sustainability

  • Phoebe Kelly

Looking Back on a CANtastic Summer of Recycling Fun!

Looking Back on a CANtastic Summer of Recycling Fun! 2560 1920 Phoebe Kelly

Ah the hazy memories of summer recycling fun…

From rocking out with metalheads at Download Festival, to discovering the mysteries of Lost Village Festival, we have spread the recycling word far and wide this summer and met some incredible people along the way. Watch the video below to see us rock out at our first festival of the season:

We collected cans trackside at the Formula 1 and MotoGP races at Silverstone and found ourselves on the track itself at the Red Bull Soapbox Race! At music festivals we offered t-shirts and keyrings made from recycled cans as recycling rewards and we decorated festival goers (and sometimes ourselves) in recycling themed temporary tattoos.

And let’s not forget about our iconic can cages! Don’t be mistaken, those beautiful cages don’t stay spotless by themselves. Behind the scenes our team have been emptying those cages and bagging up your cans, ready to be taken away and recycled.

But now, after an unforgettable summer of can recycling fun, we’re saying goodbye to festival life for another year. Will we miss emptying those juicy cages? Probably not. But will we miss seeing you guys proactively recycling your cans and filling them up every day? Absolutely!

Here’s a taste of the recycling fun that we’ve had this summer:

Download Festival:
The one where we created the iconic Download Dog PixelCan and everyone flocked to our gazebo to claim their recycling rewards.

Stendhal Festival:
Our first one in Northern Ireland, a.k.a the one in the rain… But that didn’t stop our team from getting out and about and filling up their recycling backpacks!

Formula 1 British Grand Prix:
The one with the biggest crowd! With over 400,000 people attending across the weekend, our team were never short of people to chat to.

Red Bull Soapbox Race:
The one where we took to the racetrack and our drivers risked their lives in the name of can recycling! Click here to read more about our Soapbox experience.

2000trees Festival:
The one where we slept to the sound of heavy metal every night and met some incredible recycling heroes.

Latitude Festival:
The one where our team proved themselves by conquering the dust and the heat to spread the recycling word around the campsites and main arena.  

MotoGP British Grand Prix:
The one where our team roamed the circuit and spread the word that recycled cans might one day end up as an aluminium component in a motorbike!  

Wilderness Festival:
The boutique one where our team went into the wilderness to seek out those who were willing to embrace their wild side and recycle their cans in style.  

Boomtown Festival:
The one where you guys brought the fun to us in the blazing heat (and huddled under our gazebo to escape the sun).

Boardmasters Festival:
The one on the beach… We’re still finding sand in our can recycling backpacks to this day!

Big Feastival:
The one where we partnered with Canned Wine Co. to bring our can cages and a beautiful new-look design for our recycling backpacks to The Cotswolds.

Lost Village Festival:
The one where nothing was as it seemed. Our final festival and a time to say goodbye to a summer of can recycling fun! Watch the video below to see us in action at our final festival of the season:

Thank you to everyone who chatted, danced, laughed and recycled with our team. And thanks to all the festivals and events who have welcomed us on site this summer!

We hope our team left you all with some lasting memories so that when you finish a drink from an aluminium can, you’ll remember to pop it in the recycling bin wherever you are.

  • ChrisUK

Every Can Counts Takes On The Red Bull Soapbox Race

Every Can Counts Takes On The Red Bull Soapbox Race 1200 800 ChrisUK

We ensured recycling took centre stage at this year’s Red Bull Soapbox Race in London by building and racing our very own Every Can Counts soapbox!

Watch the video below to see our Soapbox journey in full, from building and testing through to race day itself:

Our recycling-themed soapbox highlighted the infinite recyclability of drink cans, and its part-can, part-plane shape illustrated the varied uses for aluminium as a material. Click here to learn more about all of the incredible uses for aluminium.

