Europe

On April 22nd, in collaboration with the city of Čáslav, our Czechian chapter, Každá plechovka se počítá, celebrated Earth Day with a remarkable focus on recycling and environmental education. Central to this celebration was the installation of the metal heart for collecting drink cans, prominently placed in the bustling Žižkov Square.

The initiative captured the community’s attention right away, and the metal heart was filled on its very first day. It was filled again the following day, highlighting the locals’ strong interest in recycling. The city of Čáslav has since taken responsibility for transporting the collected cans to a recycling centre, where they will be properly sorted and recycled.

This activation in Čáslav was part of a broader initiative to promote community engagement and sustainability. Alongside the can collection, the event featured various educational activities, including a project day for local school children focused on ecology and recycling. Three lime trees were planted to symbolise a more sustainable future, contributing to the city’s environmental growth.

The metal heart will remain in Čáslav until June 2nd, representing the town’s ongoing commitment to recycling and sustainable practices. Launching this meaningful collaboration with Čáslav, our team looks forward to expanding this initiative by partnering with other towns across the Czech Republic.

In celebration of Earth Day, an eye-catching installation has been revealed at Avenham Park in Preston to raise awareness around the importance of recycling.

Made up of over 700 recycled drink cans, ‘The #EveryCanCounts ‘CANvas’ has been launched by our initiative, Every Can Counts UK, in partnership with Preston City Council.

The ‘CANvas’ was brought to life by local mural artist, Shawn Sharpe, who is known for his artwork around the North West and runs mural workshops for children and adults in Preston.

Shawn painted the ‘CANvas’ artwork with a bespoke Earth Day design during the renowned Preston Egg Roll event, which saw thousands of locals gather in Avenham Park on Easter Monday to roll their chocolate eggs down the hill and enjoy workshops, music, and street theatre.

The ‘CANvas’, which depicts a pair of hands holding a smiling planet to demonstrate that every action to protect the environment goes a long way, aimed to raise awareness of the infinite recyclability of aluminium and encourage people to recycle their drink cans at events like the Preston Egg Roll, and wherever they are.

A team of our recycling ambassadors were also at the event, collecting used drink cans in their recycling backpacks and engaging with members of the public to spread their message about the benefits of recycling.

At the end of Earth Day, the ‘CANvas’ installation will be transferred to its permanent location at Eco Town, an interactive educational experience at Farington Waste Recovery Park.

Chris Latham-Warde, programme manager for Every Can Counts UK, said: “It was great to make an appearance at the popular Preston Egg Roll with our ‘CANvas’ installation designed by the brilliant Shawn Sharpe.

“The event was not only a great way to celebrate Easter but also to mark Earth Day, which is all about encouraging worldwide action to help benefit the environment and preserve the planet.

“Aluminium, including drink cans and the foil wrapper from Easter eggs, is infinitely recyclable so it’s important to dispose of it properly this Eastertime and beyond!

“What’s more, every empty drink can could also be recycled and back on a shop shelf as a brand-new can in just 60 days. So, every action, no matter how small, really does add up to help make a big difference.”

The recycling drop-off centre offers payouts for participants who recycle used aluminium beverage cans.

The city of Greenville, Mississippi along with Every Can Counts U.S. and Replenysh opened a new community-driven recycling programme to increase the recovery of aluminium drink cans.

The Every Can Counts “Cans for Cash” Circularity Center is the second location nationwide and the first in Mississippi, thanks to a partnership with the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI). Cans for Cash launched its first site on America Recycles Day in Blytheville, Arkansas. The programme targets communities with limited or no access to recycling along America’s major waterways, including the banks of the Mississippi River.

“Thanks to the collaboration of MRCTI, Replenysh, and Every Can Counts, Greenville is proud to be the first city in Mississippi to launch the self-sustaining Cans for Cash Circularity Center,” said Greenville Mayor Errick D. Simmons. “This center serves as a model for future recycling efforts, generating funds to support ongoing sustainability initiatives in our community. Earth Day is a momentous day for Greenville, and I look forward to the positive impact this initiative will have on our city and the environment.”

The Cans for Cash programme incentivizes aluminium drink can recycling while reducing litter and landfill waste. The goal of the programme is to enhance local communities and provide direct digital payouts for participants who recycle used drink cans.

“This is an impact-driven program to increase aluminum beverage can recycling along the banks of the Mississippi River,” said Scott Breen, Senior Vice President of Sustainability at Can Manufacturers Institute, the association supporting the Every Can Counts U.S. chapter. “On Earth Day, we celebrate this innovative recycling model, which leverages the power of technology, community engagement, and the high market value of used aluminum beverage cans, with direct payouts for the program’s participants.”

