Europe

In the heart of Bucharest’s Drumul Taberei Park, a remarkable festival celebrating flowers, plants, and their significant influence on community life took place from June 9th to 11th. Every Can Counts Romania was there in collaboration with the Alucro Association, showcasing stunning artworks made from aluminium cans, artfully displayed in the festival’s thematic gardens.

Initiated by the 6th District City Hall, the West Side Flower Fest became Romania’s first and biggest event dedicated to the beauty and significance of flora. Amidst the vibrant gardens, a unique partnership between the festival and the “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism brought to light the transformative power of recycling and the creative reuse of aluminium drink cans. This colourful festival celebrated the beauty of plants and flowers and emphasized the importance of recycling and reusing.

The festival’s ten thematic gardens offered a delightful blend of colours, scents, and artistic expressions. Each landscaping project was complemented by a captivating painting, sculpture, or installation crafted by talented artists. These unique artworks were created using recycled drink cans, serving as a powerful visual representation of the transformative impact of recycling. 

Beyond the beauty of the West Side Flower Fest, the event was a reminder of each individual’s power to contribute positively to the environment. At the same time, the art installations made from recycled drink cans inspired visitors to contemplate the effect of their daily choices.

The 20th anniversary of the Download Festival was an extraordinary celebration, and Every Can Counts UK was there to make it even more special. With the shiny #EveryCanCounts soapbox, our team roamed Donington Park, engaging festival goers and sparking conversations about drink can recycling. 

After its memorable debut at the previous year’s Red Bull Soapbox Race in London, the iconic soapbox received a makeover. Equipped with an electric motor, it grabbed the attention at Download Festival, creating a buzz about drink can recycling. Our ambassadors drove it around Donington Park, captivating the crowd and spreading the message of sustainability while having fun.

Over 40,000 aluminium cans were recycled throughout the festival, and festival goers had the chance to win amazing rewards, including the ‘Metal Never Dies’ t-shirts and recycled aluminium keyrings commemorating the festival’s 20th anniversary. Voting bins and the newly introduced #DownloadFestival can cages were instrumental in collecting thousands more drink cans, contributing to the festival’s recycling success.

Our recycling ambassadors engaged festival goers through interactive activities, including a recycling quiz with fantastic prizes. Over 2,400 participants completed the quiz and entered the prize draw for tickets to next year’s festival, igniting excitement and encouraging active participation in recycling initiatives. Our team enjoyed chatting with attendees, capturing memorable moments with the #PixelCan, and witnessing the enthusiasm for sustainability firsthand.

During the vibrant San Isidro Festival in Rivas-Vaciamadrid, our Spanish team, Cada Lata Cuenta, hit the streets, promoting sustainability and encouraging people to recycle their empty drink cans on the go with the message ‘’El Metal Nunca Muere’’, aka Metal Never Dies.

In collaboration with the Rivas-Vaciamadrid Council, our initiative aimed to raise awareness about recycling and foster an eco-conscious mindset among festival goers. To make the event more environmentally friendly, our recycling ambassadors engaged with festival-goers, surveyed their recycling habits outside of the home and organized interactive and educational activities that allowed participants to learn more about sustainability, proper waste management, and the benefits of aluminium recycling.

The survey results, conducted among festival attendees to gain insights into their recycling habits outside of the home, revealed that 61% of the participants recycled at home. However, the survey also highlighted that only 22% of respondents recycled while away from home. This data emphasized the importance of promoting recycling beyond residential settings.

To further engage festival attendees, Cada Lata Cuenta invited people from Rivas-Vaciamadrid to create our programme’s signature #PixelCan installation.  Using 2,000 recycled cans, participants transformed the blank canvas into a colourful mural. The installation served as a visual reminder of the importance of recycling and showcased the infinite possibilities of aluminium cans.

A positive increase compared to 2022.

Two out of five Dutch people recycle their empty drink cans when they are outdoors. This is shown by research by Every Can Counts (May 2023), the European Initiative that inspires and encourages the recycling of beverage cans. This is a positive increase compared to a year earlier. In 2022, only 23% of the Dutch indicated that they recycled cans outside their home. The deposit on cans is already having a positive effect. Nevertheless, with over 2,5 billion drink cans consumed in The Netherlands every year, there is still room for improvement.