70 teams tackled the obstacle-filled course in front of 18,000 spectators at London’s Alexandra Palace – and we’re pleased to say our soapbox was one of those that made it to the finish line! But only just – the final jump proved to be too much for our steering and we ended with a crash! Watch our race in full below:

Every Can Counts’ Programme Manager, Chris Latham-Warde piloted the soapbox with co-pilot Tom Giddings, Alupro’s Executive Director. Cyclone Works’ Paul Bacon and Lee Cox completed the 4-person team as the expert engineers behind the can-shaped racing machine.

To ensure our recycling message could be easily embraced by the spectators at Ally Pally, we brought our can recycling cages to the Red Bull Soapbox Race, along with an enthusiastic team who roamed the grounds collecting cans and chatting to attendees about the importance of recycling their empty cans.

  • ChrisUK

Making A Sustainable Platinum Jubilee with Every Can Counts

Making A Sustainable Platinum Jubilee with Every Can Counts 2508 1672 ChrisUK

We partnered with The Platinum Jubilee Pageant and Royal Parks to encourage people to recycle their empty drink cans during the Jubilee weekend. We brought two art installations and a team of recycling ambassadors to St James’s Park in London, right at the heart of the celebrations!

A Jubilee-themed wall of art created from 2,000 recycled cans was on display beside The Mall, in a location which proved to be a popular picnic spot thanks to the presence of a large screen broadcasting the Jubilee events. The iconic #EveryCanCounts Rainbow, created from over 2,500 recycled cans, was also on display near Horse Guard’s Parade, where it’s Instagram appeal was enhanced by a leafy green backdrop.

On the Saturday and Sunday our team of recycling ambassadors circulated through the crowds collecting empty cans and conducting recycling surveys. 6 Platinum Jubilee Pageant volunteers joined our team on the Sunday, helping us to collect more cans and spread our message even further.

This event was part of the Every Can Counts International Recycling Tour, which took place on the 3rd, 4th and 5th June. More than 100 recycling ambassadors roamed parks, cities, and beaches in 17 countries.

Every Can Counts teams were active in the following countries: Austria, Brazil, Colombia, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Their mission? To encourage people to keep public outdoor spaces clean and recycle their drink cans wherever they are.

The tour was timed to coincide with World Environment Day on 5th June.

David van Heuverswyn, Director of Every Can Counts Europe, said: “Drink cans recycle forever. This is the main message of our tour and the reason why we are working to inspire behaviour change and help reach 100% can recycling in Europe and beyond. This ambitious target can only be reached if consumers, brands, event organisers and local communities join forces to recycle every drink can and build together a more sustainable planet.”

Thank you to everyone who recycled with us last weekend, whether in St James’s Park during the Jubilee celebrations or in one of the other 17 countries where Every Can Counts activities were taking place. Together we CAN make a difference!

Every Can Counts Recycling Ambassadors and Platinum Jubilee Pageant Volunteers pose by the #EveryCanCounts Rainbow.

  • Phoebe Kelly

Every Can Counts Goes to Download Festival – Prize Draw!

Every Can Counts Goes to Download Festival – Prize Draw! 1115 628 Phoebe Kelly

Every Can Counts is returning to Download Festival in June and to celebrate we’re giving you the chance to win TWO weekend camping tickets to this year’s event! Just visit our social media channels and leave a comment on our competition posts with your answer to the following question: how many times can a drink can be recycled?

Every Can Counts Team
Every Can Counts Can Cages
Every Can Counts Team

After two years, Every Can Counts is excited to be back at Download Festival in 2022 and our team will be on site, ready to collect all of your empty cans. Just look out for our iconic backpacks and can cages. We’ll have recycling rewards up for grabs too! If there’s one thing our team is good at; it’s making sure that can recycling is fun!

