WELCOME TO CANMAIL IRELAND We launch this issue amid some significant world - wide happenings which have led to the postponement of some Every Can Counts events. Thus we have adapted to find new ways to maintain consumer engagement during these challenging times.
While there is much uncertainty in the world at this time, one thing is clear: Every Can Counts will continue to inspire, encourage and empower people to recycle their empty cans in support of the programme’s vision for a 100% drink can recycling rate.
In lieu of the programme’s experiential activities at events and festivals, we have been concentrating on digital outreach and successfully developed a series of online competitions and activities, discussed in greater detail later in this issue. Having celebrated its 10th anniversary last year, Every Can Counts is now entering its second decade bolstered by a branding makeover and the addition of new partnerships with PR agencies Ewing (Europe-wide) and Publicasity (Ireland & UK).
DIGITAL SUCCESS IN LOCKDOWN Every Can Counts has continued to spread its messages during the lockdown period by embracing social media and creating digital rays of positivity with a recycling-themed twist. Through a range of competitions and campaigns shared across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter, we’ve been engaging with a record number of people online. Blank CANvas (our cover story!) This competition provided a fun activity for the whole family: design your own drink can for a chance to win some great prizes, including a Nintendo Switch! The competition was a huge success, with 718 entries and an online reach of over 425k. We were blown away by the creativity and talent shown in the designs we received, and were thrilled to see so many recycling-themed designs.
RÓISÍN O’BRIEN
EVERY CAN COUNTS IRELAND PROGRAMME MANAGER
The #CANdunk Challenge The challenge: to film a drink can being recycled in a fun and creative way. From impressive trick shots to epic stop motion adventures, the results were CANtastic! To promote this competition we partnered with a selection of social media influencers, including magician Magic Singh and football freestylers Steve Gray and Sam Madden, who completed the challenge in their own creative ways and shared the results with their online followings. More competitions! From ‘Guess the Can’ to our ‘Thank You Frontline Workers’ competition, every fortnight we’ve been launching a fun new challenge to keep audiences engaged and grow our social media following further.
SAM MADDEN
52K+ FOLLOWERS
STEPHEN GRAY
88K+ FOLLOWERS
MAGIC SINGH
1.9M+ FOLLOWERS
“THANK YOU FOR CREATING THIS FUN CHALLENGE DURING THESE DIFFICULT TIMES.” ELSIE, CO. CORK
“(MY SON WAS) INSPIRED BY A TRIP TO VANTASTIVAL FESTIVAL IN DROGHEDA WHERE HE MET THE EVERY CAN COUNTS TEAM.” MARCUS, CO GALWAY
#ReSTART CAMPAIGN The first Europe-wide Every Can Counts social media campaign launched in May. The ReSTART campaign had the goal of waking up in a smarter, cleaner, healthier world: a circular world. During lockdown people attained a greater understanding of the waste they create than ever before, it was the perfect time to spread awareness about the benefits of circular beverage packaging to the environment. ReSTART highlighted the opportunity of a fresh start as the world came back to life. The opportunity to reinvent ourselves and our societies to make the world a better place.
“THANK YOU FRONTLINE WORKERS” COMPETITION WINNER
BRAND MAKEOVER Every Can Counts hit a landmark ten years old last year. Like any forward thinking ten year old, we’re using the experiences and learnings of our first decade and looking forward to our teenage years with a brand new look!
START SOMETHING THAT
NEVER ENDS
This look reflects the ambitious and aspirational teen spirit of an on-the-go drink can recycling programme keen to make a splash in the world. New brand photography and a new font reflect our maturity, while contrasting colours still bring the fun. These visual elements complement our new style of inspirational messaging, which articulates the infinite benefits that come from recycling a drink can. Our aim is the same, to encourage people to recycle their drink cans wherever they are. But now we’re doing it in style.
DRINK ENJOY RECYCLE
KEEP THE CYCLE GOING
Remember when festivals were still being held? Yes, us too! We had 15 glorious event days last year where we helped thousands of music and arts lovers of all ages to recycle their drink cans. Kicking off the year was the best campervan festival in the land, Vantastival. The family run event feels like a massive 5,000 strong reunion each year, as familiar faces crop up while cans get cracked open, and swarms of children collect the empties to exchange them for a whole host of Every Can Counts prizes. We celebrated summer solstice with the thought provoking Body&Soul in Ballinlough Castle. Volunteers from across the country joined us to promote recycling in our iconic can cages which took centre stage in many a selfie.
