sustainability

  • Phoebe Kelly

Cash for Cans: A Creative Fundraising Solution For Your Cause

Cash for Cans: A Creative Fundraising Solution For Your Cause 2560 1715 Phoebe Kelly

You might know that recycling your empty drink cans is good news for the environment, but did you know it can also be good news for your local community? By taking your aluminium cans to a metal merchant or recycling centre which takes ‘cash for cans’, drink can recycling could be the perfect fundraising opportunity for community groups and charities who want to boost recycling rates while also raising money for a good cause.

Why Cash for Cans?

Aluminium packaging is one of the most valuable materials in your recycling bin. Many metal merchants offer between 30p-50p per kilo of drink cans collected and brought in for recycling. To give you an idea of quantity, approximately 80 aluminium cans make up a kilo.

Many people collect cans to raise money for a charity of their choice or to support a community project or initiative. If you need a bit of inspiration to get started with your own fundraising project, then you’re in the right place! We’re shining a spotlight on three amazing fundraising initiatives that have been made possible through drink can recycling. Not only have these projects improved drink can recycling rates in their area, but they’ve also raised vital funds for their community or a project close to their hearts. Let’s take a look at what they have achieved.

The Neasden Temple

First up in our trio of recycling heroes is BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London – which is otherwise known as the Neasden Temple. This temple opened in August 1995 was Europe’s first traditional Hindu stone temple, created by the vision of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS which is a worldwide charitable Hindu organisation.

This incredible temple, found in North West London, was constructed using traditional Hindu architectural methods, meaning that no structural steel was used. The Italian marble selected for this impressive building was sent to India to be carved by craftsmen and then shipped to London to be assembled into the Temple which stands today.

Between 1992 and 1995 a nation-wide recycling campaign was launched to fund the construction of the Neasden Temple. In less than three years, a massive total of over 7 million drink cans along with 91 tonnes of aluminium foil was collected by a group of young children involved in the initiative which provided BAPS with a grand total of £75,000, all of which helped to bring the Neasden Temple to life. This incredible feat is known to be one of the largest aluminium can recycling efforts run by a charitable organisation in the UK. But more than this, the initiative provided young children with a greater understanding of recycling and a sense of community involvement. Their recycling efforts and contribution to its construction, instilled the notion that the Neasden Temple was being built for both themselves and for future generations.

Want to learn more about the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir? Visit their website by clicking here.

Aluminium Can Recycling Group for the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance

Next up, we are putting a spotlight on Janice and David Lipscombe who, back in 2019, began recycling aluminium drink cans to help raise funds for the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance. After their first donation of £12, word about their scheme spread across the community and inspired a growing number of people to join their recycling efforts.

From individuals to businesses; from scouts and guide groups to litter-picking groups; many people are now involved in the initiative, which has gained over 200 members on Facebook. They now have 37 recycling points set up across Hampshire, with locations ranging from a local church to a vineyard! These recycling bins are emptied once a month and the aluminium cans are then taken to an industrial recycling centre which offers ‘cash for cans’. Any money received from this exchange is then donated directly to Air Ambulance Hampshire & Isle of Wight.

Since starting the initiative four years ago, the group has collected approximately 9 tonnes of aluminium, which includes foil, tea light holders and wine tops, with their main source of income being recycled drink cans. Their recycling efforts have rewarded them with a grand total of £14,800 which has been donated directly to the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance.

Want to get involved? Click here to join their Facebook group!

Cans4City

The third fundraising project we want to shine a light on is the Exeter-based initiative, Cans4City. The scheme was originally founded in 2005 by Exeter Football Club and encourages Exeter football fans, who want to support the club, to recycle their empty drink cans and raise money for charity.

After partnering with Exeter City Council in 2019, Cans4City really started to take off within the local community. Working with the council’s waste management department, Cans4City now has over 20 aluminium recycling points throughout Devon and has collected more than 19 tonnes of drink cans.

Cans4City has raised over £15,400 from their recycling efforts, with all funds going towards projects and initiatives run both by the football club and its partner charity Exeter City Community Trust. Donations have been made towards a football kit for refugee team Exeter United, a mental health awareness programme for the ECFC Academy, purchasing a defibrillator for Cliff Hill training ground, as well as a number of improvements to St James Park and its Memorial Garden. Over the past year, a particularly proud moment for the group was putting the funds raised from their recycled drink cans towards the purchase of picnic benches made from plastic waste collected at the football club over the course of 9 months.

For more information about the scheme, please click here.

Ready to Get Started with ‘Cash for Cans’?

If you need a bit of inspiration to get started with your own recycling project, these groups are excellent examples to follow. Not only do they help the environment by recycling, but they also support their communities in significant ways.