For your chance to win tickets to Download Festival 2022 see the terms and conditions below:

  • This prize draw is open to UK residents only.
  • We accept entrants from people aged 16+.
  • One entry will be accepted per social media profile.
  • The prize draw will run on the following social media channels:
  • To be included in the prize draw, you must comment on the competition post on one of the above social media channels and correctly answer the question: how many times can a drink can be recycled?
  • Every Can Counts will select 1 winning entry at random from all correct guesses made across all of the above social media channels.
  • Entries must be submitted before midnight on Sunday 22nd May 2022 in order to be included in the prize draw.
  • The winner will be contacted directly within 3 days of the closing date.
  • We will announce the winner on our social media channels once we have successfully made contact with them privately.
  • The prize for this competition is 2 x weekend camping tickets to Download Festival 2022.  No cash equivalent is offered.
Download Festival Logo
We’ll be at the festival all weekend so if you’re heading to Download this year, make sure you come and say hello to our amazing team. We can’t wait to see you there!

  • ChrisUK

Drink Can Recycling Rate Remains at Record High in UK

Drink Can Recycling Rate Remains at Record High in UK 2560 1369 ChrisUK

Did you know? Drink cans are one of the most recycled beverage containers on the planet! But what percentage of drink cans are recycled in the UK?

82% of drink cans sold in the UK in 2021 were recycled, matching the record high rate set in 2020 when recycling was made easier for many due to the COVID-19 national lockdowns and ‘stay at home’ guidance.

Infographic displaying the percentage of drink cans recycled in UK. In the background there are towers of can bales and in the foreground is a white outline of a drink can. Inside this is the text '82% drink can recycling rate'

Click here to read the full news release by Alupro, the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation, announcing the 2021 UK aluminium packaging recycling rates.

Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager for Every Can Counts, said: “These new figures are really encouraging. It’s fantastic to see that, despite people returning to life ‘on-the-go’ and despite a growing domestic market, more than four out of five of the drink cans sold in the UK are still being recycled.

“We now need to keep up this momentum and raise the bar even higher. Recycling our empty drink cans is something we can all do for the benefit of the environment. It might be a small action, but keeping that valuable aluminium in circulation really does make a difference.”

How to Help Us Boost the Percentage of Drink Cans Recycled in the UK

As we continue to work towards our vision of a 100% recycling rate for drink cans, here are some of the ways you can help:

  • Keep recycling your drink cans (especially while you’re on the go)!
  • If you can’t find a recycling bin while you’re out and about, take your empty can home with you and pop it into your curbside recycling bin.
  • Recycling drink cans really is as simple as that!

How We are helping to Boost the UK Drink Can Recycling Rate

  • We aim to encourage consumer behaviour change by raising awareness of the benefits of recycling drink cans
  • We also partner with businesses and organisations to make it easier for people to do the right thing with their empty cans.
  • After recent awareness campaigns in London’s Covent Garden and Newcastle city centre, we are now gearing up for a busy summer at events and festivals across the country.

Incredible Facts About Drink Cans

  • Drink cans are currently the UK’s most recycled beverage container.
  • Drink cans are able to be recycled, filled and back on a shop shelf in just 60 days, thanks to the efficient recycling infrastructure in place across Europe.
  • Aluminium (the metal that drink cans are made from) recycles forever!
  • Recycling drink cans uses 95% less energy than creating new ones from primary aluminium.
  • ChrisUK

A Canny Earth Day 2022 In Newcastle

A Canny Earth Day 2022 In Newcastle 2560 1625 ChrisUK

Grey’s Monument has been made more colourful for Earth Day 2022 with the arrival of the Every Can Counts rainbow installation in Newcastle city centre.

The Every Can Counts Rainbow in Newcastle for Earth Day 2022
Photo of woman touching the The Every Can Counts Rainbow.
Photo of dog running past the Every Can Counts Rainbow in Newcastle for Earth Day 2022.

About the #EveryCanCounts Rainbow

The impressive rainbow arch, measuring four metres high and seven metres wide, is made up from over 2,500 recycled drink cans.

It was installed by Every Can Counts in collaboration with Newcastle City Council to bring awareness to the importance of can recycling around Earth Day 2022 (Friday 22nd April).

