Every Can Counts Rainbow

The #EveryCanCounts Rainbow in front of St Paul's Cathedral, London
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RECYCLE WEEK PART 1: LONDON

RECYCLE WEEK PART 1: LONDON 2560 1707 ChrisUK

Every Can Counts celebrates Recycle Week 2021 by partnering with City of London Corporation to bring a giant rainbow installation to the heart of the capital. The eye-catching archway, created from over 2,500 recycled cans, appeared in Carter Lane Gardens overnight on Thursday 16th September and will remain in place until Thursday 23rd.




The installation aims to inspire more people to recycle their empty cans by highlighting the environmental benefits delivered through can recycling.

In the first three months of this year, the total volume of domestic recycling collected in the City of London was up by nearly 10 tonnes on 2020, as lockdown restrictions made it easier for people to recycle at home.

However, Every Can Counts’ own research suggests that seven in 10 of those in London say they have noticed more litter over the past year, and most of these people believe this is as a direct result of the pandemic.

67% of those surveyed say they take packaging home to recycle if there aren’t recycling facilities in public places, with nearly eight in 10 (78%) claiming that they would recycle more while out and about if there were a greater number of recycling bins.

According to Every Can Counts, more than 30 million drink cans are bought and used each week across London. Aluminium is infinitely recyclable and recycling just one can saves enough energy to power a TV for three hours. If all of these cans were recycled, it would give greenhouse gas savings equivalent to taking more than 30,000 cars off the capital’s roads for a week.

Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager for Every Can Counts, said:

“You couldn’t really pick a more iconic London location than right in front of St Paul’s Cathedral. And the workmanship that’s gone into the installation really is quite impressive.

“The rainbow is our way of reminding people about the importance of recycling cans at a time when the environment is on the agenda, ahead of Recycle Week and in the lead-up to the UN Climate Change Conference.

“Recycling an empty drink can is a small thing that each of us can do for the benefit of the environment, and these small actions all add up. Not only are drink cans endlessly recyclable, but making a can from recycled metal uses 95% less energy and produces 95% less greenhouse gas emissions. We’re here to raise awareness of these significant benefits and inspire more people to make a difference by doing the right thing with their empty cans.

“In 2020, a record four out of five drink cans sold in the UK were recycled, as we spent much of the year locked down at home with easy access to recycling bins. We now want to keep this up as things return to normality, and our goal at Every Can Counts is to continue making progress towards a 100% recycling rate for drink cans.”

Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Environmental Services Health Committee, Keith Bottomley, said:

“It’s fantastic to be part of such an innovative campaign as part of Recycle Week this year.

“For us, promoting recycling and protecting the environment are top priorities.

“Those who work, visit and live in the Square Mile are right to expect a very high standard of environmental sustainability. As a world-leading financial centre, they deserve the best.”

Nickie Aiken, MP for Cities of London and Westminster, said:

“It’s wonderful to see this eye-catching rainbow in the heart of my constituency. It will be a timely reminder to all our visitors returning to the city centre to recycle more and keep our streets tidy.

“I’m looking forward to seeing people share their photos of this impressive rainbow sculpture, while remembering the message behind it. Recycling an empty drink can is one simple thing that each of us can do for the benefit of the environment and it will help us progress towards a truly circular economy.”

The rainbow makes for an ideal photo backdrop, and Every Can Counts is running a social media photo competition offering the chance to win a £250 shopping voucher. To enter, take a snap of the rainbow and upload it to social media using #EveryCanCounts and tagging @EveryCanCountsUK (Instagram/Facebook) or @EveryCanCounts (Twitter). For full competition terms & conditions visit: www.everycancounts.co.uk/recycleweek2021.

The #EveryCanCounts Rainbow Comes To Cardiff
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THE #EVERYCANCOUNTS RAINBOW COMES TO CARDIFF

THE #EVERYCANCOUNTS RAINBOW COMES TO CARDIFF 2560 1704 ChrisUK

We’ve partnered with Cardiff Council to bring The #EveryCanCounts Rainbow to the Welsh capital!

The #EveryCanCounts Rainbow archway has popped up on The Hayes in Cardiff city centre, as part of a campaign to encourage Cardiff residents to recycle their empty cans. The installation is created from over 2,500 recycled drink cans and will remain in place until Sunday evening. Our team of Every Can Counts recycling ambassadors will be roaming Cardiff city centre and Bute Park over the weekend to spread the recycling message while collecting cans.

In the first three months of this year, the total volume of domestic recycling in Cardiff was up 23% on 2020, as lockdown restrictions made it easier for people to recycle at home. However, in the same period, 81 tonnes of litter processed in the Council depot was collected from the city’s public places – a massive 55% increase year-on-year – with more people enjoying time outdoors and socialising with family and friends throughout the city.

Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager for Every Can Counts, said: “We’re so excited to unveil our vibrant rainbow installation in Cardiff city centre to remind people about the importance of recycling as restrictions lift across the country.

“Recycling an empty drink can is just one small thing that each of us can do for the benefit of the environment. All of the cans collected in Cardiff over the weekend could be recycled and refilled on shop shelves in just 60 days – and then infinitely recycled again and again.

