Europe

Garden Hospitality, a seven-day drum & bass festival that attracts fans from all over the world to the stunning coast of Tisno, Croatia, has just wrapped up, and this year, recycling was in the spotlight thanks to our local chapter.

Our team’s mission was clear: to inspire young people to adopt a responsible attitude toward the environment, especially during events in natural settings like this one. Throughout the festival, our recycling ambassadors, equipped with signature recycling backpacks, moved through the crowd, encouraging attendees to properly dispose of their used cans.

But that wasn’t all. Thanks to the Smart Flex System, a portable, innovative solution that uses advanced technology to track waste, guests had an extra incentive to recycle. Their can deposits contributed directly to a local charity, combining sustainability with social good.

The visual experience also played a significant role. To make recycling fun and interactive, our team installed a giant metal heart equipped with sensors and LED lighting for collecting cans. This eye-catching installation quickly became a highlight of the festival, drawing attention and sparking conversations about recycling.

Over seven days at The Garden Resort, surrounded by nature and beautiful beaches, festivalgoers enjoyed performances by world-class drum & bass artists across four stages, all while being reminded to recycle.

Our local chapters, Every Can Counts UK and Ireland, joined forces, returning to Stendhal Festival to inspire festivalgoers to recycle their drink cans and play an active role in a truly circular economy.

The well-known ”I <3 Recycling” letter bins were once again a standout feature, providing a fun and visible way for attendees to recycle their empty cans. A team of recycling ambassadors was present throughout the weekend, engaging with festivalgoers, collecting cans, and raising awareness about the importance of keeping aluminium in the recycling loop.

This year’s activation also featured the debut of Candy, the brand-new mascot for Every Can Counts Ireland, who helped attract attention and spread the recycling message across the festival grounds.

Throughout the event, 490 people took part in the recycling survey, learning more about the infinite recyclability of drink cans and the positive impact of everyday recycling habits.

Our Polish chapter, Każda Puszka Cenna, teamed up once again with the Żabka store chain to promote aluminium can recycling and raise awareness about the upcoming deposit return system—this time in the centre of Wrocław.

Locals and tourists had the chance to try out the deposit machine and see how it works. As a reward, they received Żabka app points for each can they returned, which they could use for shopping or to get fun branded gifts.

In the middle of Wrocław’s colourful streets and well-known flower shops, the Every Can Counts Pixelcan caught everyone’s eye. With its vibrant design, it reminded passersby of the infinite possibilities of aluminium. The installation drew a great deal of attention and sparked conversations about recycling and the lifecycle of a drink can.

Our recycling ambassadors were also there with their signature backpacks, helping collect empty cans and spreading the recycling message. They even met one of Wrocław’s famous dwarves, who also spread the word about protecting the environment in their own special way.

This summer, our Spanish chapter, Cada Lata Cuenta, is hitting the beaches of Spain once again with its environmental awareness campaign, aimed at promoting drink can recycling and encouraging more sustainable habits among beachgoers.

Throughout July and August, teams of our recycling ambassadors will visit popular urban beaches in Santander, A Coruña, Cádiz, Málaga, and Tenerife. Their mission is to raise awareness about the importance of recycling in public spaces and to remind visitors that small actions—like recycling a single can—can have a big impact.

Recent surveys, launched by Cada Lata Cuenta, reveal an important gap: while nearly 90% of beachgoers know that cans are recyclable, only 45% actually recycle when at the beach. This highlights the need for improved waste management infrastructure, along with increased education and engagement on recycling in these settings.

As part of the campaign, on-site surveys will be carried out to understand recycling behaviours better. The insights gathered will help local councils improve their waste collection systems and make recycling easier and more effective.

This summer, our chapter in Ireland joined the vibrant celebration of Dublin Pride with a powerful message: sustainability and inclusivity go hand in hand.

At the heart of our team’s activation was the Every Can Counts rainbow installation, a striking visual made entirely from over 1,500 recycled drink cans. Positioned in a high-visibility area, the rainbow served not just as a photo opportunity, but as a bold symbol of circularity, creativity and community.

Throughout the day, our team of recycling ambassadors moved through the crowds wearing our signature backpacks designed for recycling on the go. They engaged with over 400 attendees, sparking meaningful conversations about how drink cans are infinitely recyclable and how small actions, like recycling a single drink can, can have a big impact.

Dublin Pride also marked an exciting moment for us: the official debut of the new mascot, Candy. With a bright look and playful energy, Candy instantly connected with passersby of all ages, becoming one of the highlights of the day and spreading smiles everywhere.

Our ambassadors collected around 300 drink cans during the event, and our team chose to put their value to good use. The proceeds from recycling the cans were donated to ShoutOut, an Irish charity dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ people through education, personal storytelling and school outreach programmes.

The 15th edition of Arsenal Fest, held in the unique setting of the former smelter in the heart of Kragujevac, concluded successfully, attracting over 35,000 visitors and achieving impressive recycling results over three unforgettable festival nights. More than 10,000 used drink cans were collected and sent for recycling.

This year’s edition stood out with its high-quality production, a rich and diverse music lineup, and a innovative recycling campaign supported by our Serbian chapter, Svaka limenka se računa.

The atmosphere was electrified by performances from some of the biggest regional and global music stars, spanning genres and generations, including the legendary Massive Attack, Darko Rundek, Joker Out, Butch Cassidy, regional icon Senidah, the soulful Michael Kiwanuka, and the explosive set by cult favourites Faithless, who connected with the crowd in extraordinary ways.