Recycling in Newcastle

According to Every Can Counts’ research, Geordies drink an average of six cans a week, of which people say they recycle around 70% of empty cans.

Even though nine in 10 Geordies surveyed say that they understand the benefits of recycling, more than a quarter (27 per cent) admit that they don’t recycle while out of the house.

Furthermore, 68% of people in Newcastle say they are more concerned about the environment and their impact on it than they were this time last year.

Residents suggest that more recyclable packaging and monetary incentives such as the planned deposit return scheme would encourage them to recycle more.

Every Can Counts & Earth Day 2022 Prize Draw

The rainbow will remain on display by Grey’s Monument until Sunday evening. People are invited to post a photo of the installation on social media for the chance to win £100 in shopping vouchers. Click here to find out more about our incredible prize draw!

What We Had to Say about the Rainbow’s Visit to Newcastle

Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager for Every Can Counts, said: “Our rainbow installation has toured all over the UK and we’re so excited that it’s finally making its debut in Newcastle for Earth Day. This year, the theme is ‘Invest in our Planet’, and that message has never been so important.

“Each and every one of us can make a difference and recycling our empty drink cans is an example of a small habit we can all adopt that has a positive impact on the environment. All of the cans collected in Newcastle over the weekend could be recycled and refilled on shop shelves in just 60 days – and because every can is infinitely recyclable, the benefits of keeping that valuable aluminium in circulation keep adding up again and again!

“Recycling rates were at an all-time high during the national lockdowns and, now that restrictions have been lifted, it’s essential that we keep up the momentum. We hope our colourful rainbow pop-up this weekend will inspire the people of Newcastle to do just that!”

Christine Herriot, Newcastle City Council’s director of operations and regulatory services, added: “It’s fantastic to have this eye-catching rainbow art installation in the heart of our city this weekend, which will certainly get people talking and help spread the message about the importance of recycling.

“We know residents take great pride in having a clean and tidy city, which was demonstrated by the incredible turn out for the Great British Spring Clean.

“We thank all of the volunteers, businesses and community groups who played their part in helping us to tidy up their communities and it shows what we can achieve for our environment when we work together.

“It’s important everyone continues to take responsibility and dispose of their empty packaging properly. If there is not a public bin nearby, or you arrive at a bin that is already full, please take your litter home and recycle it there instead.

“We hope everyone enjoys having their pictures taken with this brilliant piece of artwork this weekend and remembers the important message behind it.”

The Every Can Counts Rainbow in Newcastle for Earth Day 2022

Click here to find out more about Earth Day 2022.

  • Phoebe Kelly

Visit the #EveryCanCounts Rainbow in Covent Garden for Global Recycling Day 2022

Visit the #EveryCanCounts Rainbow in Covent Garden for Global Recycling Day 2022 2560 2194 Phoebe Kelly

The colourful recycled art installation is spending two weeks on display in the Covent Garden Piazza to celebrate Global Recycling Day 2022.

We’ve partnered with Covent Garden London to bring The #EveryCanCounts Rainbow to one of the capital’s most iconic and busiest locations.

The eye-catching installation, created from over 2,500 recycled cans, will be on display in the Covent Garden Piazza until the 30th of March. The signage surrounding the installation invites people to learn about the infinite life cycle of drink cans and passers-by can also recycle their empty cans in the ‘pots of gold’ at each end of the rainbow.

The #EveryCanCounts Rainbow Arrives in Covent Garden

The installation was unveiled in Covent Garden on Thursday 17th March, ahead of Global Recycling Day 2022 on the 18th. A team of Every Can Counts recycling ambassadors wearing can recycling backpacks also supported the launch of the campaign. The ambassadors conducted face-to-face recycling surveys with people during the first four days of the campaign, helping to communicate the benefits of can recycling and inspire positive behaviour change.

