Every Can Counts recycles 100K drink cans at summer festivals
Alupro’s consumer-facing campaign used recycling backpacks, cage installations, festival-themed bins, and rewards to incentivise festival-goers to recycle.
Every Can Counts reports that it helped festival-goers recycle over 100,000 drink cans this summer, marking a 59 per cent year-on-year increase.
Over the past few months, the Alupro-managed campaign team attended a variety of events, including Download Festival, the Red Bull Soapbox Race, Stendhal Festival, 2000trees, and Latitude Festival to promote can recycling.
Commenting on the success of the scheme, Chris Latham Warde, Programme Manager at Every Can Counts, said: “It’s been a fantastic summer working with major festivals and event organisers across the UK and Ireland, as well as our drink brand partners, to raise awareness about the importance of recycling.
“Thanks to the enthusiasm of festival goers and our dedicated team of ambassadors, we’ve not only recycled over 100,000 cans across the UK, but also hopefully inspired thousands to make recycling a part of their daily lives.”
The organisation introduced a range of recycling methods, including recycling backpacks, cage installations, and festival-themed voting bins to encourage participation.
At festivals like Download, Latitude, and Electric Picnic, attendees were rewarded with items such as t-shirts and keyrings made from recycled aluminium for taking part in the recycling efforts.
Every Can Counts gathered over 6,700 responses from their recycling survey conducted at festivals. The survey revealed that festival-goers would recycle more if there were more recycling points available. Respondents also highlighted beaches, green spaces, streets, and shopping centres as key areas where more drink can recycling points are needed.
According to Powerful Thinking’s 2020 report, The Show Must Go On, festivals generate over 25,800 tonnes of waste each year, with outdoor events remaining a hotspots for waste management challenges.
Every Can Counts’ goal of 100 per cent drink can recycling aims to reduce this number, not just in festivals but also at restaurants, universities, shopping centres, offices and parks.
Latham-Warde added: “Every can that is recycled can be back on the shelf in 60 days and if we work together, we can all enjoy greener festivals while getting closer to our goal of a 100% drink can recycling rate.”