So, if you’re feeling inspired and you want to start your own drink can collection scheme, then we’re here to support you! We provide cardboard recycling bins (designed for indoor use), bin stickers, and posters to help spread the word about the importance of drink can recycling and encourage others to get involved. We’re also happy to offer advice on finding a local metal merchant who offers ‘cash for cans’ and/or how to get the best price for your cans.

So, get in touch by sending us a message on our contact form or via any of our social media channels!

  • Phoebe Kelly

Experience The Infinite Possibilities Of Recycling: The Every Can Counts Infinity Room Arrives At W5 For Recycle Week

Experience The Infinite Possibilities Of Recycling: The Every Can Counts Infinity Room Arrives At W5 For Recycle Week 1408 946 Phoebe Kelly

We’ve partnered with the award-winning W5 Science & Discovery Centre to bring our captivating Infinity Room exhibit to Belfast, in time for the 20th anniversary of Recycle Week!

Join us for Recycle Week and experience our immersive ‘Infinity Room’ exhibit in Belfast, which invites visitors of all ages to explore the significance of recycling drink cans while showcasing the infinite recyclability of aluminum.

Experiencing Infinite Possibilities

Upon their visit, guests will be met with a giant drink can, and once they step inside, they’ll be immersed in a mirrored room featuring the illusion of an infinite number of suspended aluminium cans. Alongside the visual spectacle, a narrator will take them on an educational journey through aluminium can recycling and its environmental benefits.

Comprised of 1,500 recycled cans and 25 square meters of mirrors, the Infinity Room is not only an educational experience but also a stunning visual attraction. To help us spread the recycling message far and wide, we’re encouraging everyone who visits to share their experience on social media by using the hashtag, #EveryCanCounts.

The arrival of the Infinity Room not only marks a new experience for visitors to W5 Belfast, but also the 20th anniversary of Recycle Week.

What Is Recycle Week?

Recycle Week is an annual celebration of recycling which aims to encourage the public across the UK to recycle more of the right things, more often. Hosted by the recycling charity WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), Recycle Week encourages businesses, local authorities, and community groups to all come together to promote the importance of waste reduction.

If you’d like to find out more, you can visit WRAP’s website by clicking here.

Victoria Denoon, Head of W5 Experience, said:

“W5 is proud to work alongside Every Can Counts to showcase the Infinity Room Tour during Recycle Week 2023.

“The exhibit will be housed in our In Our Nature Zone which highlights the importance of sustainability, climate change and our local environment and is aligned to W5’s mission of provoking new learning opportunities in immersive environments where visitors of all ages and backgrounds can become fully absorbed and engaged. 

“Like Every Can Counts, we are fully committed to inspiring the next generation to recycle and providing opportunities for them to learn about the science involved.”

Nothing Is Impossible When You Make Every Can Count

As part of Recycle Week, we conducted research on the recycling behaviors of Belfast residents. Check out the findings below:

  • On average, residents of Belfast enjoy seven canned drinks per week, and 78% of these cans are recycled.
  • Just under half (48%) of those living in Belfast always use recycling bins when out and about in public places.
  • Only a third (31%) would take packaging home to recycle it if they couldn’t find a recycle bin.
  • Belfast residents cited more recycling bins (73%), clearer signage on recycling bins (34%), and more recyclable packaging (34%) as the top three things which would encourage them to recycle more when out of their home.
  • Almost half of those living in Belfast (44%) think more should be done to educate young people about the importance of recycling.

Make Every Can Count for Recycle Week

If you want to make every one of your cans count for Recycle Week and beyond, then we want you to help us spread the recycling message!

Here are the key facts we like to shout about:

  • Aluminium can be recycled again and again without losing any quality!
  • It takes as little as 60 days for a drink can to go around the recycling loop and be back on the shop shelf as a brand new can.
  • Recycling drink cans uses 95% less energy than making new ones from primary aluminium.

Want to learn more about drink can recycling? We have another blog post which answers all of your frequently asked questions. Click here to find out more.

Visit the Infinity Room!

If you’re in Belfast, be sure to check out the Every Can Counts Infinity Room at W5. It’s a fantastic opportunity to experience art and learn about sustainability in a fun and engaging way!

For more information, including W5’s opening times, click here.

  • Phoebe Kelly

A Greener Festival Season With Every Can Counts: Highlights From Our Summer

A Greener Festival Season With Every Can Counts: Highlights From Our Summer 2560 1707 Phoebe Kelly

Phew – it’s been a busy summer here at Every Can Counts as we helped to create a greener festival season!

We’ve had a presence at 12 major events (with a total attendance of 1,445,000) and festivals since June, bringing along our inspirational messages and plenty of recycling fun! From immersive installations to games and quizzes, our activities have been encouraging positive behaviour change and raising awareness about the benefits of recycling drink cans.