Residents in Greenville who drop off empty aluminium drink cans at the Circularity Center will receive a digital payment of $0.30 per pound for cans. Rates vary by community and are subject to change based on the market value of scrap aluminium. Additional revenue from the scrap value will go to the city to support local community efforts.

“Many communities today are underserved by recycling and are looking for a solution they can trust. We are excited to be working with Every Can Counts as the circularity partner to provide much-needed recycling infrastructure to cities and their residents,” said Mark Armen, Founder and CEO at Replenysh. “The City of Greenville can now leverage our tools and network to monetize materials and drive value to residents in a new way. We are excited to expand the Cans for Cash Circularity Centers to Mississippi to capture even more aluminum beverage cans for recycling.”

Greenville residents who drop off used drink cans will receive payment from the Cans for Cash Circularity Center after being weighed on-site. A digital receipt will be emailed to each participant detailing the total amount, with the ability to receive the money in several ways including digital gift card, PayPal, or direct deposit to a bank account. The process eliminates the handling of cash and makes for a safe, secure, and efficient process for transactions.

At the third ESG Adria Summit, held in Porto Montenegro with over 700 guests from around the world, our initiative, Svaka limenka se računa, was honoured with the Sustainable Innovation of the Year award. The award was shared with our team’s partner, Solagro Smart Recycling, for developing the Smart Flex Return—a mobile collection system for drink cans at outdoor events. In collaboration with Ball, our team successfully implemented this innovative solution.

The Smart Flex Return system is designed to promote and improve packaging recycling. This mobile and user-friendly system incorporates unique technology to ensure the traceability of waste, packaging, and reusable cups, promoting sustainability and minimizing environmental impact. The system was first applied at major events with large crowds, with our team supporting its launch and focusing on encouraging drink can recycling.

Data from one of Europe’s largest music festivals, EXIT, showcases the effectiveness of this innovation. Through the “BE THE RECYCLING SUPERSTAR” activation, our team helped collect more than 40,000 drink cans.

This system was also presented to the public and key institutions as a viable solution for the forthcoming Deposit System. With minimal infrastructure—only a POS scanner, a backpack, or a simple storage bin equipped with an IT system—this solution can be easily implemented at retail and catering facilities, gas stations, and more. The unique technology based on code verification ensures transparency, preventing fraud while paying deposits or bail.

The ESG Adria Summit is Southeast Europe’s leading international business event, focused on advancing sustainability and the ESG agenda, including trade and EU accession standards. The summit brings together influential leaders from business, government, international organizations, civil society, and sustainability experts across the Adria region and beyond. The event was held under the auspices of the President of Montenegro and in partnership with the Government of Montenegro.

This April, fans of the urban scene flocked to the tenth and jubilee edition of the 2HOT4STAGE festival, set against the vibrant backdrop of the Port of Belgrade. From April 11–13, 2025, the city pulsed with music, energy, and creativity as artists, performers, and festival-goers came together for three unforgettable days of entertainment.

Amidst the electric atmosphere, our initiative, Svaka limenka se računa, brought the event a refreshing and meaningful dimension. With engaging, hands-on activities, our team encouraged young festival-goers to think differently about recycling and take their first steps in the can recycling journey—proving that sustainability can be fun, inspiring, and an integral part of urban culture.

A standout feature of the activation was the Every Can Counts PixelCan, an eye-catching art installation made from used drink cans. Right on-site, local artists transformed this metallic canvas into a powerful visual experience, using creativity to convey the importance of recycling. Complementing this, our recycling ambassadors moved through the crowd, helping visitors recycle their empty drink cans and making sure they reached the right place—the recycling stream.

The buzz didn’t stop there. Festival trophies, made from recycled aluminium drink cans using our custom-built VulCan machine, captured everyone’s attention. These unique prizes were more than just awards—they were statements of creativity and sustainability. Even before the festival kicked off, the spotlight was on recycling with a dramatic aluminium-melting demonstration at Dorćol Platz, one of Belgrade’s most beloved cultural hubs. The event not only turned heads but also highlighted the full recycling loop to a broad audience.

While music took centre stage, the festival offered much more—dance battles, rap clashes, beat-making sessions, a tattoo corner, and graffiti zones ensured there was never a dull moment. Threaded through it all was our message: recycling can be bold, fun, artistic, and seamlessly woven into modern culture.

Festivalgoers at St Patrick’s Park over St Patrick’s Day weekend (15th and 16th March) were treated to the dazzling sight of a giant rainbow installation created from recycled drink cans.

