Every Can Counts is celebrating its 10th Birthday and a decade of continued growth and success!
In 2008 research by the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) found that at least 30% of the drink cans sold in the UK were consumed ‘on the go’ or away from home. With that in mind, drink can makers and metal packaging recyclers decided to work together to develop a behaviour change programme that would encourage and make it easier for people to recycle drink cans when they are out of the home. And so it was that Every Can Counts was launched in 2009.
Fast forward ten years and the Every Can Counts programme has established itself as Europe’s leading out of home recycling behaviour change programme, inspiring people to recycle their drink cans wherever they are. The programme’s ambitious vision is for every drink can across Europe to be recycled.
Rick Hindley, Executive Director of Alupro, said: “Every Can Counts has gone from strength to strength since its launch back in 2009. The programme has expanded across Europe to 16 countries, which is a testament to the strength of the brand and its clear messaging, enabling Every Can Counts to engage with a broad spectrum of stakeholders. Our commitment to innovation and further development of the programme is ensuring that Every Can Counts continues to lead the way towards higher recycling rates by driving consumer behaviour change.”
Every Can Counts works with a wide range of stakeholders to introduce and improve drink can recycling. Programme partners include leading brands, businesses, universities and colleges, tourist attractions and festival and event organisers. Since its launch, thousands of organisations have signed up to the programme and there are now more than 15,000 Every Can Counts branded recycling points around the UK.
Over 20% of these recycling points donate the cans they collect to local community groups, which raise funds for charitable causes and run social activities using the money generated by the sale of drink cans. Every Can Counts continues to support and promote these groups, highlighting the possibility for drink can recycling to provide social benefit to local communities in addition to the significant environmental benefits.
In recent years, an increasingly significant part of the Every Can Counts UK programme has been its work with festivals and events where large volumes of cans are consumed. In 2019, Every Can Counts partnered with more events than ever before delivering activations at 30 events including Download Festival, Latitude Festival, Boomtown Fair and the Tough Mudder endurance series.
Every Can Counts is updating the look and feel of its brand ahead of 2020, with plans to utilise a wider range of communications channels and explore innovative new activation opportunities. Bolstered by its largest-ever presence across Europe, Every Can Counts is gearing up for another exciting year of putting the fun in recycling and spreading the brand’s messages further than ever before.