The heated atmosphere, during which many drinks were consumed, required a well-organised collection approach. Our team was on the ground with recycling ambassadors with the programme’s signature backpacks for recycling on the go, along with designated recycling bins placed throughout the festival to make it easy for people to recycle their empty drink cans.

Adding a creative twist to our presence, two artists brought the Every Can Counts PixelCan to life, a unique installation made of used cans that was painted live during the event, transforming recycling into a powerful and visually stunning experience for all attendees. The message was loud and clear: Every Can Counts, and together, we proved just how much of a difference we can make.

At this year’s Tauron Nowa Muzyka Katowice, one of Poland’s most iconic music festivals, the circularity of drink cans took centre stage thanks to the collaboration between our local chapter, Każda Puszka Cenna, and Lech. From June 19–22, festival-goers didn’t just dance to the beats of Zamilska, Francesco Tristano, and Avtomat, but they also became part of a movement that turns every can into a new one.

Armed with special backpacks and collection bins, our recycling ambassadors helped attendees actively participate in the selective collection of aluminium cans. A unique “voting bin” allowed them to cast their vote using empty cans, while a striking installation made entirely of uncrushed Lech cans became a popular photo spot and a powerful visual reminder of the value of recycling.

“As a major beverage producer, including our non-alcoholic Lech Free, we know that introducing a deposit system for cans means reshaping consumer habits. That’s why our slogan this year is ‘Relax, Don’t Crush.’ Through our partnership with Każda Puszka Cenna, we’re building a consistent message around the importance of keeping cans intact. This initiative at Tauron Nowa Muzyka Katowice is another step in our sustainability journey,” said Małgorzata Walędzińska-Półtorak, Sustainability Programs Manager, Kompania Piwowarska SA.

This was the first festival collaboration of the year for Każda Puszka Cenna and the first time teaming up with the Lech brand. With Poland’s deposit system for beverage cans just months away, the initiative focused on educating the public while ensuring that every collected can, crushed or not, was recycled.

“We’re proud to kick off our festival season at Tauron Nowa Muzyka Katowice. Partnering with Lech allows us to amplify our message just ahead of the deposit system launch. And yes, we danced too — because recycling and music make a perfect duet,” said Paweł Wiśnioch, Każda Puszka Cenna.

Following the success of its first edition, the second Craft Fest took place with the participation of our local chapter, Svaka limenka se računa Montenegro.

Craft Fest is more than a festival; it’s a true celebration of local craftsmanship, a unique opportunity to enjoy great beer, delicious food, live music, and good company. It’s also the perfect occasion to raise awareness about aluminium can recycling. That’s why our team was present in the heart of Montenegro’s capital, Podgorica, from June 16 to 22.

Our recycling ambassadors, equipped with their signature backpacks, actively engaged visitors, encouraging them to dispose of used cans in the right way for recycling. To make participation even more fun, we introduced a special incentive: anyone who brought seven or more empty cans received a refreshing reward—a canned drink.

Our team also showcased the innovative Smart Flex System, developed by the start-up company Solagro with the support of Ball Corporation and our initiative. This system makes waste traceable, promoting sustainability and reducing environmental impact.

For the first time at its new location, the Street Food Festival welcomed numerous visitors eager to enjoy global culinary specialties. Taking place in Block 44 in New Belgrade, the festival on the banks of the Sava River was a refreshing weekend highlight for anyone looking to savour delicious food and spend quality time by the water.

As the most popular international street food festival in the city, it was the perfect setting to promote the importance of recycling aluminium cans. In collaboration with the Street Food Festival organisers, our Serbian chapter, Svaka limenka se računa, Heineken, and Eko Star Pak, launched an on-site initiative: Street Food Green Hood. To raise awareness around aluminium can recycling, our team set up collection points using the programme’s signature backpacks and the Smart Flex System.

To further engage festival-goers, they offered a small reward —a refreshing canned drink —to everyone who brought back five used cans for recycling. The vibrant atmosphere was amplified by performances from well-known Belgrade DJs, including Groovyman, Def In Mini, DJ Lapac, Emma, Lemme, Joma Maja, and Vanja Bursać, who once again added their unique touch to the event.

Our chapter in the UK made a bold, visible impact at this year’s LIDO Festival in Victoria Park, London. Set across two weekends, the event brought together music, community, and sustainability, the perfect setting for our programme to engage festivalgoers and spread awareness about the importance of drink can recycling.

Every Can Counts UK brought a team of recycling ambassadors and a set of the iconic ‘I love recycling’ can cages to the LIDO Festival in Victoria Park in London. These eye-catching cages acted as interactive installations where attendees could recycle their empty cans while learning about the infinite recyclability of aluminium.

The festival was split across two weekends, and Canzee brought in the crowds during the first weekend. ECC’s famous mascot, Canzee, added a playful touch to the event, attracting attention, sparking photo ops, and spreading smiles and awareness across the park.

Over 480 attendees completed our team’s recycling quiz at the event. The quiz invited participants to test their knowledge of aluminium recycling and learn facts about energy savings, turnaround times, and sustainability benefits. It proved to be one of the most popular interactive elements at the booth.

An Every Can Counts video also appeared on the big screens in between acts throughout the days the festival was live. These moments brought our message to the broader audience, encouraging everyone, even in a moment of rest, to reflect on their impact and make every can count.