Europe

Almost 10 tons of beverage cans were collected during the Rio Carnival by Every Can Counts, coordinated by Abralatas, the Brazilian Association of Aluminum Can Manufacturers.

The samba school parade from Rio de Janeiro has just broken the Guinness World Record as the World’s biggest aluminium beverage can recycling event. Throughout the Carnival festival, which took place from February 17th to 20th and on the 25th, almost 10 tons of beverage cans were collected. The Rio Carnaval is well known worldwide as the largest and most prestigious Carnival celebration on Earth and can now be considered a reference in sustainability events on a global scale.   

Coordinated by Abralatas, the Brazilian Association of Aluminum Can Manufacturers, our programme’s initiative in Brazil, Cada Lata Conta, set up a professional shed at the Sambadrome to collect, separate and dispose of 100% cans for recycling. Every action was carried out in partnership with the Independent League of Samba Schools of Rio de Janeiro (Liesa); SESC – the owner of the official title -, through the Recicla Sapucaí Project, promoted by the Sustainability Fecomércio Institute (IFeS); as well as Recicla Rio, Movimento, and Febracom, which are recycling cooperatives in Rio de Janeiro.  

100 out of the 120 recycling ambassadors involved with the initiative were not exclusively focused on collecting beverage packaging but also on performing the role of true environmental agents by raising awareness of an increasing number of revellers regarding the importance of recycling and choosing preferably aluminium cans when having fun.   

“Rio was already famous for its astonishing natural beauty, samba and Carnival. Now it enters the World Stage for its recycling legacy. We rely on the paramount work of the recycling professionals in Rio as true environmental agents once more. Being acknowledged by Guinness demonstrates that we are on the right track, showing the World that it is possible to make such a huge event sustainable”, highlights Cátilo Cândido, Executive president of Abralatas. 

For the second year in a row, our team in Brazil, Cada Lata Conta, in partnership with the recycling professionals from Rio de Janeiro, will be present at the samba school parade, raising awareness among revellers about the sustainability of aluminium drink cans and ensuring 100% recycling.

On 17-20 and 25 February, Rio de Janeiro will be even more colourful and joyful with the samba schools parade on Marquês de Sapucaí Avenue. All this atmosphere has everything to do with the most modern, innovative and sustainable packaging: the aluminium drink can. Cada Lata Conta will participate again in the most fantastic popular party worldwide.  

Abralatas, the Brazilian Association of Aluminum Can Manufacturers, coordinates the programme in Brazil. At the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Cada Lata Conta will be at the Sambadrome to collect, separate and properly dispose of 100% cans for recycling. 

Every action is carried out in partnership with the Independent League of Samba Schools of Rio de Janeiro (Liesa); SESC; Pólen, a consultancy specializing in sustainability; and Recicla Rio, Movimento, and Febracom, which are recycling cooperatives in Rio de Janeiro.  

With more than 100 recycling professionals, the goal of the initiative is to surpass last year’s milestone of eight tons of cans collected and raise the awareness of an increasing number of revellers about the importance of sustainability in our choices when consuming products and the proper disposal of aluminium cans. The recycling professionals will collect, sort, store, and weigh the cans during the event. After this process, they are correctly forwarded for recycling, generating income for the recycling professionals and protecting the environment. 

“Just like last year, we will have five days of intense activities to have a sustainable Carnival at the Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí, the home of the Rio Carnival Parades. We rely on the important work of the recycling professionals in Rio to educate the revellers and recycle 100% of the aluminium cans,” highlights Cátilo Cândido, Executive President, Abralatas. “The samba schools parade is famous worldwide for the cheerful atmosphere that will take over the Sambadrome and spread across all revellers. We now have the challenge of making the Rio Carnival the most sustainable party on the planet, just like the aluminium can,” he completed.

Recycling in Brazil

For over 15 years, Brazil has maintained an average aluminium can recycling rate of 95%, reaching a record of 98.7% and more than 30 billion recycled cans in 2021. Brazil is the third largest producer of cans globally, with factories across all Brazilian regions. This segment is prepared to expand and meet the requirements of the modern and conscious consumer who values sustainable products and packaging.

The non-profit organization AIDO, the Association of Organ Donors, in partnership with the CIAL Consortium and our initiative in Italy, Ogni Lattina Vale, organized the annual collection of beverage cans in Bergamo.