And we couldn’t have done it without our passionate team of recycling ambassadors! A total of 42 ambassadors helped us to put the fun into recycling this summer by donning their can-recycling backpacks and engaging people with our activities. Our team worked tirelessly over the summer to spread the Every Can Counts message; with over 5,000 people taking part in our recycling quiz and thousands more engaged in our other recycling-themed activities. 

So, what was our aim at these events?

  1. To encourage everyone at the festival to recycle their empty drink cans.
  2. To make drink can recycling fun and accessible.
  3. To inspire more people to recycle on-the-go.
  4. To raise awareness of the many benefits of recycling drink cans.
  5. To empower and reassure people with knowledge about the simplicity and speed of the drink can recycling process.

Read on to see how we brought these ambitions to life this summer!

Celebrating the International Recycling Tour at Mighty Hoopla

We kicked off our summer at Mighty Hoopla in Brockwell Park, where we participated in the third edition of the #EveryCanCounts International Recycling Tour.

How did we help create a greener festival?

  • Our recycling ambassadors: Eight of our dedicated recycling ambassadors roamed the festival with their iconic backpacks collecting empty cans and spreading the message that ‘aluminium recycles forever’.
  • A nature-inspired installation at Mighty Hoopla: made up of 2,000 drink cans, the PixelCan artwork featured tiger eyes designed to have a ‘watching effect’ over festival goers, encouraging them to do the right thing and recycle their empty cans.

Read more about this year’s International Recycling Tour event here.  

Celebrating 20 Years of Download Festival

The 20th anniversary of Download Festival was an extraordinary celebration, and we were there to make it even more special. With the head-turning #EveryCanCounts soapbox, our team roamed around Donnington Park collecting cans and engaging festival goers everywhere they went. Over 40,000 cans were recycled through Every Can Counts’ activities at the events, with thousands upon thousands more being recycled across the whole of the site.

How did we spread the recycling message?

  • Our recycling ambassadors roamed around Download Festival chatting to festival goers and getting them excited about drink can recycling!
  • Our recycling survey and prize draw helped to ignite excitement while giving attendees the opportunity to learn something new about drink can recycling.  Over 2,400 people completed the survey and entered our prize draw for tickets to next year’s festival!
  • Festival goers had the chance to exchange a bag of empty drink cans for recycling rewards, including ‘Metal Never Dies’ t-shirts and recycled aluminium keyrings commemorating the festival’s 20th anniversary.
  • We brought our iconic voting bins and brand new DOWNLOAD can cages to the festival which prompted anyone who passed through the Campsite Village to do the right thing with their empty cans!
  • After its crash at last year’s Red Bull Soapbox Race in London, our iconic soapbox received a rather impressive makeover. Now equipped with an electric motor, it grabbed the attention at Download Festival as our ambassadors drove it around Donington Park, captivating the crowd and spreading the message of sustainability while having fun.
  • We created a PixelCan display of the iconic Download Dog, made from 2,000 recycled drink cans. The art installation was on display for the duration of the festival and proved to be a popular photo opportunity with attendees.
  • On the final day of the festival our team held a recycling quiz which taught those participating about the wonders of can recycling. The winner’s prize was a one-of-a-kind Download 20th anniversary commemorative plaque, made from recycled aluminium.

Return to Silverstone

We had a blast revving up the recycling game at the British Grand Prix for Formula 1 and MotoGP at Silverstone. Who knew that recycling could become a competitive sport too? Our voting bins and our recycling quiz certainly proved it could!

Formula 1 British Grand Prix

  • Our Silverstone can cages were on display, ready for F1 fans to recycle their drink cans and snap a photo beside.
  • We brought out our voting bins to encourage some healthy competition between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen fans, all in the name of drink can recycling.
  • Our iconic aluminium Soapbox made an appearance too, creating a buzz around our pitch and helping to engage F1 fans in conversations about aluminium recycling.
  • Our recycling ambassadors roamed the entirety of Silverstone Circuit chatting to fans about all things related to can recycling – and F1 too!

MotoGP British Grand Prix

  • Our team of ambassadors were back roaming the circuit in August during the MotoGP race weekend. With their iconic backpacks, our team brought the recycling bin to MotoGP fans and reminded them about the importance of drink can recycling.
  • Our ambassadors also put MotoGP fans to the test with our recycling quiz, resulting in some great conversations and leaving people with nuggets of drink can recycling knowledge to take away with them after the event.

Stendhal Festival

In July we returned to Stendhal Festival in Limavady, Northern Ireland. Our recycling ambassadors roamed the festival, equipped with their recycling backpacks and recycling quizzes. We also brought our iconic ‘I Heart Recycling’ can cages to the festival to inspire everyone to recycle their empty cans. These quirky recycling bins never fail to fill up quickly at festivals, thanks to their eye-catching shapes and colourful designs!

