Published on: May 18, 2011

Published by: admin

Wednesday 18th  May 2011 – Every Can Counts, the away from home drinks can recycling programme, has today revealed that it helped businesses to collect 27 million used aluminium and steel beverage cans for recycling across the UK in 2010. The figure is equivalent to each employee at organisations registered with the programme recycling four cans per month.¹

Every Can Counts, which is funded by the leading European and UK drinks can manufacturers and aluminium and steel packaging reprocessors, calculates that by enabling over 394 tonnes of drinks cans to be recycled last year over 4000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions have been avoided.

Every Can Counts provides businesses with a branded recycling programme enabling them to launch and promote, drinks can recycling. Over the past two years the programme has been embraced by over 400 organisations keen to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and encourage their staff and customers to recycle more.

Organisations using the programme range across the public and private sector and from SMEs to FTSE-listed companies.  All are using Every Can Counts to help them achieve corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability objectives, including zero waste to landfill targets. Two years after its launch there are over 4000-branded collection points around the UK in offices, shopping centres, universities and tourist attractions.  Results from participating organisations show that although the programme specifically targets drinks cans, volumes of other recyclables also increase as a result of using the range of Every Can Counts-branded resources.

Announcing the 2010 results at the Facilities Show, Diana Caldwell of Every Can Counts said: “We are extremely pleased with what Every Can Counts achieved in 2010. More and more organisations are joining the programme as they understand the contribution it can make to workplace recycling and CSR schemes.

“Moreover Every Can Counts is establishing itself as a strong brand in successfully promoting the recycling of drinks cans outside the home both in the workplace and encouraging consumers to recycle whilst ‘on the go’. This summer sees the programme embarking on projects to encourage recycling in new areas, and so we have high hopes that the programme will continue to flourish into 2011, and beyond.”

Around 30% of the 9 billion cans sold every year are consumed outside the home; mainly in workplaces and whilst ‘on the go’, so they do not get picked up for recycling through local authority collections for domestic waste.  Every Can Counts addresses this gap, helping organisations to set up and promote recycling schemes to staff and customers.

Ends

Examples of Every Can Counts at work

Unilever

Introducing Every Can Counts fitted well with the company’s philosophy which encourages staff to take ‘small actions to make a big difference’.  Reaction to Every Can Counts has been good and at the current rate of use the Leeds site is on course to collect over half a tonne of drinks cans in the programme’s first year.

Identity & Passport Service, Newport

Following the introduction of  Every Can Counts in January 2010 drinks can recycling quadrupled – meaning that in six months they had collected more cans than over the whole of the previous year. Over the same period the amount of plastic and confidential waste recycling also increased.

For case studies, images, information or to organise an interview with Every Can Counts, please contact onechocolate communications on 020 7437 0227 or ukbcme@onechocolatecomms.co.uk

Notes to editors

1. Data used in this press release has been calculated and verified using methodology endorsed by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

About Every Can Counts

Every Can Counts is a partnership between the European and UK drinks can manufacturers and the aluminium and steel packaging and recycling industries, and supported by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP). It aims to enable and encourage more people to recycle the drinks cans they use outside the home.  For more information visit www.everycancounts.co.uk/about. You can also follow Every Can Counts on Facebook and Twitter.

Every Can Counts – Funding Partners

1. BCME (Beverage Can Makers Europe) is a not-for-profit making association whose prime objective is to promote the beverage can in Europe. The three members are: Ball Packaging Europe, Crown Bevcan Europe and Middle East and Rexam Beverage Can Europe & Asia.

2. Novelis operates Europe’s only dedicated used aluminium can recycling plant in Warrington, Cheshire.  The plant has the capacity to recycle every aluminium can sold in the UK for the foreseeable future (currently 6.6 billion cans, which equates to approximately 101,000 tonnes in weight).

3 . Tata Steel Packaging Recycling: TATA is the largest steel recycler in the UK. TATA Steel Packaging Recycling promotes steel packaging recycling to consumers, local authorities and the commercial sector.

4. The UK Can Makers represents the UK manufacturers of beer and carbonated soft drinks cans and promotes the benefits of the drinks can and aid communications between the industry and its customers: the brewers and soft drinks manufacturers and the retailers, as well as the packaging industry, the media and consumers.