For the first time in the Middle East, Every Can Counts - an innovative programme that inspires people to recycle their drink cans wherever they are - brought its Global Managers Meeting to Dubai to highlight aluminium drink can recycling strategies.
The international gathering welcomed representatives from 21 countries to share best practices, follow training and drive global aluminium drink can recycling rates.
The four-day gathering featured workshops, strategic discussions, and field visits to local aluminium production and drink can manufacturing facilities, said the organisers.
Delegates explored ways to expand Every Can Counts’ presence in public spaces, festivals, sports events, schools, and workplaces.
Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the UAE’s largest industrial company outside the oil and gas sector, partnered with leading can-makers Crown and CANPACK to launch the Every Can Counts programme in the UAE on the occasion of COP28.
The initiative aims to inspire consumers to sort and recycle aluminium cans, contributing to emissions reduction and resource preservation.
"The UAE is rapidly emerging as a hub for sustainability and circular economy initiatives," said David Van Heuverswyn, Global Director of Every Can Counts.
"Hosting the country managers meeting in Dubai reflected our shared global responsibility to inspire behaviour change and boost recycling rates. I thank our partners - Emirates Global Aluminium, Crown, and Canpack - for their commitment to a more sustainable world," he stated.
Established in 2009, the Every Can Counts initiative is the leading programme to promote drink can recycling across the globe.
It aims to inspire, encourage and empower consumers to make a difference by recycling their drink cans wherever they are – at home, at the office or anywhere on the go, from parks, festivals, and sporting events to schools and universities. Today, the initiative is present in 18 European countries, Brazil, the UAE and the USA.
The UAE’s ambitious national goals for waste reduction and net-zero emissions provided an ideal backdrop for the meeting.
Local sustainability projects highlighted during the event illustrated how regional innovation can contribute to a broader global impact.
A key focus of the discussions was the role of aluminium cans in supporting circular economy goals, said the organisers.
Infinitely recyclable and lightweight, aluminium remains one of the most sustainable beverage packaging options. Around the world, aluminium is the most-recycled material, with around 75% of the aluminium ever produced still in use today, they stated.
As part of its vision for every can, everywhere to be recycled back into a new can, Every Can Counts has aligned with the global aluminium industry’s targets to achieve an 80% recycling rate for drink cans by 2030 and nearly 100% by 2050.
Heuverswyn said this ambitious commitment brings together all participating countries, partners, and communities under a shared goal: to close the loop on aluminium and keep valuable materials in circulation.
The Every Can Counts programme continues to raise public awareness and drive meaningful behavioural changes through locally adapted campaigns across Europe, Latin America, the USA and now, the Middle East - empowering consumers to take part in shaping a more sustainable future, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