The first weekend in September is the festival the whole country waits for. Electric Picnic, Ireland’s largest outdoor music and arts festival. A whopping 60,000+ people gather for the last big hurrah of the summer. Of course where there is a celebration, there are cans! Our biggest team of volunteers roamed far and wide helping campers to recycle drink cans in their recycling backpacks. We were overwhelmed by the response from festival revellers as they brought back bag after bag of empty cans in exchange for t-shirts and waist packs.
THANK YOU KALEIDOSCOPE FESTIVAL
TO ALL OF OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS FOR THEIR TIME AND ENTHUSIASM THIS YEAR WE HAD: • 260 VOLUNTEERS SIGN UPS • 37 ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS • 15 EVENT DAYS MANNED BY VOLUNTEERS
Families flocked to Blessington, Co Wicklow for the inaugural Kaleidoscope festival. The aptly named festival was a visual feast of colour and joy for the youngest and eldest members of any clan. Our can cages were filled time and time again by enthusiastic young recyclers, who were also keen to exchange their empty cans for temporary tattoos. The most eager of all had full sleeves by the time the sun set on the weekend. Teens united at Longitude to the stellar line up of Stormzy, Cardi B, and Ski Mask. We met revellers travelling from four corners of Ireland to Marlay Park, where LONGITUDE FESTIVAL they could recycle their cans before entering into the arena. The sun was out, the excitement was palpable, and countless cans were kept in the recycling loop with help from our can recycling backpacks.
WHO GAVE UP 150 HOURS OF THEIR TIME
This year is a little different. The events industry and festival fans have been disappointed by the necessary postponements of cultural events. However where there are people there will always be celebrations, toasts, and drink cans. We think this is something worth recycling for and we’ll continue to spread our messages albeit in an alternative way!
“WORKING WITH EVERY CAN COUNTS AT KALEIDOSCOPE FAMILY FESTIVAL WAS A FUN AND INTERACTIVE WAY TO GET OUR ATTENDEES INVOLVED IN RECYCLING” FIONA MCGINN, KALEIDOSCOPE FAMILY FESTIVAL
“ECC MESSAGING AND ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENTED AT MULTIPLE EVENTS ACROSS FESTIVAL REPUBLIC’S PORTFOLIO, HELPING US TO REACH OUT TO OUR FESTIVAL GOERS AND COMMUNICATE SUSTAINABILITY MESSAGES IN A FUN, ENGAGING WAY.” VICTORIA CHAPMAN, FESTIVAL REPUBLIC
ELECTRIC PICNIC FESTIVAL
FESTIVALS 2019 REVIEW
TIDY TOWNS COMPETITION - CAN IT! AWARDS Every Can Counts is such a firm fan of the Tidy Towns competition, in fact we sponsor one of the longest running special awards, the Can It! award. Last year the award had an overhaul, we set the challenge of increasing the can recycling facilities in groups respective towns. It’s a tall order, but the power of community and Tidy Towns wins out yet again.
The overall winner was Letterkenny Tidy Towns, who placed a whopping 25 recycling bins in various venues across their town. Not only have they increased recycling but they also won €1,500 for their group. Well done to Letterkenny Tidy Towns for your tireless work and helping to keep Donegal beautiful.
Once a need for a can recycling bin was identified (in café’s, schools, take away’s, community centres etc.) a representative places an order on the Every Can Counts website to receive a recycling pack.
EVERY CAN COUNTS Alupro Ireland, c/o Repak, Red Cow Interchange Estate, 1 Lower Ballymount Road, D22 HW67, Ireland T: +353 864665278
E: everycancounts@aluproireland.ie
FUNDED BY
Thank you to our funding partners who make it possible for us to share the Every Can Counts message far and wide. Every Can Counts is registered in the EU as a Community Mark no. 010099125.
W: everycancounts.ie