On-the-go recycling 

On the go, in public places and during festivals and events (such as King’s Day, Liberation Festival and Pride) – we massively consume canned drinks. But on-the-go is exactly when people find it difficult to recycle their empty drink cans and where recycling points are still rare. This is mainly the case during festivals and major events (36%), but also in public spaces such as the park and on the street (35%). More than 60% of the Dutch, therefore, plead that there should be more recycling points outdoors for the recycling and returning of drink cans.

“The introduction of the deposit on drinks cans is a step in the right direction, but when it comes to cans used on the go, in public places, during festivals and sports events, we can really make a difference. This is also evident from the research. More than half of the Dutch people indicated that they sometimes leave a drink can at the place where they consume it. These findings are an important signal that there is still work to be done in terms of awareness and behavioural change. But also that there should be more good recycling and collection solutions for outdoor use.”

David Van Heuverswyn, director of Every Can Counts Europe

Metal recycles forever

Aluminium cans are one of the most popular beverage packaging materials in the world and for good reason. Aluminium beverage cans have many durable properties. Research by ECC (2023) shows that many Dutch still need to be made aware of the sustainability of aluminium cans. Only 15% of the Dutch chose aluminium cans over plastic, glass and cardboard when it comes to sustainable packaging material.

For example, did you know…

• A recycled beverage can, can be on the shelves as a new beverage can in just 60 days.
•  By producing new aluminium beverage cans from recycled cans instead of ‘new’ primary aluminium, up to 95% less energy is used, and just as much less harmful emissions are generated.
•  The ecological footprint of aluminium becomes smaller when more aluminium cans are recycled.

More than enough reason to promote “on-the-go” recycling by showing how easy it is and to enlarge environmental consciousness by sharing the difference we can all make as individuals. One can at a time because every can counts.

Held in the picturesque town of Manzanares El Real, the Ventolera Festival celebrated its first edition, and our initiative in Spain, Cada Lata Cuenta, was there to promote drink can recycling  and environmental consciousness.

Together with LaTarara Cultural and the Manzanares El Real Council, Cada Lata Cuenta helped make Ventolera Festival an unforgettable experience while encouraging environmental responsibility. Families and friends gathered together to enjoy a day immersed in the beauty of the countryside, surrounded by the breathtaking landscapes of the Guadarrama National Park. Being on a mission to help visitors and locals celebrate a family day in nature, filled with music, picnics, and workshops on kites, pinwheels, and windsocks, our team spread the message ‘’Drink cans recycle forever’’. To achieve this objective, recycling bins were placed throughout the festival grounds to encourage attendees to recycle their drink cans, facilitating proper waste disposal. 

Adding a melodic touch to the festival, visitors had the chance to enjoy live performances by Maliciosa Folks, a talented Iberian folk group based in Mataelpino, and the Irish Trío, who entertained the crowd with a captivating session of Irish music. By promoting recycling and raising awareness about the importance of sustainability not only in festivals but also in people’s daily lives, Ventolera Festival left a positive and lasting impact on both the local community and the Guadarrama National Park. It is a brilliant example of how music, nature, and environmental responsibility can harmoniously create a truly unforgettable experience.

Every Can Counts UK announced its latest brand partnership with industry-leading wine and spirits company Pernod Ricard. The partnership will see Pernod Ricard collaborate with Every Can Counts UK, alongside drink can manufacturers and the wider recycling industry, to raise awareness of the importance of recycling and work together to increase the recycling rate for drink cans across the country.

Our team member will be working with Pernod Ricard UK and its brands to encourage more recycling in on-the-go locations. Over the summer months, they will be supporting a number of sampling campaigns and festival activations for Pernod Ricard’s Absolut and Malibu brands. The first of these partnership activations will be at Mighty Hoopla festival in London, where the recycling ambassadors will be on hand to collect cans and educate consumers.

Pernod Ricard UK is committed to creating a better world through environmental initiatives. The company’s sustainability and responsibility roadmap – Good Times From A Good Place – has four core pillars: Circular Making, Nurturing Terroir, Valuing People and Responsible Hosting. A key commitment within the Circular Making pillar is working to reduce the company’s carbon footprint intensity by 50% by 2030 and achieving Net Zero by 2050.

Ian Peart, Commercial Director at Pernod Ricard UK, commented: “For RTDs, as for any other segment, we strive to be sustainable and responsible every step of the way, including in our packaging, energy and production, as well as transport. Aluminium is an infinitely recyclable material, and in the UK, 82% of aluminium was effectively recycled in 2021. We’re excited to be working with Every Can Counts as we strive to increase that number.”