To help raise awareness of the campaign on social media, we’re inviting people to enter our #EveryCanCounts prize draw by taking a photo with the installation and posting it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. A £250 gift card and a Venchi 1kg chocolate egg are up for grabs! Full competition details can be found by clicking here.

What is Global Recycling Day?

Global Recycling Day falls on March 18 each year and aims to promote the vitality of recycling across the globe. It is a day for action, for the world to come together to put the planet first, and to change the mind-set of governments, businesses, communities and individuals around the world, to see recyclables as a resource.

Click here to find out more about Global Recycling Day 2022.

  • ChrisUK

Every Can Counts Announces New Partnership with Canned Wine Co.

Every Can Counts Announces New Partnership with Canned Wine Co. 2560 1707 ChrisUK

Every Can Counts has announced its latest brand partnership with premium canned wine producer, Canned Wine Co.

The partnership between the not-for-profit recycling programme and the canned wine company will see both brands work together to help inspire and encourage drink can recycling amongst consumers in the UK.

Founded in 2019 by the trio, Simon Rollings, Lisa Solovieva and Ben Franks, Canned Wine Co. aims to make exciting and high-quality wine more convenient and accessible to drinkers in portioned cans, whilst also helping to reduce the environmental impact of wine by using aluminium packaging.

The award-winning Bath-based business has grown rapidly over the past two years – increasing its range to six wines, supplying the National Trust sites and hundreds of independent venues across the UK, and expanding to Ireland, Sweden, The Netherlands and Greece.

Simon Rollings, co-founder and CEO of Canned Wine Co., said: “Reducing waste, both wine wastage and packaging, is at the core of our brand. The infinite recyclability and lower carbon footprint compared to bottles made cans the obvious packaging choice.

As canned wines are frequently consumed in outdoor settings, we want to explicitly encourage the recycling of aluminium cans. The partnership with Every Can Counts is an important pillar of our upcoming sustainability strategy, and we are excited to use Every Can Counts bins at events around the country to help more cans enter the recycling loop.”

Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager for Every Can Counts, said: “We’re so pleased to be able to announce our latest drink brand partnership with Canned Wine Co. Their mission to bring more sustainable choices to consumers and the drink industry really resonates with what Every Can Counts is all about.

“We’re looking forward to working with Canned Wine Co. to raise awareness about the endless recyclability of drink cans and encourage people to do their bit to keep the cycle going.”

Every Can Counts collaborates with drink manufacturers as well as the wider drink can and recycling industries as part of its mission to reach a 100% drink can recycling rate.

The programme and its funders help to raise awareness of the importance of recycling empty drink cans with marketing activity and on-the-ground consumer engagement. This includes exhibiting an eye-catching rainbow installation made from recycled cans, which has appeared in multiple high-profile locations across the country and was most recently in Glasgow during COP26.

Every Can Counts also runs a Green Can Award scheme which recognises the recycling efforts of local businesses, community groups and charities. The programme also works to make it easier for consumers to recycle their empty cans while they’re out-of-home, and its team of ambassadors spread the recycling message and collect cans at many festivals and public events throughout the year.

For more details about Canned Wine Co., visit www.cannedwine.co.

Every Can Counts x Canned Wine Co.
The #EveryCanCounts Rainbow in Glasgow
  • ChrisUK

The #EveryCanCounts Rainbow Arrives in Glasgow for COP26

The #EveryCanCounts Rainbow Arrives in Glasgow for COP26 2560 1863 ChrisUK

To mark COP26, the #EveryCanCounts rainbow archway is being displayed in Shawlands Civic Square in partnership with Glasgow City Council to remind people of the importance of recycling empty drink cans.

The eye-catching installation, in front of Langside Halls, is made from more than 2,500 brightly coloured recycled drink cans and measures four metres high and seven metres wide.

It took four people more than five hours to construct and will remain in place until 4th November to spread the recycling message over the first week of the climate change conference.

