Europe

This year’s summer tour for Every Can Counts UK came to a lively close with the official debut at BBC Radio 2 in the Park in Chelmsford. Across the two-day festival, our team brought the iconic can cages, interactive voting bins, and a whole team of recycling ambassadors to help fans keep the park clean while making sure every empty can was given a second life.

The beloved mascot, Canzee, was impossible to miss at Hylands Park. With its big dance moves and even bigger personality, Canzee drew smiles wherever it went, from festival-goers to the big names on stage. Canzee even managed to grab a few star-studded selfies, including moments with Michelle Visage and Paddy McGuinness, proving once again that recycling is always in style.

Our team didn’t just help recycle cans; it started conversations. Over the weekend, our ambassadors spoke with thousands of festival-goers about the power of aluminium recycling, encouraging everyone to do their part in keeping valuable materials in the loop. Visitors also loved our recycling-themed temporary tattoos, with hundreds proudly showing them off across the site.

The response to the festival survey was fantastic, with more than 550 attendees participating and providing us with valuable insights into recycling behaviours and attitudes. These findings will help shape how Every Can Counts continues to engage with communities across the UK.

Radio 2 in the Park marked the final stop in what has been an incredible festival season for Every Can Counts UK. From major music festivals to local cultural events, our mission has been the same: to show that every single can counts. Along the way, we’ve helped recycle thousands of cans, sparked meaningful conversations, and inspired festival-goers to think differently about their role in the recycling loop.

As the summer season comes to a close, our local chapter is already looking forward to what’s next. The work doesn’t stop when the music does — and they will be continuing to spread the recycling message across the UK all year round.

The unique blend of art, theatre and recycling at this year’s Limenka Teatar Fest, held in Kruševac from 3–7 September, once again proved how creativity can inspire environmental awareness from the earliest age. This international children’s festival, which has been held for over a decade in a different Serbian city each year, carries a powerful message: every can has value and recycling closes the loop – giving packaging a new life.

Our local chapter, Svaka limenka se računa, together with Ball Corporation, fulfils this mission through events like this – educating children and their parents about the potential of recycling and showing that aluminium cans can be recycled endlessly.

During the five festival days, more than 4,500 children and adults enjoyed 11 performances from 8 countries, while at the same time learning that every used can can be back on the shelf in just 60 days. At the Limenka Bazaar, they exchanged cans for ALU COIN, the world’s first ecological currency, and through play and theatre gained their first lessons in caring for the planet.

As every year, our team, in partnership with Ball Corporation, bring the message that recycling is not just a duty but an opportunity – an opportunity for every can to become a new can and for a new generation to start building a sustainable future today.

The collaboration of Každá plechovka se počítá, our Czechian chapter, with Prague 2 continues to thrive. This marks the third consecutive year that the iconic recycling heart has been part of Riegrovy Gardens – now a true summer tradition. Installed from the beginning of June until the end of August, the heart has become a familiar feature for residents throughout the season.

People have grown used to seeing and using the heart, and this year it has already been filled three times, despite less-than-ideal weather conditions. This steady participation highlights the strong community support for recycling and sustainability in the Prague 2 municipal district. The ongoing success of this project proves that the partnership with Prague 2 is not only effective but also valued by the community.

On August 30th, our local team, Every Can Counts Czechia, took part in the F.O.O.D. Picnic at Ladronka in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. The main goal was to help the event once again defend its prestigious Clean Ladronka (Čistý festival) certificate, awarded for high standards in sustainability and environmental care.

The F.O.O.D. Picnic at Ladronka is one of the most popular events before the start of the school year, regularly attracting more than 20,000 visitors. This makes it a key opportunity to promote sustainability and responsible waste management to a large and diverse audience.

Throughout the festival area, waste bins for sorted waste were arranged, with special emphasis this year on our team’s iconic metal heart for drink cans. This heart served both as a collection point for used cans and as a powerful visual symbol of the importance of recycling. It engaged visitors and encouraged them to participate in can recycling directly at the festival.

The feedback from both the public and event organisers was very positive, and our local chapter’s presence was warmly received. Our team members are proud that, through their ongoing efforts and innovative recycling initiatives, the F.O.O.D. Picnic at Ladronka continues to set a positive example for sustainable events.

At the end of August, at Ljubav Festival 2025 in Luka Beograd, music, good vibes, and humanitarian spirit came together with Svaka limenka se računa, the local initiative in Serbia.

Our recycling ambassadors guided festival-goers with backpacks to properly dispose of their cans on the go. At the same time, a street artist created a unique artwork from the cans – CANvas – inspiring everyone to join the environmental awareness action. Being part of events like this sends a clear message that fun and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand. In addition to promoting humanity and solidarity, the core mission of Every Can Counts is to encourage people to recycle every can wherever they are.

Every small action, like properly recycling a can, makes a big difference, and festivals are the perfect place to show how collective efforts can make the world a better place and help build a more sustainable future.

In the last days of summer, our Polish initiative, Każda Puszka Cenna, teamed up with two major Polish beverage brands — Lech and Tyskie — to educate consumers about the country’s upcoming deposit system.

