Calling all Student Scorsese Wannabes

The Can Makers have launched a nationwide search for the best video dispelling the myths around recycling drinks cans.  “Myth Busting – what happens to your drinks can when it’s recycled”,  jointly sponsored by the British Film Institute asks students to enter short videos exploring the myths of drinks can recycling, particularly what happens to our recycling, which is often misunderstood.  Entrants will have a chance to win £1,500 and be recognised nationally as a leading student filmmaker.

The celebrated British actor Danny Dyer leads a host of celebrities and experts from the environment, sustainability and film making industries who will be judging the entries.  The full list includes Danny Dyer, Actor; Craig Stevens, Sky Movies Presenter; Geoffrey Macnab, The Independent Film Critic; Jamie Crawford, Presenter and Environmental Filmmaker; Jennifer Granville, Director of Northern Film School, Leeds Metropolitan University; Dr Colin Church, DEFRA; and Noel Goodwin, BFI Education Programmer for Young People.

Entrants will need to submit a video, no more than two minutes in length, which busts some of the popular drinks can recycling myths.  Whether it’s an animation, a funny stunt or a short documentary, the winning student will be rewarded the top prize of £1,500.  The winner of each of the five sub-categories will win £500.

The closing date for entries is Thursday 28^th February 2013.
Full terms and conditions and information on how to enter are available on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CanMakersVideo.

A look back at the Soft Drinks International Conference

The Soft Drinks International Conference, held at the Tower Hotel, London, saw delegates from all over the world come together to discuss the soft drinks industry. Topics ranged from packaging and innovation, to consumer behaviour and sustainability. Representatives included Geoff Courtney, Chairman of the UK Can Makers, and Every Can Counts and MetalMatters Director, Rick Hindley as well as UK and international representatives from Coca Cola Enterprises, Euromonitor, Canadean and UNESDA (Union of European Soft Drinks Associations) to name but a few.

Representing the UK Can Makers, Geoff Courtney’s presentation was a dynamic look at the beverage can covering three main themes: Evolution, Innovation and Sustainability. Used for soft drinks since the 1950s, the can has undergone continual evolution, keeping up with changing needs and holding its own as a consumer pack of choice for soft drinks. Of particular note are continual lightweighting, the expansive range of appearances, shapes, sizes and formats available and the fresh tasting, cold beverage that the humble can provides. Geoff also discussed sustainability initiatives supported by the Can Makers such as Every Can Counts and MetalMatters programmes.

Overall, the conference was very informative, well attended and a great success and we would like to thank the organisers from Soft Drinks International magazine for a most enjoyable and enlightening conference.

Why should we bother to recycle in the UK?

Facilities exist to recycle all of the nearly 9.5bn beverage cans consumed in the UK. However, though the drinks can recycling rate in the UK has come on leaps and bounds with over half of all cans consumed being recycled, there is more to be done. Metal is infinitely recyclable.  In fact, a drinks can could be back on the shelf as a brand new one in as little as 6 weeks,  resulting in up to 95% less energy consumption than it takes to make one from virgin material. This means a significant reduction in CO² emissions and a substantial cost saving to be made.

The government has announced that recycling targets for all aluminium and steel packaging for 2013-2017 will increase by 3% and 1% per year, respectively, from 2013. The current rates for 2012 are 40% for aluminium and 71% for steel. Whilst there is a lot of debate surrounding these targets, one thing is clear, recycling is hugely important.

If every can in the UK was recycled, around 1,080,387 tonnes of CO² emissions could be saved and more than 144,000 tonnes of steel and aluminium could be diverted from landfill*, all of which could go into making brand new products from metal – not just new cans. Aside from the environmental benefits of recycling, metal is the most valuable commodity that can be saved from the waste stream. Metal that is collected through recycling programmes can be sold on and there is strong evidence that some recycling programmes can pay for themselves and even generate a profit if they are run effectively.

Everyone has a significant part to play to make sure metal stays in the recycling loop, and it doesn’t matter if you are part of a big corporation, small business or an individual. If everyone tries to recycle the cans they use, there will be significant benefits to the environment as well as financial benefits.

*Figures based on calculations verified by WRAP

51 million drinks cans recycled in 2011 with Every Can Counts

Every Can Counts, the out of the home drinks can recycling programme co-funded by BCME, has announced its 2011 results. 51 million cans were collected from participating workplaces and ‘on the go’ locations in the UK over the past year. This equates to 774 tonnes of aluminium and steel saved from landfill and around 5,800 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions avoided as a result of the programme. The figure is equivalent to each employee from registered organisations recycling  five cans per month, an increase of 25% year on year.

