Over 12,000 students at 48 elementary schools participated in the state Department of Health's (DOH) annual Recycling Challenge this year, and the haul included 1.4 million aluminum cans — or more than one can for every man, woman, and child in the islands. Now in its 20th year, the yearly contest encourages students to recycle year round, and awards cash and prizes like school supplies and pizza. On O`ahu, Pearl City Highlands Elementary took top honors in its category by collecting nearly 400 cans per student.

Among the largest Honolulu elementary schools, Pearl Ridge Elementary earned first place with 289 cans per student. At the small end, Messiah Lutheran led with 247 cans per student. On the neighbor islands, Kua O Ka La Public Charter School in Pahoa on the Big Island collected 865 cans per student, and St. Theresa School in Kekaha on Kaua`i collected 692 cans per student.

The challenge was a partnership between the DOH, Reynolds Recycling and Recycle Hawai`i. Domino’s Pizza and K-Mart provided some of the prizes.

Recycling Challenge 2004
Honolulu Schools	Cans/Student	Award
Pearl Ridge Elementary	289	Large Category - 1st Place
Moanalua Elementary	122	Large Category - 2nd Place
Mililani Mauka Elementary	84	Large Category - 3rd Place
Pearl City Highlands Elementary	391	Medium Category - 1st Place
Manoa Elementary	186	Medium Category - 2nd Place
Waikiki Elementary	126	Medium Category - 3rd Place
Messiah Lutheran	247	Small Category - 1st Place
Wailupe Valley School	212	Small Category - 2nd Place
Sunset Beach Christian School	119	Small Category - 3rd Place
Neighbor Island Schools	Cans/Student
Kua O Ka La Public Charter School	865
Honaunau School	150
Kealakehe Elementary	45
St. Catherine Catholic School	148
Koloa School	50
St. Theresa School	692