Success for recycling programme

More than 50 million used beverage cans were collected from workplaces and ‘on the go’ locations across the UK in 2011.

Every Can Counts, the away from home drinks can recycling programme, revealed that it helped collect 51 million used beverage cans last year. This equates to 774 tonnes of aluminium and steel collected and around 5,800 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions saved as a result of the programme.

Every Can Counts, which is funded by a partnership comprising UK and European drinks can manufacturers, the aluminium and steel packaging and recycling industries, and energy drinks brand Red Bull, announced the results on the third anniversary of the programme’s launch.

On average each employee at workplaces registered with the programme recycled five cans per month, which represents a year on year increase in workplace recycling performance of 25%. The programme has also developed a viable model for drinks can recycling at outdoor events with around one million drinks cans, collected across 10 music festivals in 2011. To date, nearly 700 organisations around the UK are registered with the programme, and there are almost 5,000 Every Can Counts branded collection points at over 1,900 individual sites.

The Every Can Counts programme has been successfully replicated in France, Austria, Romania and Hungary, with more European markets looking to follow suit.

Rick Hindley, director of Every Can Counts, said: “The 2011 results confirm that we have established a successful model for encouraging recycling outside the home.  However this is just the tip of the iceberg, and we are constantly on the look-out for new ways to help businesses that want to recycle more, as it’s important to keep testing, refining and innovating. We have some exciting plans in preparation for 2012, which we hope will keep us at the forefront of developments in this challenging area.”

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