100 senior volunteers participated in the initiative, recycling 2.400 kg of aluminium! Their passion for the environmental protection and eagerness to recycle sends the message that together we can make a real difference and sets the perfect example for younger generations. People from all over the province answered the call and brought their empties to the collection point. Also, locals from nearby villages have been collecting aluminium cans all summer, during festivals, events and picnics, for volunteers to recycle. In total, 180.000 drink cans were collected and recycled, while the recycling revenue was offered to the non-profit organization to finance its upcoming projects.

After the success of the last year’s French Recycling Tour, Chaque Canette Compte took the summer campaign to the next level, traveling in Guadeloupe and taking over the most touristic sites and the biggest lakes in Paris!

By visiting more than 25 beaches, walking 260 km of shoreline, placing 79 Every Can Counts recycling bins in bars and restaurants, reaching 5.585 people and collecting 2.550 aluminium cans, our french initiative completed the first stop of the summer tour in Guadeloupe and the first-ever can recycling activation in Overseas France.

For one week, from April 15 to April 24, our French team with the support of CITEO, was roaming the most popular beaches of Guadeloupe on one mission: to raise awareness about the importance of proper waste disposal in public spaces and collect as many drink cans as possible.

Equipped with colorful backpacks and a new generation of rolling baskets for collection, the Every Can Counts recycling ambassadors continued their journey traveling all across the biggest lakes and landmarks in Paris. There, they interacted with the locals and the visitors, spreading the message of the infinite recyclability of aluminium while helping them recycle their empties on the spot.

So far this exotic recycling tour is well received by media outlets and will keep on going above and beyond next year to encourage people in different locations to recycle every drink can and inspire them to change attitudes in order to make a real difference.

Watch the French Recycling Tour 2021 & 2022 in numbers

Prague’s Pride returned in full force this year and Každá plechovka se počítá joined forces with Coca-Cola to spread awareness about drink cans recycling and it was a big success since more than 100 kilos of drink cans were collected during the Prague Pride week hitting a recycling record in Czechia!

The giant metal heart, made for collecting beverage cans, was present for the whole week of Pride’s festivities at the Střelecký Island. And it was warmly welcomed by the crowd as it was filled more than 4 times during the week. Our recycling ambassadors were also on site with their backpacks to make drink can recycling even easier, while informing passers-by about sustainable lifestyle and the benefits of recycling.

The main event happened on Saturday, 13 August. Our partnership with Coca-Cola also brought on site a 6-meter-long Pixelata installation that was filled with the collected Coca-Cola aluminium cans. Many people took the chance and participated in the Pixelata filling process the whole day, while others stopped by and took pictures in front of it. Our recycling ambassadors were there to encourage visitors to pass by and take a look at the programme’s signature installation and recycle their empties. When the night came, our lighten Tic Tac Toe game got a lot of attention inspiring the players to recycle in a more fun and interactive way.

The activation was a great success as it helped the programme to get more visibility in Czechia, initiating a long-term alliance with the Coca Cola Company.

10 (+2) Pozar Festival in Aridaia returned bigger and better and our initiative in Greece, Kathe Kouti Metrai, joined forces with AMSTEL beer and the Youth Association of Loutraki to encourage people to recycle their empties and help keep the outdoors clean.

Our partnership with AMSTEL beer brought a 10-meter-long installation, built from giant metal letters that shaped the word #POZAR a.k.a. the name of the festival. During the three-day event, the giant bins were filled with drink cans while our ambassadors, equipped their special backpacks, were also there to make drink can recycling easier for the campers. More than 6.600 drink cans, or 88 kilos of aluminium, were collected and recycled. The proceeds of recycling will be donated to support the SOS Children’s Village in Plagiari and the Center of Creative Activities for Children with Disabilities, Iliaxtida, in Aridaia.

Our team was on a dual mission: to rock with the crowd and recycle every empty drink can contributing to more sustainable festivals. According to new survey data, environmental protection and recycling are very important issues for the vast majority of Greeks. However, most of them believe that there could be more done to address the challenges. More specifically, 94% of respondents would like to see more initiatives about the protection of the environment, while only 25% of Greeks always recycle their empties when out of home. 

Despite the challenges highlighted in our survey, the warm and passionate response that our recycling ambassadors encountered during this festival gives us the optimism and the determination to keep encouraging people to recycle their empties wherever they are. Next stop in Kathe Kouti Metrai’s summer recycling journey is the 42nd Nestorio River Party, the oldest camping festival in Greece.