dropping it off at one of our partnering organization's drop off sites!