Away from home drinks can recycling initiative Every Can Counts is celebrating its fifth anniversary, having successfully expanded the brand into seven European countries since launching in the UK in 2009.

In the UK the programme is delivered by a funding partnership comprising European and UK beverage can manufacturers, the aluminium packaging recycling industry and leading drinks brands*¹.There are over 10,000 Every Can Counts branded recycling collection points in workplaces throughout the UK and the programme has taken part in 54 days of promotional activity at festivals and events since its launch.

Now the model is being successfully replicated across Europe, bringing together the major players in the European beverage can sector under the Every Can Counts brand; to the extent that the programme is regarded by the beverage can industry as the key brand for promoting drinks can recycling to consumers in Europe and as having a key role in achieving national, European and metal industry targets for increasing the recycling of all beverage cans to average 70% by 2020.

Targeting the estimated 30% of drinks cans that are used outside the home, in workplaces and places where people are ‘on the go’, in the UK Every Can Counts has established successful partnerships with local authorities, event managers, retail centres and businesses. The programme has also established collection partnerships with over 50 recycling businesses which are providing an Every Can Counts branded service to businesses around the UK.

Rick Hindley, Executive Director of  Alupro, says: “In the five years since we launched Every Can Counts as a trial programme in the UK we’ve seen it go from strength to strength, attracting investment from major brands and working to promote drinks can recycling in workplaces and at major events, not just in the UK but across Europe.

“Key to this success is the programme model, which has enabled industry partners to easily replicate the scheme in other markets so whether a consumer is in Montengero or France they get the same encouragement to recycle.

“As Every Can Counts is a non-commercial brand it allows all sectors of the industry to work in partnership to promote and encourage recycling. We are really excited by the impact the programme is having and about the prospect of developing new industry partnerships to communicate programme’s message to more people across the continent.”

Every Can Counts is also due to launch in Greece later this year, and discussions are underway with other countries to further expand the programme’s European reach.

ENDS

A full report outlining the progress of the Every Can Counts programme across Europe is available to download at www.everycancounts.eu/about-us

An infographic summarising the key milestones of the past 5 years in the UK is also available to view at http://www.everycancounts.co.uk/about-us/our-history/