Who would have thought that a pile of trash could win you a share of R50 000 cash? But this is exactly what Collect-a-Can’s 2012 CAN Craze competition is making possible. Starting nationally on 01 June 2012, the competition encourages schools or learners to build a structure out of 300 or more used cans, in the most creative way possible, and the winning entrants are awarded cash prizes. Entries will close on 30 September 2012.

“The hands-on nature of the CAN Craze Competition gets children to interact with the used cans and in doing so, to recognise that what may seem like a waste product is in fact a valuable resource that can be re-used in their artwork and then recycled, prolonging the lifespan of the raw materials and preserving natural resources as well as energy,” says Zimasa Velaphi, Public Relations and marketing manager of Collect-a-Can.

“The cans used in the building of these structures need to be collected by the participants and are later recovered by Collect-a-Can and processed for recycling. This process demonstrates to schools and learners the environmental benefits of collecting cans and shows them that recycling can be fun,” Velaphi continues.

Participation in the competition can be individual or in teams. Pictures of structures need to be submitted to Collect-a-Can along with a completed entry form which can be obtained from Collect-a-Can branches or from their website www.collectacan.co.za.

Collect-a-Can encourages organisations to get involved with schools entering the CAN Craze Competition. In 2010 a winning structure of dolphins, built by Creston College, was put on display outside the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board offices during their National Marine Week activities and in 2011 Hoërskool Florida’s giant Rhino structure and a portrait of ex-president Nelson Mandela created by Joshua Behrens from The Hills College in the Eastern Cape, were exhibited at the Green Expo in Cape Town.