Recycling in Glasgow

  • Our own research suggests that more than 2.8 million drink cans are bought and used each week throughout Glasgow.
  • 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 7,200 cars off the city’s roads for a week.
  • Eight in 10 of those questioned say they always use recycling bins if they are available in public places, with more than seven in 10 claiming that they would recycle more while out and about if there were a greater number of recycling bins.
  • In fact, almost two thirds of Glaswegians say they have become more concerned about the environment and their impact on it over the last 12 months. Half believe this is due to Glasgow’s involvement in the conference.  

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

“The rainbow is our way of reminding people about the importance of recycling cans at a time when the environment is firmly on the city’s agenda.

“Recycling an empty drink can is such an easy thing that each of us can do to help the planet. It might not seem like much, but every can is endlessly recyclable and making a can from recycled metal rather than raw materials uses 95% less energy and produces 95% less greenhouse gas emissions.

“In 2020, a record four out of five drink cans sold in the UK were recycled, given peoples’ lifestyles changed dramatically and we spent much of the year in lockdown. We want to continue making progress now the country has opened back up and our ultimate goal is to achieve a 100% recycling rate for drink cans.”

Councillor Anna Richardson, City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction at Glasgow City Council, said:

“This installation is a reminder of the importance of recycling, and the significant environmental benefits it brings.  We can all play our part in reducing emissions by recycling as much as we can.”

Alison Thewliss, MP for Glasgow Central, said:

I am thrilled to see the Every Can Counts rainbow in my constituency. It acts as a key reminder of the importance of recycling more and keeping our streets tidy over the course of the landmark COP26 Summit and beyond.

I’m looking forward to seeing people share their photos of this impressive rainbow sculpture, whilst remembering the message behind it. Shifting towards infinitely recyclable materials like aluminium and keeping these materials in circulation by recycling is something we can all do to progress towards a truly circular economy, and to meet the aims of this pivotal Summit in Glasgow.

Visit the #EveryCanCounts Rainbow for COP26

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 £100 shopping voucher and a £500 donation to an environmental charity of your choice. To enter, take a snap of the rainbow and upload it to social media using #COP26Glasgow and tagging @EveryCanCountsUK on Facebook/Instagram or @EveryCanCounts on Twitter.

What is COP26?

COP26 is the 2021 United Nations climate change conference. For nearly 30 years the UN has been bringing together almost every country on earth for global climate summits. These are known as COPs – which stands for ‘Conference of the Parties’. In that time climate change has gone from being a fringe issue to a global priority.

This year will be the 26th annual summit, therefore giving it then name COP26. If you want to find out more about COP26, you can visit the website here: https://ukcop26.org/

Every Can Counts at Birmingham Pride 2021
  • ChrisUK

RECYCLE WEEK PART 2: BIRMINGHAM PRIDE

RECYCLE WEEK PART 2: BIRMINGHAM PRIDE 1200 1600 ChrisUK

Every Can Counts partners with Bullring & Grand Central and Birmingham Hippodrome to celebrate Birmingham Pride and encourage everyone taking part in the celebrations to recycle their empty cans.

The #EveryCan Counts Rainbow, created from over 2,500 recycled cans, has arrived in Birmingham city centre. The installation appeared on Central Street outside the Bullring overnight on Thursday 23rd September and will be on display until the close of Birmingham’s Pride 2021 celebrations on Sunday 26th September.

Kicking off the weekend celebrations, the #EveryCanCounts Rainbow received a special welcome on Friday afternoon from glam disco king Boogaloo Stu on the snail stage and a drive time takeover with Gaydio. An Every Can Counts team of recycling ambassadors are in action around the rainbow installation all weekend collecting cans and spreading the recycling message.

The rainbow’s arrival in Birmingham means that the installation has visited the UK’s two largest cities during Recycle Week 2021. From St Paul’s Cathedral in the heart of London to the centre of Birmingham in time for the Pride celebrations, we’re having a CANtastic week raising awareness about the benefits of can recycling and inspiring people to recycle more!

The rainbow makes for an ideal photo backdrop, and we’re 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.




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