Working in Partnership with Drink Brands

We’ve had a busy summer working with our brand partners to spread the recycling message even further and increase recycling rates at festivals and events.

Pernod Ricard UK

Back in May, we announced our new partnership with Pernod Ricard UK. Throughout the summer we’ve teamed up with two of their drink brands, Absolut UK and Malibu UK, to raise awareness about the importance of can recycling and encourage everyone at the events we attended to recycle their empty cans.

Events with Absolut UK
  • Mighty Hoopla: Alongside our International Recycling Tour, our team worked with Absolut to collect cans and spread the recycling message by dancing, singing and generally getting into the fabulous spirit of Mighty Hoopla!
  • Brighton Pride: Our recycling ambassadors marched proudly alongside the Pride Parade in Brighton and continued to take their enthusiasm for drink can recycling into Fabuloso In The Park!
Events with Malibu UK
  • Elrow Town, London: Despite the rain, our ambassadors had a blast at Elrow Town and managed to engage the crowds with their usual charm and passion for drink can recycling.
  • We Are FSTVL: Our team donned their backpacks for one last time this summer at We Are FSTVL – and thankfully the weather was on their side this time! The team roamed the festival site spreading the Every Can Counts message with their co-branded Malibu recycling backpacks.

Red Bull

Our long-standing partners at Red Bull have been working with us to ensure attendees at their brand events can easily recycle their empty cans. As well as providing Every Can Counts bins for use at Red Bull events, we also sent a couple of our can cages up to Edinburgh for Red Bull Contested in June – ensuring both gamers and fans knew exactly what to do with their empty cans!

British Summer Time Festival with Most Wanted Wines

Our ambassadors attended BST Hyde Park in partnership with our new brand partners Most Wanted Wines. Our team really made every can count at the festival, and all the Most Wanted cans we collected have been saved for an upcoming art installation… Watch this space!

All Points East with White Claw

We sent one of our iconic can cages to London’s All Points East festival in partnership with White Claw Hard Seltzer. Our can cage helped to brighten up everyone’s bank holiday weekend and ensure that festival-goers could recycle their cans in Victoria Park.

Big Feastival with Canned Wine Co.

To round off our summer season, we had a presence at Big Feastival in partnership with Canned Wine Company. After enjoying a delicious can of wine, festival-goers were able to recycle their empty cans into one of our can recycling backpacks or our green ‘Recycling Swoosh’ can cage!

How Can You Get Involved?

If you came across the Every Can Counts team out and about this summer and are now feeling inspired to make a difference, here’s a reminder of a few things you can do to make your empty cans count:

  1. Recycle your drink cans while you’re out and about. If there is no recycling bin around, hold on to your cans until you find one, or take them home and recycle them there.
  2. If you’re camping or picnicking in the great outdoors, bring some bags with you so you can separate your recycling from your general waste.  
  3. If you work or volunteer at an organisation with no drink can recycling facilities in place, we can help you do something about it! Set up a can collection point by requesting a free Every Can Counts starter pack here.
  4. Help us spread the Every Can Counts message! Remember that aluminium recycles forever, and drink cans have the potential to go around the recycling loop in just 60 days. Help us get the word out there to those who don’t know and encourage everyone to recycle their cans on-the-go!

Together we can create a greener festival and event environment and continue to make progress on our journey towards a 100% drink can recycling rate. We’ll see you next summer for another season of good music, sunshine, and recycling fun – and until then, remember to make your cans count!

  • Phoebe Kelly

Immersive Recycling Exhibit Launches At Catalyst Science Discovery Centre

Immersive Recycling Exhibit Launches At Catalyst Science Discovery Centre 2560 1707 Phoebe Kelly

The #EveryCanCounts Infinity Room has arrived at Catalyst Science Discovery Centre in Widnes, Cheshire.

What is the #EveryCanCounts Infinity Room?

The ‘Infinity Room’ installation, created by recycling not-for-profit Every Can Counts, aims to teach children and the wider public about the importance of recycling drink cans, as well as illustrating the infinite recyclability of aluminium.

Those who step inside the giant drink can will find themselves in a mirrored room that creates an illusion of being surrounded by an infinite number of suspended aluminium cans. At the same time, a narrator will take them on an educational journey through aluminium can recycling and its environmental benefits. The exhibit, which is made up of 1,500 recycled cans and 25 square metres of mirrors, also makes for an ideal photo opportunity.

What Makes this Immersive Recycling Exhibit So Special?

At Every Can Counts we love educating and inspiring people to recycle their drink cans via innovative and creative projects. The #EveryCanCounts Infinity Room allows anyone who enters to see the endless possibilities that come from recycling a drink can. It shows that recycling just a few small cans could add up to make a massive impact and will hopefully inspire people to continue making lots of little, positive changes in their life. Each can recycled bring us one step closer to a 100% drink can recycling rate and a more sustainable future for us all.

