The Every Can Counts program, dedicated to raising awareness of beverage can recycling, has been officially launched in the United Arab Emirates. The presentation was made during COP28 in Dubai and has the collaboration of Emirates Global Aluminium, as well as the manufacturers Crown and Canpack, with the aim of increasing the country’s recycling rate from 33% to 100%.
The United Arab Emirates has joined the Every Can Counts initiative, becoming the third non-European country to do so after Brazil and the United States. Although they consume a large amount of aluminum cans per year (660 million), they only recycle one third, which contrasts with high recycling rates in other countries. The advent of this initiative is crucial due to the current low recycling rates in the UAE and the global importance of addressing climate change by reducing the environmental impact caused by industry.
When beverage cans are properly recycled, they can be infinitely reused, saving up to 95% energy and reducing CO2 emissions compared to the production of new cans. Promoting can recycling nationwide could significantly reduce the 440 million cans that end up in landfills each year and drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The key to the success of beverage can recycling depends largely on the behavior of consumers and their decision to dispose of cans in the assigned container. The Every Can Counts organization aims to motivate, encourage and teach people to recycle beverage cans wherever they are, while promoting the unique advantages of aluminum as a sustainable, low-carbon option for beverage packaging.
Every Can Counts Global director David Van Heuverswyn expressed his delight at the launch of the initiative in the United Arab Emirates, thanks to the collaboration between the aluminum industry and local beverage can producers. According to him, this partnership will allow the vision of promoting the recycling of cans wherever they are consumed to be extended to a new region, which represents a great commitment to make a positive change in the United Arab Emirates.
During COP28, major global aluminum suppliers and recyclers, along with aluminum can manufacturers and organizations, including Every Can Counts, committed to increase the recycling rate of aluminum beverage cans to 80% by 2030 and 100% by 2050. Although more than 70% of cans are recycled globally, more efforts are needed to contribute to the goal of keeping the temperature increase below 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Beverage can consumption is expected to increase from 420 billion in 2020 to 630 billion by 2030. If a 100% recycling rate is achieved by the same year, 60 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions could be saved annually.
To achieve this requires a collective “yes we can” attitude involving consumers, the education sector, beverage brands, can manufacturers, aluminum suppliers and recyclers, waste management companies, local authorities, governments and NGOs.
According to EGA CEO Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, infinite recyclability is one of the many reasons why aluminum is essential to developing a more sustainable society. Despite being one of the most recycled materials in the world, too much aluminum is still wasted. To increase recycling, favorable government policies and the development of adequate infrastructure are needed. It also depends on the daily decisions individuals make about how to dispose of items they no longer need. EGA is excited about the potential of Every Can Counts to improve beverage can recycling rates in the United Arab Emirates.
According to CANPACK’s sustainability director for Europe, Bartlomiej Wojdylo, sustainability is a fundamental responsibility for the company. Aluminum beverage cans are the most recycled packaging in the world, and it is known that in countries such as Brazil it is possible to collect and recycle all cans. The company seeks to replicate this great performance in other countries and therefore supports Every Can Counts in the United Arab Emirates, with the aim of inspiring consumers to recycle more.
Sandrine Duquerroy-Delesalle, Crown’s director of sustainability and external affairs: “We are excited to see the expansion of Every Can Counts to the UAE, after supporting it in other countries since its launch more than a decade ago. Circularity is a key element of our sustainability, and we know we have the best packaging and material to continue to deliver it. It’s great to see the industry working together to keep the cycle going.”
The #Actionism COP28 event highlighted the importance of individual and collective efforts through an amazing installation called #PixelCan, created with over 2000 aluminum beverage cans by Every Can Counts UAE. This artwork displayed at the Sustainability Entrance showed a young girl holding planet Earth in her hands, symbolizing how small actions such as recycling cans can have a big impact on the environment. At the event, program ambassadors carried backpacks with QR codes to track quantities recycled and actively encouraged visitors to recycle their cans while communicating the sustainable properties of aluminum as a packaging material.
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