HUGO, Okla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Alcoa today announced that it will make available about 500 recycling bins to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma in an effort to encourage aluminum can recycling throughout the tribe.

The 22-gallon green plastic bins are being donated by Alcoa Recycling and provided for distribution to individual tribe members. Last year, the tribe received about 300 bins that were distributed to Community Centers and Head Start centers.

“We’re excited to partner with Alcoa to encourage tribe members to recycle aluminum cans,” said Melissa Robinson, Director of the Environmental Office for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

According to Alcoa’s Recycling Director Greg Wittbecker, when you toss an aluminum can into a recycling bin, it can be recycled and back on store shelves in less than 60 days. And every time aluminum is recycled, it uses 95% less energy than when it was first made.

“Alcoa and the Aluminum Association have a goal of increasing the recycling rate of aluminum cans to 75% by the year 2015,” said Wittbecker. “If every American recycled just one more can per week, we could reach that goal. Aluminum is infinitely recyclable.”

For more information on recycling, visit www.alcoarecycling.com.

About Alcoa

Alcoa is the world’s leading producer of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina. In addition to inventing the modern-day aluminum industry, Alcoa innovation has been behind major milestones in the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation, consumer electronics and industrial markets over the past 120 years. Among the solutions Alcoa markets are flat-rolled products, hard alloy extrusions, and forgings, as well as Alcoa® wheels, fastening systems, precision and investment castings, and building systems in addition to its expertise in other light metals such as titanium and nickel-based super alloys. Sustainability is an integral part of Alcoa’s operating practices and the product design and engineering it provides to customers. Alcoa has been a member of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for eight consecutive years and approximately 75 percent of all of the aluminum ever produced since 1888 is still in active use today. Alcoa employs approximately 59,000 people in 31 countries across the world. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com.