To learn more about the life cycle of a drink can, visit our dedicated web page by clicking here.

Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager for Every Can Counts, said: “Our one-of-a-kind Infinity Room installation has been a great success in both Glasgow and Dundee over the past few months, so we’re very excited to be bringing it to yet another new location in the UK.   

“The aim of the exhibit is to raise awareness of the infinite recyclability of aluminium in a visual and interactive way. Every drink can that is recycled could be back on the shop shelf in 60 days, so we hope that visitors to Catalyst Science Discovery Centre are left feeling inspired by this and the vital role that they can play in keeping this cycle going.”

Clare Lightfoot, Community Engagement Coordinator at Catalyst Science Discovery Centre, said, “Informing, educating and inspiring younger generations about the wonders of science and the impact they can have on the environment is what we’re all about at Catalyst Science Discovery Centre.

“It’s great to be able to partner with Every Can Counts to host their Infinity Room exhibit and spread the message about the infinite recyclability of aluminium in a fun and interactive way. We look forward to hearing what our visitors think and the small changes they’ll be making in their everyday lives to make sure each and every drink can that they consume is recycled.”

Year 6 pupils at St Augustine's Catholic Primary visit the Infinity Room at Catalyst Science Discovery Centre in Cheshire.
Year 6 pupils at St Augustine’s Catholic Primary visit the Infinity Room at Catalyst Science Discovery Centre in Cheshire.

Infinity Room Opening Times

Visitors can explore the Infinity Room at Catalyst Science Discovery Centre free of charge, from 10am – 5pm every day, (apart from Mondays when the centre is closed) but visitors are encouraged to purchase an admission ticket to experience all of the activities and exhibits the centre has to offer.

Learn More About Catalyst Science Discovery Centre

Catalyst is a Science Discovery Centre and Museum offering a host of interactive exhibits, museum archives, historical galleries, family shows and hands-on workshops.  

Learn more about the Discovery Centre and Museum, view all the other exhibits and activities on offer and book tickets for an exciting day out by visiting Catalyst’s website! Click here for more information.

  • Phoebe Kelly

Announcing Our New Partnership With Pernod Ricard UK

Announcing Our New Partnership With Pernod Ricard UK 2560 1920 Phoebe Kelly

We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with industry leading wine and spirits company, Pernod Ricard UK. The partnership will see Pernod Ricard UK collaborate with the Every Can Counts programme, alongside drink can manufacturers and the wider recycling industry, to raise awareness of the importance of recycling and work together to increase the recycling rate for drink cans across the UK.

Spreading the Every Can Counts Message

We will be working with Pernod Ricard UK and its brands to encourage more recycling in on-the-go locations. Over the summer months we will be supporting a number of sampling campaigns and festival activations for Pernod Ricard’s Absolut and Malibu brands. The first of these partnership activations will be at Mighty Hoopla festival in London, where our recycling ambassadors will be on hand to collect cans and educate consumers.

Pernod Ricard’s Sustainability & Responsibility Roadmap

Pernod Ricard UK is committed to creating a better world through environmental initiatives. The company’s sustainability and responsibility roadmap – Good Times From A Good Place – has four core pillars: Circular Making, Nurturing Terroir, Valuing People and Responsible Hosting. A key commitment within the Circular Making pillar is working to reduce the company’s carbon footprint intensity by 50% by 2030 and achieving Net Zero by 2050.

A Few Words…

Ian Peart, Commercial Director at Pernod Ricard UK commented: “For RTDs, as for any other segment, we strive to be sustainable and responsible every step of the way, including in our packaging, energy and production, as well as transport. Aluminium is an infinitely recyclable material and in the UK, 82% of aluminium was effectively recycled in 2021. We’re excited to be working with Every Can Counts as we strive to increase that number.”

Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager for Every Can Counts said: “We’re always very excited to announce new partnerships, especially those with brands as well known and globally recognised as Pernod Ricard UK. It’s great to see these industry leading brands taking steps to encourage their customers to do the right thing and we’re looking forward to working with them to help raise awareness and inspire recycling across the nation.”

Every Can Counts x Pernod Ricard Prize Draw

To celebrate our new partnership with Pernod Ricard UK, we’re giving away a hamper with 40 cans of Absolut and Malibu cocktails for you to share with friends this summer! Click here to learn more and read our terms and conditions.

  • Phoebe Kelly

How Haileybury Set Up A Successful School Recycling Initiative

How Haileybury Set Up A Successful School Recycling Initiative 2560 1709 Phoebe Kelly

We have awarded Haileybury – a day and boarding school based in Hertfordshire – with a Green Can Award for establishing a drink can recycling initiative, which has already seen more than 6.8 kg of aluminium cans recycled since October 2022.