The eye-catching structure, created by our Irinish chapter in partnership with Loreto College, was designed to shine a light on the power of recycling. Made from over 1,500 recycled cans, the installation returned for a second year following its success in 2024, reinforcing the message that recycling plays a crucial role in protecting our planet.

Over 20 recycling ambassadors, including the ‘Canny Mascot’ dressed head to toe in more than 300 cans in the colours of the Irish flag, also engaged with festivalgoers to spread the word about the importance of recycling.

The ambassadors, including 15 pupils from Loreto College, spent the weekend collecting cans in their recycling backpacks, with the deposit value of these cans donated to Capuchin Day Centre, a local charity that helps those experiencing homelessness, providing them with shelter, hot meals, food parcels, medical services, counselling, and shower facilities.   

Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager for Every Can Counts Ireland, said: “It’s been great to partner with St Patrick’s Festival and pupils from Loreto College for the second year in a row to brighten the skies of Dublin with our rainbow installation.

“By playing a part in the fabulous St Patrick’s Day Festival, we hope our installation has not only added some extra colour to celebrations, but also inspired people to think about the benefits of recycling their drink cans.  

“Aluminium is infinitely recyclable, and every empty drink can could be recycled and back on a shop shelf in as little as 60 days. The people of Dublin and Ireland can all play their part in this process by ensuring they recycle all of their used drink cans by returning them via the Deposit Return Scheme.”

For the third consecutive year, our Spanish chapter, Cada Lata Cuenta, has partnered with the Cádiz City Council and local associations to promote sustainability during Carnaval de Cádiz, one of Spain’s most renowned carnivals.

To encourage recycling, over 70 additional recycling points in the city’s most popular squares, making it easier for festival-goers to dispose of waste correctly.

Our recycling ambassadors actively engaged with the crowd, reminding people to keep public spaces clean and recycle their drink cans wherever they were celebrating. Their efforts helped raise awareness about the importance of recycling, especially during large public events like Carnival.

In addition, our team conducted surveys on recycling habits outside the home, gathering valuable insights into public attitudes toward sustainability.

“Our goal is to achieve 100% can recycling during Carnival. Cans are one of the most sustainable and easy-to-recycle packaging options. By simply placing them in the yellow bin, we can guarantee their recycling—a small effort with a big environmental impact.”
— Pablo García, PhD in Ecology and Director of Cada Lata Cuenta in Spain

This initiative, in collaboration with the Cádiz City Council, continues strengthening the recycling culture, proving that sustainability and celebration can go hand in hand.

Watch the highlights

Festivals and sustainability don’t often go hand in hand, but our Greek chapter, Kathe Kouti Metrai, proves otherwise. In a powerful collaboration with the Athenian Brewery, the programme’s innovative drink can recycling solutions have expanded into the Greek carnival season, bringing more sustainable celebrations to two of Greece’s most famous carnivals: The Carnival of Xanthi and the Carnival of Rethymno.

Xanthi Carnival

As Greece’s second-largest carnival, Xanthi Carnival attracts thousands of visitors ready to enjoy the festivities. The event welcomed our recycling ambassadors for a second year, who actively engaged with the crowd to encourage responsible waste disposal. Working alongside the Municipality of Xanthi, Kathe Kouti Metrai aimed to simplify and promote the separate collection of drink cans, ensuring that sustainability remained a central theme throughout the event.

One of the standout features of this activation was the installation of giant metal letter bins spelling out ‘ΞΑΝΘΗ’ strategically placed near the main stage. These striking installations served as recycling points and became iconic photo spots, combining environmental awareness with carnival culture. Throughout the grand parade, our recycling ambassadors moved through the crowds with their signature backpacks, making it easy for locals and tourists to recycle their drink cans on the go. The impact of this initiative grows beyond the event since each can recycled at the carnival can be back on the shelf within 60 days, contributing to a more sustainable future.

Rethymno Carnival

Over on the island of Crete, Kathe Kouti Metrai marked the third consecutive year of collaboration with the Municipality of Rethymnon, solidifying efforts to reduce the event’s environmental footprint. During the carnival’s grand parade, a dedicated team of recycling ambassadors ensured that festival-goers could enjoy the festivities while easily recycling their drink cans on the go. In addition to the recycling efforts, our team educated people on the long-term benefits of aluminium recycling, emphasizing its key role in energy conservation and natural resource preservation—recycling aluminium saves 95% of the energy required to produce new cans from raw materials.

