As part of our fourth annual International Recycling Tour, a giant polar bear installation made of recycled aluminium cans appeared on Bristol’s Centre Promenade on June 5th to mark World Environment Day!
Made from 2,000 cans, the PixelCan artwork was created to shine a light on species which are currently endangered or vulnerable due to ecosystem degradation.
Alongside the stunning art piece, our dedicated ambassadors were also at the promenade, embodying our mission to promote the recycling of drink cans consumed outside the home and inviting the public to recycle their empty cans on the go.
Our team of ambassadors worked hard to raise awareness about the importance of recycling drink cans while collecting cans in their recycling backpacks.
The International Recycling Tour
The polar bear installation forms part of the fourth edition of our annual International Recycling Tour, which also launched on World Environment Day following new data revealing that a record 10.7 billion cans were recycled in the UK in 2023.
The tour aims to highlight the importance of drink can recycling in saving valuable resources and mitigating climate change.
This year, the tour has made a bold visual statement with its PixelCan artworks of endangered animals including a sea turtle, tiger, and chimpanzee, alongside the polar bear in Bristol.
Encouraging individuals across the globe to become #GenerationRestoration, the initiative is taking place simultaneously in 16 cities including Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.
Click here to learn more about the International Recycling Tour!
David Van Heuverswyn, Director of Every Can Counts Global, said: “Our vision is to achieve 100% global drink can recycling! Every can recycled can be back on the shelf in 60 days, and campaigns like the International Recycling Tour bring us one step closer to this vision, demonstrating the power of collective action in creating a truly circular economy for the benefit of both people and nature.
“Here in Bristol, we’re proud to celebrate our tour for the first time with a unique polar bear PixelCan installation to tie into World Environment Day.”
Every Can Counts is a unique partnership formed between drink can manufacturers, drink can fillers and the wider recycling industry, all with the goal of reaching a 100% recycling rate for drink cans.
The programme provides free recycling support to businesses and organisations throughout Ireland and around the globe, reaching 183.5 million people worldwide in 2023 alone and helping recycle over 55 million drink cans through event activations and partnerships.