During the events in Poznań and Warsaw, our recycling ambassadors engaged with residents to raise awareness about the deposit-return system. The warm, sunny days created the perfect atmosphere for meaningful conversations, as locals stopped by to learn more about the new rules for recycling aluminium drink cans.

Organisers highlighted the key principles of the system, which came into effect on October 1st. Cans eligible for the deposit will be clearly marked with the “KAUCJA 0.50 ZŁ” label, and a 0.50 PLN deposit will be added to the purchase price. Importantly, no receipt will be required to return the can and reclaim the deposit — but cans must be returned uncrushed.

“The conversations between our ambassadors and the many people enjoying what were likely the last warm days of summer in Warsaw and Poznań were a fantastic opportunity to share information about the deposit system and the benefits of including aluminium drink cans,” said Paweł Wiśnioch, coordinator of Każda Puszka Cenna.

Our U.S. chapter sponsored the 2025 iHeart Radio/93.7 The Bull Float Trip, a one-of-a-kind event that combines a weekend of floating and live country music in the scenic Ozarks, Missouri.

Held August 22–24 at Ozark Outdoors Resort near St. Louis, Missouri, the event drew thousands of attendees to the river and the stage — and our team was there to ensure that every can was recycled and that sustainability stayed front-and-center.

Partnering with local conservation nonprofit MidAmerica Clean Future Alliance, Every Can Counts U.S. activated recycling efforts throughout the festival grounds. Colorful signage reminded attendees that drink cans are 100% recyclable, while our recycling ambassadors collected empty cans along the river float route.

Near the concert stage, a custom-built guitar amplifier cage was used to collect thousands of cans while listening to music from country music stars like LoCash, David Lee Murphy, Kelsey Hart and Chris Lane.

Thanks to these combined efforts, more than 13,000 aluminium cans were recycled to become new cans in less than 60 days on average. The initiative not only helped keep the outdoors clean but also demonstrated how small actions — like recycling — add up to a big impact.

Our local chapter, Every Can Counts UK, brought a team of ambassadors and a set of iconic I <3 Recycling metal bins to the Victorious Festival, which takes place annually during the August bank holiday in Portsmouth. This much-loved event is one of the biggest festivals on the UK’s south coast, attracting tens of thousands of music lovers and families for a weekend full of live performances, street food, and cultural experiences.

Our team’s colourful presence stood out among the crowds. Canzee, the well-known recycling mascot, joined the team to help spread the recycling message, bringing plenty of smiles and photo opportunities along the way. Meanwhile, our ambassadors roamed the festival site, collecting drink cans and chatting with attendees about the importance of recycling and keeping valuable materials in the loop.

The response from festivalgoers was fantastic. All of our temporary tattoos were handed out within just two days, showing just how eager people were to join in the fun while supporting a sustainable cause. Even more encouraging, 1,279 attendees completed the recycling survey during the event, helping to understand better public attitudes towards recycling and how we can continue to improve awareness in the future.
Canzee was also a hit on stage, making a couple of lively appearances at both the Kids Stage and The People’s Lounge across the weekend.

These moments brought recycling messages to life for younger audiences and families, reinforcing the idea that small actions, like recycling your drink can, can make a big difference for the planet.

The Street Food Festival “Gradski”, held in Belgrade from August 21–24, 2025, has successfully concluded, with our local chapter Svaka limenka se računa joining forces with Solagro and Heineken once again to show how fun and drink can recycling can go hand in hand.

Throughout the four days of the festival, visitors had the opportunity to recycle their used aluminium cans in the Every Can Counts bins or on the go using the specially designed backpacks worn by our recycling ambassadors. With the support of the Smart Flex System, participants who recycled five cans received a voucher for a free drink, proving how simple actions can make recycling both engaging and rewarding.

As in previous years, Svaka limenka se računa proudly supported the festival, reminding everyone that even small steps can have a big impact when it comes to protecting the environment. The festival, hosted at Kalemegdan Down Town, brought together an exciting mix of street food specialties, refreshing beer, and lively performances by bands and DJs, all while visitors actively contributed to a meaningful recycling initiative.

In August, our local chapter, Każda Puszka Cenna, teamed up with beer brands Tyskie and Lech to bring the power of can recycling to two of the country’s biggest music festivals: Pol’and’Rock and OFF Festival, both happening at the same time.

The result was a record-breaking outdoor activation that turned thousands of festivalgoers into recycling heroes, while also preparing Poland for its upcoming deposit return system.

At Pol’and’Rock, the Tyskie zone became a true circularity hotspot. Festival fans who returned six uncrushed drink cans to a special reverse vending machine were rewarded with Tyskie Zero, stylish can lids, and the ultimate festival accessory: Tyskie bandanas. The response was overwhelming. In total, 7,770 cans were collected through the machine alone, while around 100,000 cans were recycled overall, the equivalent of 1,500 kilograms of aluminium.

The activation went beyond collection. Pop-art installations made from cans, eye-catching voting bins, multiple recycling points, and a team of 15 enthusiastic recycling ambassadors all helped create a dynamic and engaging celebration of circularity. This was Every Can Counts Poland’s biggest outdoor event in its 30-year history, and it marks just the beginning of even bigger things to come. Because yes — every can really does count.