Did you know? 82% of drink cans sold in the UK are recycled and the aluminium drink can recycling rate is 73% across Europe as a whole, helping to make drink cans the most recycled beverage container on the planet! But we believe that with your help, we can achieve a 100% drink can recycling rate.
Watch our 2022 highlights video below to see us in action working towards this goal:
Here’s a closer look at what we’ve been up to in 2022 to inspire you to recycle your empty cans:
The #EveryCanCounts Rainbow
- We took the #EveryCanCounts Rainbow to Covent Garden in March and had so many wonderful responses from everybody who posted a pic of themselves with our installation on social media. Click here to read the full story!
- To celebrate Earth Day in April we took our rainbow to Newcastle and met Bruce the pug who you all loved on our socials! Click here to read the full story!
- We took our rainbow to St James’s Park in June to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee! A special Jubilee-themed PixelCan wall display was also on display near the Mall and provided the perfect photo opportunity for those enjoying the celebrations.
- For Recycle Week, we took our rainbow to Liverpool city centre to show everyone just how magical recycling can be. Click here to read the full story!
Launch of the Infinity Room
- In October, as part of Recycle Week, we launched our brand new immersive mirror installation in Glasgow Science Centre: The #EveryCanCounts Infinity Room.
- This installation is made from 1500 recycled cans. Once inside, the mirrored room gives the illusion of being surrounded by an endless amount of suspended drink cans, illustrating the infinite recyclability of aluminium.
- The Infinity Room will remain on display in Glasgow Science Centre until 8th January 2023 before embarking on a UK tour next year. More dates and locations to follow.
Our First Ever Red Bull Soapbox Race
Despite attending many Red Bull Soapbox Races to inspire and encourage drink can recycling, we’d never had the nerve to actually take part with our very own soapbox… until this year!
Our soapbox was half-can, half-plane to illustrate the varied uses for aluminium once it’s recycled. Chris, our driver, and Tom, our co-pilot, reached an impressive 28mph while speeding down the hill at Alexandra Palace, all in the name of drink can recycling.
Click here to read the full story!
Festivals and Events
Every year we attend a series of festivals and events during the main summer period to help spread the Every Can Counts message and educate people on the importance of drink can recycling. This summer we had a presence at 15 major events around the country!
How We Encourage Drink Can Recycling at Festivals and Events:
The Every Can Counts Ambassadors:
Our summer team is the beating heart of festival season. You’ll often find them wearing their iconic can-shaped backpacks and they’ll either be wandering the campsites or based at our pitch, where you’ll also find voting bins and a chill out zone. Don’t be afraid to chat to our team if you have any questions about drink can recycling!
Our Can Recycling Backpacks:
The Every Can Counts ambassadors bring the recycling bin to you! These are wearable recycling bins which we will take around the festival campsites to collect any cans you might want to recycle while on-the-go.
Recycling Rewards:
As an incentive to recycle as many of your empty cans as possible, we’ll often be giving out recycling rewards such as festival-branded T-shirts, keyrings made from recycled cans and temporary tattoos.
Green Can Awards
Our Green Can Awards celebrate those who have gone above and beyond when it comes to drink can recycling. Over the years we’ve presented awards to businesses, community groups, local initiatives and individuals. This year we gave awards to two fantastic community-focussed initiatives:
- January: We presented an award to Cans 4 City, a drink can recycling scheme raising funds for Exeter City Football Club in partnership with Exeter City Council. Read the full press release here.
- November: We presented Crewe Clean Team with an award for their incredible recycling efforts in their local community, collecting 200,000 cans in just 11 years. Read the full press release here.
Key Statistics
Drink Can Recycling Rate
- The drink can recycling rate remains at an all-time high of 82%!
- If you’re interested in learning more, check out this amazing fact sheet from Alupro.
Festival & Event Survey Statistics
Our team of ambassadors complete recycling surveys with attendees at festivals and events, and this year they completed over 9,800! Here’s what we learned:
Where would you like to see more drink can recycling points?
- Beaches and green spaces: 66%
- On the street: 64%
- Music and Sports events: 54%
Your favourite DRINK CAN recycling fact!
- “Aluminium drink cans are endlessly recyclable”: 42%
- “Every drink can you recycle reduces the carbon footprint of the next one made”: 30%
- “Empty cans are recycled and back on the shop shelf as a brand-new can in just 60 days”: 27%
TLDR
In 2022 we spread the recycling word at:
- 11 music festivals
- 4 city centre locations with the #EveryCanCounts Rainbow
- 2 events with our PixelCan display (the Platinum Jubilee and Download Festival)
- 2 race weekends at Silverstone Circuit (Formula 1 and MotoGP)
- A brand-new Infinity Room installation in Glasgow Science Centre
- Our first ever Red Bull Soapbox Race!
Key Takeaways:
- The drink can recycling rate is at an all-time high of 82% but we want to keep raising the bar and ultimately reach 100%.
- Over the summer, attendees at festivals and events completed over 9800 of our recycling surveys! That means our Recycling Ambassadors directly spread the Every Can Counts message to nearly 10,000 people this summer!
- You told us you want to see more ‘on-the-go’ can recycling points, whether this is at beaches & green spaces, music & sports events or on the street.
- We have delivered a total of 300 free recycling packs to businesses, charities and local groups who want to improve their drink can recycling rates.
- We have given a Green Can Award to two fantastic community-focussed initiatives: Cans 4 City in Exeter and Crewe Clean Team.
How you can join us on our mission to achieve a 100% drink can recycling rate:
- Keep recycling those empty cans! They’re incredibly easy to recycle and can be back on the shop shelf within 60 days after they’re collected.
- If you can’t find a recycling bin while you’re on-the-go, take your empty can home with you!
- Businesses, community groups and charities can order a free recycling pack from us to help encourage drink can recycling on the go.
- You can make money from the cans you collect and recycle and put it towards a good cause! Aluminium is the most valuable material in your recycling bin.
- Learn more about the recycling process and help us spread the word.
You can learn more here:
- Can recycling: https://everycancounts.co.uk/can-recycling/
- Aluminium Recycling: https://alupro.org.uk/sustainability/fact-sheets/
Share this post on social media and let us know if you’ve seen any of our work this year and what you’ve learned from us so far!
Is there anything else you’d like to see us do in 2023? Get in touch!