Every Can Counts and Zero Waste Scotland are helping people around Scotland recycle their drinks cans while they are out and about.

Zero Waste Scotland and Every Can Counts are funding the six-month trial, which is taking place at Stirling’s Thistles Shopping Centre, Falkirk Bus Station, Queen Margaret University, Dundee College and Elgin Academy.  The trial is part of Zero Waste Scotland’s work to ensure valuable materials can be recycled.

From 1st January 2014, businesses in Scotland will be required to separate all of their waste – including metals – for recycling. Every Can Counts has been working with businesses to help them work towards compliance, and now and the programme has joined forces with Zero Waste Scotland to trial the initiative to help make it easier for people to recycle their drinks cans ‘on the go’.

The eye-catching new can crushers are designed to crush and hold up to 700 aluminium and steel drinks cans – five times more than a conventional recycling container.  Operated by people-power rather than electricity, the compact and user-friendly design of the crushers encourages consumers to take a more hands-on approach to recycling.

Andrew McFarlan of Every Can Counts says: “Our new initiative marks an exciting new phase in the Every Can Counts programme, which launched in Scotland 12 months ago.  Already we have 250 businesses using the programme to encourage staff and customers to recycle and now we have the opportunity to encourage people to recycle when they are out and about.

“We all know that recycling drinks cans makes sense – it cuts down waste, saves energy and natural resources.  By recycling more, shoppers, commuters and staff around Scotland can significantly reduce their impact on the environment and the country can take a major step towards achieving its Zero Waste ambitions.”

Donna Cochrane from Queen Margaret University near Edinburgh (QMU) said: “Sustainability is at the very core of our vision and is in line with our commitment to the environment, so the can crusher initiative is the ideal opportunity to complement the waste separation programme that we already have in place.

“The new initiative is a great fun way of engaging students and staff, as well as helping us all separate aluminium cans from general waste.  It’s been really easy to take part and enhance our current recycling programme and will help to further strengthen our total commitment to developing QMU as a sustainable university.”

Every Can Counts offers free help and advice with all aspects of setting up and promoting a recycling scheme, either as part of an existing programme or as a stand-alone scheme.

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