“Last year, a record four out of five drink cans sold in the UK were recycled, and this was helped by the fact that we spent much of the year locked down at home with easy access to recycling bins. We now want to keep this up as things return to normality, so we can make our goal of recycling each and every drink can sold a reality.”

Councillor Michael Michael, Cabinet Member for Clean Streets, Recycling and Environment, said: “We’re thrilled that Cardiff is the first city to welcome this fantastic art installation to Wales.

“Rainbows have become especially symbolic in recent times, so it is sure to catch the attention of our residents and visitors in the heart of the city centre.

“We want everyone to use the litter bins provided when they’re out and about in Cardiff. We have 240 litter bins in the city centre and usually around 134,000 daily visitors to the city centre. We would encourage them to take their litter with them if the bins are full.

“We know that most people want a clean city and dispose of their litter correctly. Our Love Where You Live campaign with Keep Cardiff Tidy has gone from strength to strength with more people signing up to become Litter Champions and helping to keep their local communities clean, we’re grateful and thankful to each and every volunteer.

“I’m looking forward to seeing people share their photos of this impressive rainbow sculpture while remembering the message behind it and recycling their drinks cans and other waste.”

Julie James, the Welsh Government’s Minister for Climate Change said: “This is an excellent project and a powerful, visual reminder that, when it comes to recycling, we can do even more to stay on track to meet our goal of zero waste by 2050.

“I would like to congratulate everyone involved in this project and also to thank everybody in Wales for their efforts that make us a recycling nation – one of the best in the world – and for helping us progress towards a circular, low carbon economy.”

The rainbow makes for an ideal photo backdrop, and Every Can Counts is running a social media photo competition offering the chance to win a £200 shopping voucher. To enter, take a snap of the rainbow and upload it to social media using #EveryCanCounts and tagging @EveryCanCountsUK (Instagram/Facebook) or @EveryCanCounts (Twitter). Click here for more information about the competition, including terms & conditions.

  • The #EveryCanCounts Rainbow Comes To Cardiff
  • The #EveryCanCounts Rainbow Comes To Cardiff

  • ChrisUK

The Every Can Counts Rainbow Arrives in Brighton

The Every Can Counts Rainbow Arrives in Brighton 2560 1707 ChrisUK

As part of a partnership between Every Can Counts and Brighton & Hove City Council, we’ve constructed a giant rainbow archway comprising 2,500 recycled drinks cans on the Brighton Beach seafront.

Created as a tribute to key workers and to raise awareness about the importance of recycling, the four-metre-high installation aims to tackle litter and promote the infinite recyclability of aluminium drink cans. The cans have been supplied by Go Green, a charitable can recycling initiative managed by the Emily Jordan Foundation, which prevents metal packaging from going to landfill and provides meaningful day opportunities to people with learning disabilities and complex needs.

Chris Latham-Warde, Every Can Counts UK Programme Manager, commented: “We’ve created this rainbow archway as a tribute to the infinite good that has been done by key workers across the country during the coronavirus pandemic. We owe so much to them for their continued work on the frontline to keep us safe and well and, of course, it’s thanks to them that we’ve been able to keep recycling.

“We hope this tribute will inspire people to do infinite good in their own lives – and we’d like to suggest that looking after the environment by recycling your empty drink cans is a great place to start. Because drink cans recycle forever, the benefits of putting them in the right bin keep adding up – so playing your part in keeping the cycle going makes a real difference.”

Caroline Lucas, Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion, added: “It’s wonderful to see the Every Can Counts initiative in Brighton highlighting the importance of recycling valuable aluminium cans. I’m looking forward to seeing the giant rainbow of recycled cans, which will serve both as a great eye-catching sculpture for the campaign and as a celebration of the service of key workers during this pandemic. There will be roaming recycling ambassadors to speak to people about the campaign and a photo competition with the rainbow so do head down and see what it’s all about!”

Councillor Amy Heley, joint chair of Brighton & Hove City Council’s Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee, concluded: “Our city’s beautiful open spaces have been a much-needed respite for many residents during the lockdown, especially the beach. The downside has been the staggering amount of litter that has been generated. It’s taken a lot of hard work from our teams to keep our beach and parks clean. There are plenty of litter and recycling bins along the seafront so there’s no excuse for leaving a mess.

“We hope the rainbow helps to remind everyone how important it is to look after our beach and recycle more, especially when out and about. Our current recycling rate is still only 29.4% and a city like Brighton & Hove needs to do much, much better. We’ve installed more than 170 multi-coloured triple bins on the seafront where people can recycle cans, paper, cardboard and glass, as well as bin their litter. And if you can’t find a bin, please take your recycling home to put in your household collection.”

The Every Can Counts rainbow archway will remain in situ on Brighton & Hove’s seafront between the Upside Down House and i360 until 14th September.

Alongside the installation, we’ve created pavement graffiti and positioned a number of posters and billboards along the seafront. Over the bank holiday weekend, a team of Every Can Counts recycling ambassadors will be on-site to showcase the exhibition and roam busy beach areas to educate and inspire visitors to do the right thing with their empty drink cans.

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