Haileybury’s Recycling Initiative

Haileybury’s Sustainability Committee is an extra-curricular group, made up of around 50 Sixth Form pupils who are all committed to making an environmental and social difference at the school and in the surrounding area.

In October 2022, the pupils ramped up their recycling efforts by installing 30 Every Can Counts recycling boxes in common areas around the school, as well as in each of the 12 boarding houses. These boxes helped to encourage their peers, teachers and visitors to recycle and has since resulted in over 6.8kg of cans being recycled!

Other Sustainability Initiatives at Haileybury

Sustainability is a key focus for Haileybury School which has worked hard to reduce its year-on-year energy consumption by 8% for the first 3 months of the year. This was achieved by installing energy efficient LED lighting and implementing the use of energy monitors to help drive behavioural change.

The school will also be banning single use plastic bottles on site from August 2023, has planted 400 more trees on its fields, and has installed two cycle shelters to encourage its pupils and staff to use more green transportation methods.

Alongside their sustainability efforts, Haileybury pupils also organise and support local community initiatives such as litter picking and organising afternoon tea for elderly members of the community.

Green Can Award Presentation

In addition to receiving an award, pupils from the Sustainability Committee were also rewarded with a workshop led by social enterprise, Casting Innovations. During this workshop pupils learned about the infinite recyclability of aluminium, as well as the melting process with pupils making their own individually casted keyring from recycled aluminium. 

What We Had To Say About the Award

Simon Heard, Deputy Master and Sustainability Lead at Haileybury was delighted with the award: “We feel very fortunate to have so many motivated pupils and committed staff to help push the sustainability strategy of the School, of which one aspect is recycling. It is fantastic, therefore, to team up with a company such as Every Can Counts. To win an award on top of this was very special and we are very proud of the pupils’ achievements.”

Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager for Every Can Counts said: “We’re very impressed with the efforts of the pupils at Haileybury when it comes to recycling.

“Their Sustainability Committee is setting an excellent example of how the younger generation can get involved to implement change and look after the environment.

“Aluminium is infinitely recyclable and each and every drink can recycled could be back on the shop shelf in 60 days, so small changes, such as rolling out recycling bins at schools, really do add up to make a difference. We hope the group’s ongoing efforts inspire others within the community and the wider area to get involved to help keep the cycle going.”

How to Set Up A School Recycling Initiative

Introducing drink can recycling into schools has never been easier! As part of our mission to achieve a 100% drink can recycling rate, we offer FREE recycling packs to businesses and organisations looking to implement recycling initiatives. With these packs you will receive 3 cardboard collection boxes, can collection sacks and a selection of educational/promotional posters.

Click here to fill out the form and receive your recycling pack today!

Educational Resources About Aluminium Recycling

For any schools interested in introducing a range of multidisciplinary teaching resources on aluminium recycling, please visit the Learning Aluminium Website.

Learning Aluminium contains a selection of free, downloadable, curriculum-linked activities for pupils aged seven to 14. These resources can be used across several subjects including geography, design and technology, English and ICT.

Apply for a Green Can Award!

Have you helped to set up a can recycling initiative at your school? Or maybe you’ve introduced drink can recycling into the work place? If so, we believe that your efforts deserve to be recognised! Click here to find out more about our Green Can Awards.

  • Phoebe Kelly

Introducing the #EveryCanCounts CANvas

Introducing the #EveryCanCounts CANvas 2227 2395 Phoebe Kelly

Visit Covent Garden for Earth Day 2023 and see our brand new installation highlighting the importance of recycling drink cans!

What is the #EveryCanCounts CANvas?

In celebration of Earth Day on Saturday 22nd April, Covent Garden, the sustainable neighbourhood of the West End, is partnering with us for a second time to create ‘The #EveryCanCounts CANvas’.

Made up of over 700 drink cans, the ‘CANvas’ has been brought to life by renowned street artist, Jimmy C, with a bespoke Earth Day design to raise awareness of the infinite recyclability of aluminum and encourage people to recycle their drink cans wherever they are – as when recycled, each and every empty can could be back on sale as a brand-new can in just 60 days.

The installation is located on Covent Garden’s North Piazza and will remain on display until Tuesday 25th April, when Jimmy C will be returning to paint a new ‘CANvas’ ahead of the Coronation weekend – so watch this space!

Chris Latham-Warde, programme manager for Every Can Counts, said: “We’re so excited to partner with Covent Garden again and celebrate Earth Day with the reveal of our brand-new ‘CANvas’ installation.

“Earth Day is all about encouraging worldwide action to help benefit the environment and to preserve the planet, and recycling empty drink cans is something we can all easily do.

“Aluminum is infinitely recyclable, and every empty can could be recycled and back on a shop shelf as a brand-new can in just 60 days. Every can recycled also reduces the carbon footprint of the next can made, so small actions like recycling really do add up to help make a big difference.”