One of the most striking features of the Rethymno Carnival was the installation of giant metal letter bins spelling out #RETHYMNO along the old city’s seaside. The installation not only serves as a recycling station but also stands out as a powerful symbol of aluminium’s infinite possibilities. The impact of this initiative extends well beyond the carnival itself; the #RETHYMNO installation will remain in the city as a permanent recycling station, representing a practical solution and a testament to how small, mindful actions can lead to a real change.

For the second year in a row, our Every Can Counts U.S. initiative teamed up with the New Orleans Office of Resilience & Sustainability, Grounds Krewe and other local organizations for the Recycle Dat! campaign.

Recycle Dat! is a community-wide effort to make Mardi Gras more sustainable by providing convenient recycling options along the parade route at designated recycling hubs and through partnership programmes, including the Every Can Counts PixelCan installation created by local New Orleans artist Erika Moore. The art installation depicted the recycling chasing arrows symbol in Mardi Gras-themed purple, yellow and green colours.

All the used aluminium cans collected along the Mardi Gras routes will be taken to the EMR Metal Recycling‘s Mid-City location, which will pay the market rate for the cans. Every Can Counts U.S. will also match the revenue generated and all proceeds will support three local charities: Grow Dat Youth Farm, S.O.U.L. and T.R.E.E. Nola.

Last year, this initiative raised approximately $3,000 and collected approximately 145,000 cans. We aim to surpass this goal with a bigger Mardi Gras activation and presence that includes a festival celebration called Recycle World, which is located on the Uptown Parade routes.

This year, the programme was featured in national media, including BBC Travel, Travel & Leisure  Magazine, NPR Radio, and The Associated Press. This year’s event also more than doubled the Every Can Counts U.S. Instagram followers thanks to fun and engaging contests, viral influencer partnerships, and geotargeted advertising.

Aluminium beverage cans recorded an increase in the tonnes of aluminium recycled, up to 580,000 tonnes, saving 5.4 million tonnes CO2eq[1]

The latest report by Metal Packaging Europe and European Aluminium shows that the overall recycling rate for aluminium beverage cans in the European Union, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland was 75% (74.6%). Although a slight drop (1%), the total amount of aluminium recycled from cans continued to increase to a record level of 580,000 tonnes, an increase of 10,000 tonnes (or 1.7%) on the previous year. This represents a total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions saving of 5.4 million tonnes of CO2eq (equivalent to the annual amount of GHG produced by a European city of more than half a million inhabitants like Oslo or Genoa. [2]

The increase in recycled aluminium volume reflects a higher overall consumption of aluminium beverage cans in 2022 which resulted in more cans entering the recycling stream. However, a stable collection and sorting level meant that the recycling rate percentage decreased slightly due to the larger rise in total can production and consumption.

Beverage can manufacturers (members of Metal Packaging Europe) and their aluminium suppliers (members of European Aluminium) remain resolved to increase the recycling rate at European level. However, the evidence is clear that without improved national collection and sorting infrastructure, specifically increases in the number of Deposit Return Systems, EU Member States will struggle to reach 90% recycling or more.

The newly appointed Director of the Packaging Group at European Aluminium, Andy Doran, commented, “Our continuing high recycling rates demonstrate our ongoing push for improvement. The recent results also show that this is a marathon, not a sprint. 2022 marked the beginning of a new phase of implementation for several Deposit Return Systems and as these schemes mature, recycling rates will grow further. But there is no time to waste, as our member companies continue to grow and invest in expanded recycling capacities in Europe and rely on increased high-quality scrap for recycling within the European circular economy”.

“We are pleased with the latest achievements and believe the industry remains on the right long-term path towards 100% circularity of aluminium beverage cans by 2050. Aluminium is a ‘permanent’ material, which means that it can be recycled multiple times through high quality recycling processes without losing its inherent properties. Following the recent adoption of the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, we encourage Member States to implement well balanced and efficient Deposit Return Systems to help move to a fully circular solution for the aluminium beverage can via ‘can-to-can’ recycling,” said Krassimira Kazashka, CEO of Metal Packaging Europe

The map provides a detailed overview of aluminium beverage can recycling rates by country in 2022.

[1] Based on calculation of the GHG savings through Used Beverage Can (UBC) recycling using the substitution method, i.e. avoided primary production net of UBC remelting ,Data from European Aluminium Environmental Profile Report 2024 (Year 2021 data)

[2] If a yearly GHG emission of 9,2 tonnes is assumed per EU citizen as used in the Product Environmental Footprint methodology, see Normalisation method and data for Environmental Footprints – Deliverable 2 of the AA Environmental Footprint and Material Efficiency Support for Product Policy (No. 70307/2012/ENV.C.1/635340)