Chris Latham-Warde, Programme Manager for Every Can Counts UK, said: “We’re always very excited to announce new partnerships, especially those with brands as well known and globally recognised as Pernod Ricard UK. It’s great to see these industry-leading brands taking steps to encourage their customers to do the right thing, and we’re looking forward to working with them to help raise awareness and inspire recycling across the nation.”

To celebrate the new partnership, Every Can Counts UK is giving away a hamper with 40 cans of Absolut and Malibu cocktails to share with friends this summer. Learn more here: https://everycancounts.co.uk/pernod-ricard-giveaway/

This month, Svaka limenka se računa actively participated in two significant events in Serbia and Croatia, aiming to recycle every drink can and promote responsible environmental behaviour.

Beogradski Manifest

Located at the iconic Belgrade Fortress Kalemegdan, Beogradski Manifest is a highly popular and well-attended event in the heart of Serbia. From May 19 to 21, our team seized the opportunity to engage with visitors and encourage their participation in the recycling process. Amidst the diverse lineup featuring artistic performances, concerts, and cultural exhibitions, our recycling ambassadors were on a mission to keep outdoor spaces clean by helping people recycle wherever they are, contributing to more sustainable events in the future.

Sea Star Festival 

At the same time, a few hundred kilometres away, at the breathtaking Stella Maris seaside resort in Umag, Croatia, unfolded the Sea Star Festival 2023 from May 19 to 20. Organized by the team behind the world-famous EXIT festival, the international music event hosted some of the world’s most popular artists and regional music scenes from 40 different countries, drawing more than 42,000 visitors. This was the perfect opportunity for our ambassadors to get their hands dirty, putting on their standout backpacks to collect every empty drink can while reminding festivalgoers of the importance of  a sustainable lifestyle. . Also, to further engage with the audience and educate passersby about the infinite possibilities of aluminium, our team brought along the Every Can Counts PixelCan, a mural made of 2,000 drink cans.

From the Beogradski Manifest in Serbia and the Sea Star Festival in Croatia, Svaka limenka se računa reached thousands of people, facilitating more recycling spots to make drink can recycling easier. By actively interacting with attendees, our initiative encouraged conscious decision-making leaving a positive environmental impact.

Ogni Lattina Vale, in partnership with CIAL Consortium, took centre stage at Comicon Naples, held from April 28th to May 1st, on a mission to encourage people to recycle their drink cans and promote more sustainable events with a standout installation and interactive games.

One of the event’s highlights was the Every Can Counts PixelCan, a signature installation of 2,000 aluminium cans forming the Comicon logo. This eye-catching display, placed  at the entrance to the central theatre, was a powerful symbol, capturing visitors’ attention and encouraging good environmental practices. 

Throughout the event, our recycling ambassadors, equipped with backpacks, collected empty cans on the go and educated visitors about the advantages of proper waste disposal and a circular economy. To engage with the public even further, CIAL organized a quiz called “Ogni Lattina Vale: Quante sono?” Participants had the opportunity to guess the number of drink cans included within a bale, with the chance to win the Ricicletta—a bicycle made from 800 recycled aluminium cans. 

“Run for those who can’t” is the motto of one of the most anticipated running events of the season, the Wings for Life World Run in Vienna. This year, over 206,000 participants worldwide, including a remarkable 13,000 in Vienna alone, joined the run for a greater cause in May. And among them was our initiative in Austria, Jede Dose zählt, proudly supporting the event’s cause while championing yet another important mission: promoting drink can recycling. 

By combining interactive games and recycling on the go, our team cheered for the runners and informed thousands of visitors about the importance and benefits of drinking can recycling. Geared up with their signature backpacks, the recycling ambassadors accomplished their mission of educating people about the infinite possibilities of aluminium while making drink can recycling a joyful experience through VR recycling games and other fun activities. With a remarkable global participation of over 206,000 runners, including two team members, the 2023 edition achieved a milestone, raising an impressive €5,802,595 through entry fees and donations for spinal cord research. 

The Wings for Life World Run World Run was just the beginning of Jede Dose zählt’s recycling journey. As World Environment Day approaches on June 5th, our initiative will join Every Can Count’s International Recycling Tour 2023 in Vienna and Graz. But its journey won’t stop there. Taking drink can recycling to new heights, Jede Dose zählt will also participate in the FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX AUSTRIA 2023, held from June 30th to July 2nd in Spielberg, Styria. The worldwide event will serve as another opportunity for our team to engage with racing enthusiasts and spectators while recycling on the go and raising awareness about sustainability.