Artist Jimmy C with CANvas installation in Covent Garden.
Artist Jimmy C and Every can counts team with CANvas installation in Covent Garden.

Enter Our Photo Prize Draw!

Make sure you visit Covent Garden for Earth Day 2023 as we will also be holding a photo prize draw with the #EveryCanCounts CANvas! Passers-by have until 30th May to snap a picture with the CANvas installation and enter a social media photo competition for the chance to win a £100 One4All gift card. To enter, take a photo of the CANvas and upload it to social media using #EveryCanCounts and tagging @EveryCanCountsUK (Instagram/Facebook) or @EveryCanCounts (Twitter). Prize draw terms and conditions can be viewed here.

  • ChrisUK

Bodega 51 Presented With Green Can Award

Bodega 51 Presented With Green Can Award 2560 1678 ChrisUK

Bodega 51, an independent bar in Rochester, has been presented with a Green Can Award by Every Can Counts for its ongoing recycling efforts. Since opening in May last year, the bar has recycled more than 25,000 drink cans, with all proceeds being donated to mental health charity, Mind.  

About Bodega 51 and their recycling initiative:

Bodega 51 specialises in canned drinks, stocking over 150 varieties from craft lagers, IPAs, cocktails to juices and soft drinks, all of which are collected and recycled once consumed by customers.

All empty drink cans are taken and sold to local scrap metal business, Medway Metals, with the proceeds then being donated to Mind. In just 10 months, the team at Bodega 51 have raised a total of £200 for the charity and have recycled 300kg of cans.

Sustainability is a key focus for the bar, with it encouraging its employees as well as other local businesses and individuals to drop off clean and crushed aluminium cans in clear sacks in order to be recycled.

The bar also displays boards and posters on-site to educate customers on the benefits of recycling aluminium and to give updates on the progress of their fundraising initiative.

A few words:

Kayea Shome, owner of Bodega 51, said: “We’re thrilled to receive this award and be recognised for our commitment to recycling. Being Kent’s first can bar, recycling is hugely important to us and we’re glad to be able to use our recycling initiative to also give something back to the community by raising money for charity. The more people who can get involved, the better!”

Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager for Every Can Counts said: “Aluminium is infinitely recyclable, and every empty can could be recycled and back on sale as a brand-new can in just 60 days; so we’re very impressed with the team at Bodega 51 who have made recycling a key focus since their opening last year with their fantastic fundraising initiative in support of Mind.

“The bar is a great example of how independent businesses can make a real difference, no matter their size, and it’s great to see them encouraging other local businesses as well as the wider community to get involved and help look after the environment while raising money for charity too.”

Find out more:

You can learn more about Bodega 51 on Facebook and Instagram.

To find out more about the Green Can Award scheme, click here.

  • ChrisUK

Celebrating Global Recycling Day with the #EveryCanCounts Rainbow in York

Celebrating Global Recycling Day with the #EveryCanCounts Rainbow in York 2560 1707 ChrisUK

The #EveryCanCounts Rainbow Archway has arrived in Exhibition Square in York, ahead of Global Recycling Day (Saturday 18th March).

The four-by-seven metre structure was created using over 2,500 recycled cans and will be on display in front of York Art Gallery for a full week, until Friday 24th March.

Cllr Paula Widdowson, Executive Member for the Environment and Climate Change, at City of York Council, said: “This is a fantastic campaign to highlight the importance of recycling here in York, which we hope everyone will engage with and take photos of!

“Residents can do their bit to keep the cycle going by recycling their aluminium cans at kerbside, or in one of the many local recycling banks located across the city.”

Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager for Every Can Counts, said: “Our rainbow installation has toured up and down the country – from Glasgow to London – and we’re thrilled for it to be making its Yorkshire debut to mark Global Recycling Day this weekend.

“As well as brightening up the city centre, our installation will be reminding people about the benefits of recycling their drink cans.

“Aluminium is infinitely recyclable, and every empty can could be recycled and back on a shop shelf as a brand-new can in just 60 days. The people of York can play their part in this process by ensuring all their empty cans end up in the right bin, allowing this valuable material to remain in circulation.”

We’ve already had plenty of people stopping by the installation for a photo, including Green-Can-Award-Winner Karen Nash with the one and only Snappy Croc!

The #EveryCanCounts Rainbow in front of York Art Gallery.
Every Can Counts and City of York Council staff in front of the #EveryCanCounts Rainbow in York.
The #EveryCanCounts Rainbow in Exhibition Square, York, with York Minster cathedral in the background.
Lucy Wollhouse and Adam Care take a selfie in front of the #EveryCanCounts Rainbow in York.
Lizzie, 6, and Andrew, 3, by the #EveryCanCounts Rainbow in York.
The Snappy Croc (Snappy Trust mascot) in front of the #EveryCanCounts Rainbow in York.