The programme has come a long way in the three years since its launch. Originally developed as a trial programme to test the barriers and drivers to successful recycling outside the home, Every Can Counts has now established a model to help organisations that are working towards sustainability objectives, such as zero waste to landfill. The programme was cited as an example of best practice in the Government Review of Waste Policy in England 2011.

With a name and brand identity that works well in any language, the Every Can Counts programme has also now been successfully replicated in France, Austria, Romania and Hungary, with more European markets looking to follow suit.

To find out how to get involved with the programme visit www.everycancounts.co.uk. You can also follow Every Can Counts on Facebook and Twitter.

¹ Figures have been calculated using data provided by a representative sample of Every Can Counts programme users and calculated using methodology approved by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

Can Film Festival Gets Students Recycling Can Film Festival Gets Students Recycling

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2012 is off to a strong start for Every Can Counts. The out-of-home recycling programme kicked off its student outreach to UK universities during Go Green Week (6^th-11^th February) with the Can Film Festival. Aimed at boosting campus recycling, the initiative offers students, lecturers and staff free film screenings in exchange for their empty drinks cans.

 Now in its third successful year, the Can Film Festival, open throughout the academic year, aims to raise awareness of the recyclability of drinks cans and encourage more students and young people to do the right thing with their empties.  Participating campuses have access to Every Can Counts recycling containers, posters and promotional materials to help encourage both staff and students to swap their empty cans for entry.

While Every Can Counts reaches out to business and consumers alike, the Can Film Festival encourages long term behavioural change by making recycling rewarding, easy and fun at universities. Forty universities requested packs ahead of this year’s start during Go Green Week to run their own Can Film Festivals, including King’s College, London, University of Birmingham and Newcastle University, with more to come in the academic year.

For more information visit www.everycancounts.co.uk/about. You can also follow Every Can Counts on Facebook and Twitter.

A Time and Place for Business and Pleasure

Soft Drinks International is one of the oldest soft drinks publications in the UK and May 2012 will see the very first Soft Drinks International Conference take place in London. Our guest blogger is Phillip Tappenden, Editor, Soft Drinks International

The non-alcoholic beverage industry is such an exciting and dynamic beast, with constant innovation and continual technological advances. Add
into the mix, trends towards all-natural ingredients, along with desires for functionality, concerns for health and wellness, and considerations such as sustainability and the environment, and you begin to understand the complex range of challenges facing those with the ‘simple’ task of putting a desirable and safe beverage on the retailers’ shelves.

But it is the very nature of this fast-moving and highly innovative industry that makes it so interesting, and such a pleasure to be a part of. Whether learning of novel ingredients, understanding the complexities of product formulation, sensory profiling, process hygiene, or package light-weighting and recyclability – the science and technology employed is truly fascinating. And, it’s only when you have an overview of what goes into bringing a beverage to market, that you begin to understand how the individual elements and disciplines work together, and thus where additional opportunities may exist.

I’ve only been involved with Soft Drinks International for the past 15 years or so, but since first being published as The British & Colonial Water Trade Journal, way back in 1888, the publication has witnessed much change. Throughout the 1,500 monthly issues – not even interrupted by either of the world wars – SDI has faithfully reported to the international non-alcoholic beverage industry for more than a century.

It’s partly in celebration of this 125 year publishing milestone, that SDI will hold its inaugural conference in May 2012. Supported by many trade organisations, including the British Soft Drinks Association and the International Society of Beverage Technologists, this, the first SDI – International Soft Drinks Conference, will be held in London, two months ahead of the Olympics.

Aimed at middle and senior management, the event will have a truly international and multi-disciplinary perspective, and will provide an ideal opportunity for all those involved, directly or indirectly, in the non-alcoholic beverage arena, to meet together under one roof and to debate the issues affecting the future of our industry.

Held over two days, with speakers delivering stimulating and topical content, combined with ample networking opportunities, the conference will include an evening cruise on the river Thames, followed by a gala dinner.

A time and a place for the industry to come together – for business and for pleasure.

For further information email conference@softdrinksinternational.com or call +44 (0)1202 842222.

