An infinity of cans to commemorate recycling week

Since a few days ago you can see a gigantic art installation whose leitmotif is cans and recycling. This sculpture can be seen in London’s iconic Piccadilly Circus.

The infinity symbol, made from more than 1,200 recycled beverage cans, has been created by the non-profit organization Every Can Counts to illustrate the life cycle of a beverage can and show that aluminum can be recycled over and over again.

The artwork made from cans will be on display next to the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain in Piccadilly Circus until Friday 18 October to mark Recycle Week (14-20 October). This is the first time the installation has been featured, and it is planned to visit more locations around the country next year.

A “canned mascot,” adorned from head to toe with more than 300 recycled beverage cans, also caught the attention of passersby on the day the installation opened (Monday, October 14), while recycling ambassadors collected empty cans in their recycling backpacks.

Chris Latham-Warde, program manager for Every Can Counts, explained that this work is completely new to us, and what better place to unveil it than one of London’s most recognizable locations during Recycle Week.

“Every empty beverage can could be recycled and back on store shelves in as little as 60 days. The people of London can play their part in this process by adopting a proactive attitude towards recycling: making sure all their empty cans end up in the right garbage can means this valuable material will remain in circulation.”.

The Every Can Counts rainbow artwork, also made from recycled cans, has previously visited towns and cities across the UK to inspire beverage can recycling.

The organization is a unique partnership formed between beverage can manufacturers and the wider recycling industry, with the aim of achieving a 100% recycling rate for beverage cans. Currently, the UK recycles 81% of its beverage cans, with a record 10.7 billion cans collected for recycling in the country last year.