For Recycle Week 2026, Every Can Counts UK brought its giant Infinity Sculpture to Trafford Centre in Manchester to raise awareness of the importance of recycling empty drink cans.
Taking Trafford Centre to Infinity… and Beyond!
From the shiny, molten aluminium to the brightly coloured, manufactured drink cans, the Every Can Counts Infinity Sculpture was designed to illustrate the life cycle of a drink can. The art installation was made from more than 1,200 recycled drink cans and was launched outside the Trafford Centre in Manchester to raise awareness that aluminium can be recycled time and time again.
That was the first time the Infinity Sculpture was showcased in Manchester, where it acted as a physical reminder of the importance of recycling to the community.
What is Recycle Week?
Recycle Week is an annual celebration of recycling that aims to unite brands, retailers, waste management companies, trade associations, governments and the media in achieving a common goal: encouraging the public across the UK to recycle the right things more often.
Hosted by the charity WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), Recycle Week 2026 ran from 14-20 September and encouraged people to do the right thing with their recyclable materials.
Every Can Counts wants to shine a spotlight on the humble drink can and show people that small acts (like recycling their empty cans) add up to make a big difference for the planet.
How participants could get involved
On Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th September, visitors could head down to the installation to meet the Every Can Counts UK “canny mascot”, Canzee, and the team of recycling ambassadors.
Canzee was adorned head to toe with more than 400 recycled drink cans, serving as a vibrant reminder that everyone should recycle their empty cans. ECC ambassadors were also on hand to chat with visitors and spread the recycling message.
Our local chapter also gave Mancunians a chance to be a part of the next Every Can Counts installation. The cans they collected at Trafford Centre during Recycle Week will be taken away and transformed into a brand-new artwork, to be unveiled at Trafford Centre in 2027.
So… Why Should We Recycle Our Empty Cans?
We’re glad you asked! Every drink can you recycle helps reduce emissions, save energy, and keep valuable resources out of landfill. A drink can has the potential to be recycled over and over again and be back on the shop shelf as brand-new with no loss of quality (IAI)*. What’s more, globally, recycling aluminium saves about 95% of the energy needed to produce new aluminium, which is vital in preserving natural resources (IAI)**.
Trafford Centre’s Partnership with Every Can Counts
Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager at Every Can Counts UK, said: “The Trafford Centre is the perfect place to unveil our Infinity Sculpture for Recycle Week. With so many visitors passing through, we have a real opportunity to show people what responsible recycling looks like in action and raise awareness of aluminium’s circular potential. Every can collected for recycling has a future. Each one is crushed and melted down, then reformed into brand-new cans to be filled, enjoyed and recycled all over again.”
Simon Layton, Centre Director at Trafford Centre, said: “We’re proud to welcome Every Can Counts to Trafford Centre for Recycle Week. The Infinity Sculpture is a powerful visual reminder that small actions can make a big difference, and we’re delighted to give our guests the opportunity to learn more about recycling while supporting a more sustainable future.”
Sources:
*International Aluminium Institute:https://international-aluminium.org/landing/aluminium-recycling-saves-95-of-the-energy-needed-for-primary-aluminium-production/
**International Aluminium Institute: https://international-aluminium.org/landing/aluminium-facts/