Enter Our Photo Prize Draw!

Passers-by have until next Friday evening (24th March) to snap a picture with the archway and enter a social media photo competition for the chance to win a £100 York gift card. To enter, take a photo of the rainbow and upload it to social media using #EveryCanCounts and tagging @EveryCanCountsUK (Instagram/Facebook) or @EveryCanCounts (Twitter). Prize draw terms and conditions can be viewed here.

  • Phoebe Kelly

To Crush or Not to Crush Drink Cans: Common Recycling Questions Answered

To Crush or Not to Crush Drink Cans: Common Recycling Questions Answered 2000 1334 Phoebe Kelly

There are plenty of questions you may want to ask about drink can recycling: Should I crush my drink cans before recycling? Should I wash them? Do they travel half-way around the world in order to be recycled?   

But if you think that recycling your aluminium drink can should be as simple as popping it into the recycling bin, then you’re in luck; it really is that simple!

Aluminium is an infinitely recyclable material, so as long as your empty can is placed in a recycling bin, it can be back on the shop shelf as a brand-new can in just 60 days. No matter it’s size, shape or colour.

This blog will answer the burning questions you might still have about drink can recycling and debunk some of the age-old myths that continue to circulate around the internet.

So let’s get to it…

Should I crush my drink cans before recycling?

You do not have to crush your empty drink cans. Some people crush their recycled cans to create more room in their recycling bin, but this is optional. Your can is equally recyclable either way!

Both crushed and uncrushed cans are separated from other recyclables at the sorting facility (also called a materials recovery facility) using electric currents. These currents are called eddy currents or Foucault’s currents. To learn more about the drink can recycling process, you can visit our dedicated web page by clicking here.

Do cans have to be sent thousands of miles away to be recycled?

Over 90% of drink cans collected in the UK are recycled within Europe.1 The majority of cans recycled in the UK are melted down at a large plant in Warrington, Cheshire. This single plant has the capacity to recycle all of the cans sold in the UK. But there are plenty of other options around too, with over 220 aluminium recycling plants spread across Europe!2

How much energy does it take to recycle drink cans?

Recycling cans uses 95% LESS energy than creating new ones from raw materials. So recycling cans leads to huge energy savings as well as savings in greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, recycling one aluminium can saves enough energy to recharge almost 20 smartphones!3

Does the plastic coating on the inside of a can mean that they can’t be recycled?  

Manufacturers have used food-grade, polymer-based can coatings for decades as a protective barrier between the metal and the products in the can. The purpose of coatings is to extend product shelf life, and to ensure that the quality and taste of the product remain as intended until the consumer opens it.

Importantly, these protective coatings do not impact upon the recyclability of an aluminium can. The coating on a 330ml standard can makes up only 1-2 percent of the total mass, and is extracted and used as thermal fuel during the recycling process.

How many drink cans are recycled every year?

The UK’s drink can recycling rate in 2021 was 82%.4 That means that 8 out of every 10 drink cans sold in the UK were recycled. It’s a record high recycling rate – but we want to keep raising the bar!

Do drink cans have to be washed before they’re recycled?

You should always ensure your drink can is empty before you put it in a recycling bin, but there is no need to wash it before recycling. Any impurities that remain in the can are removed during the re-melting process.

Do the labels on the cans make them less recyclable?

For smaller brands producing drinks in cans, sometimes their volumes are too low to have printed cans and they apply a label (e.g. paper or plastic) post-production instead.

These cans are still recyclable, but printed cans are preferable as there are fewer non-aluminium components attached to the can.

What is the system in other countries where you get paid for recycling drink cans?   

The system you’re referring to is known as a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) and is something which is coming into place in Scotland later this year and will be coming to the UK in 2025.

The money you receive when recycling your cans in this system is a refund of a deposit you pay when purchasing them.5

So there you have it!

You now know that you don’t have to crush your cans before recycling them and that the plastic coating on the inside of a can does not affect the infinite recyclability of the aluminium your drink can is made from!

We know that by writing this blog, the myths surrounding drink can recycling won’t disappear. But we hope that we’ve helped answer some common questions and you’re now feeling better informed about the can recycling process. If you’re still unsure about something, you can always drop us a message, either by email, Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

Want to learn more?

We’ve dedicated a whole section of our website to breaking down the can recycling process. Click here to learn more about the Life Cycle of a Can.

Footnotes

  1. Recycling Process Factsheet (Alupro)
  2. About the Aluminium Industry (European Aluminium)
  3. Aluminium Recycling Factsheet (International Aluminium)
  4. Drink Can Recycling Rate Remains at Record High in UK (Alupro)
  5. Deposit Return Scheme Factsheet (Alupro)
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