Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo launched the Dream Machine Recycle Rally for the 2011-2012 school year. Part of the broader Dream Machine recycling initiative, which is a multi-year collaboration between PepsiCo, Waste Management and Keep America Beautiful, the Dream Machine Recycle Rally aims to raise awareness of the importance of recycling among students in kindergarten through high school, and gives participating U.S. schools a chance to earn rewards and compete for prizes.

Through this program and by partnering strategically with other companies, PepsiCo hopes to help increase the U.S. beverage container recycling rate to 50 percent by 2018 by providing increased on-the-go access to recycling receptacles.

Schools participating in the Dream Machine Recycle Rally earn points for every non-alcohol aluminum can or plastic bottle collected through the program year-round. Schools can redeem those points with local businesses and major retailers for rewards. During the contest period, which runs from Aug. 1 through April 30, 2012, participating schools may be eligible to win one of more than 75 contest prizes, such as the $50,000 Dream Green School Makeover grand prize.

Additionally, PepsiCo will provide support to the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities for all the bottles and cans recycled through the broader Dream Machine program and the Dream Machine Recycle Rally. Currently, more than 500 schools in more than 30 states are participating in the Dream Machine Recycle Rally program.

To learn more about the Dream Machine Recycle Rally, visit www.dreammachinerecyclerally.com.