Over 75,000 Aluminum Cans Recycled at Festivals and Events in the U.S.

During the spring and summer, four major festivals and events in the United States managed to recover and recycle more than 75,000 aluminum beverage cans. The initiative demonstrated that, in every large gathering, every can counts:

• SweetWater 420 Fest, Atlanta (April): In just three days, 60,000 aluminum cans and cups were collected, the highest volume recorded in these campaigns. The recycled material was exchanged for its scrap value, and the funds were donated to Habitat for Humanity.
• iHeartRadio’s Bull Float Trip, Missouri (August): This country music festival and float trip in Leasburg collected more than 13,000 cans for recycling. The Every Can Counts “rock and roll amplifying cage,” designed to collect packaging in collaboration with Mid-American Clean Future, was presented there for the first time.
• World Pride Street Festival, Washington D.C. (June): Around 1,000 cans were recovered in the center of the U.S. capital, in coordination with the Capital Pride Alliance.
• SailGP Race, New York (June): With the participation of the Italian Red Bull team, another 1,000 cans were added during the regatta held on Governors Island. A dozen Every Can Counts volunteers supported the collection.

“Festivals, concerts, and sports competitions are spaces to celebrate and share, but they also represent an opportunity to promote environmental action,” said Tim Ebner, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the Can Manufacturers Institute and coordinator of Every Can Counts in the United States. “Thanks to the commitment of sponsors, volunteers, and attendees, these 75,000 recycled cans will be back in circulation as new packaging in less than 60 days.”

Aluminum is an infinitely recyclable material. Each recovered can is reintegrated into the circular economy, reducing waste and saving energy. In practical terms, the 75,000 recycled cans are equivalent to more than $1,200 in scrap value and enough energy to charge about 900,000 mobile phones.

Every Can Counts works to make recycling simple, accessible, and visible at major events across the country. Among its most notable collaborations is the Recycle Dat! initiative at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, which has already had three years of cooperation.