‘i luv my can’ competition closes with a bang

i luv my can competition entry

One of the biggest challenges we, as an industry, face is encouraging consumers to recycle their beverage cans.  Arguably, the trick lies in making recycling fun.  Enter i luv my can— the nationwide search for the most imaginative and creative use of old beverage cans.  The competition, which has come to a successful climax, was designed to show consumers the many ways in which cans can be reused and to demonstrate the can’s infinite recyclability.

i luv my can encouraged consumers aged 16 upwards to turn ordinary beverage cans into beautiful and exciting creations.  The options were limitless –creative (and not-so-creative) types all over the country were asked to send in the most inventive ways to reuse a can.

The amount of entries received was phenomenal and proved that consumers do, in fact, want to recycle.  Please visit the iluvmycan website for a rundown of all the entries.  Look out for a can taking flight, throwing itself down wild waters, and even turning into fashion pieces worthy of Kate Moss.

From the very best of the entries, ranging from can accessories, can artwork, and even dancing cans, a winner will be crowned later this month and will receive a £1000 cash prize and a year’s supply of their favourite canned drink.

The winner of each of the 10 categories will also be presented with a trophy and the best creations will be auctioned to raise money for the Art Fund, the UK’s leading charity that helps secure great art for museums and galleries.

Check back later this month for a full list of the winners, and details about how your organisation can bid for them to help raise money for the Art Fund.

In the meantime, we want to know what wins your vote on the iluvmycan website.  Share your thoughts here.

A Closer Look at the Beverage Market

The Nielsen Company watches the consumer retail market very closely, so we have invited them to share their latest insights on the beverage market.  Our guest blogger is Kate Spencer, Client Team Leader, The Nielsen Company

The statistics are out and the news is hardly surprising—growing chaos, longer hours and more stressful lifestyles are meaning consumers are looking for convenience wherever they can find it.  This blog post will focus on the beverage market and the growth its statistics have seen in the past year.

In the year to 30^th April, Carbonated Soft Drinks unit growth has been at 9%.  Specifically, cans remain the dominant pack type within the category, having 56% share and growing at just over 13%.

Although 266-383ml Cans have the highest unit sales, larger Cans of 384-620ml are seeing the strongest growth at 32% due to the success of larger can sizes within the Energy Drinks category sector. The Grocery Multiples continue to sell the majority of Carbonated Soft Drinks, with Cans outgrowing PET in this channel. Multipacks account for the majority of unit sales here, particularly 6 to 9 packs. However, single Cans have made a revival over the last year, increasing unit share to 12% of all Canned sales.  Energy Drinks have driven the increase in unit share of single cans, as much of the NPD in this sector is only launched in singles.

The Beer & Cider market has increased unit sales by just 2% in the year to 16^th April. Cans continue to be the favoured pack type over glass bottles, with over 60% unit share.  Canned Lager is the dominant sector of this category, accounting for almost half of all units sold. Whilst 4 pack Cans are the biggest pack type in Lager, 12/15 pack glass bottles have doubled in size over the last year & are now the 2^nd largest in unit terms.

As I said earlier, consumers are looking for convenience in beverages.  The can is a great place for them to find it.  It has been a strong year for the can and it seems likely that this strength will continue into the future.

27 million drinks cans recycled by Every Can Counts in workplaces

Every Can Counts, the away from home drinks can recycling programme funded by the leading European and UK drinks can manufacturers and aluminium and steel packaging reprocessors, has had a very successful second year.   It helped businesses to collect 27 million used aluminium and steel beverage cans for recycling across the UK in 2010. The figure is equivalent to each employee at organisations registered with the programme recycling four cans per month.¹

Every Can Counts calculates that by enabling over 394 tonnes of drinks cans to be recycled last year over 4000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions have been avoided.

Every Can Counts provides businesses with a branded recycling programme enabling them to launch and promote drinks can recycling. Over the past two years the programme has been embraced by over 400 organisations keen to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability and encourage their staff and customers to recycle more.

Organisations using the programme range across the public and private sector and from SMEs to FTSE-listed companies.  All are using Every Can Counts to help them achieve corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability objectives, including zero waste to landfill targets. Two years after its launch there are over 4000-branded collection points around the UK in offices, shopping centres, universities and tourist attractions.  Results from participating organisations show that although the programme specifically targets drinks cans, volumes of other recyclables also increase as a result of using the range of Every Can Counts-branded resources.

1. The data above has been calculated and verified using methodology endorsed by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

For more information visit www.everycancounts.co.uk/about. You can also follow on Facebook and Twitter or watch videos on their YouTube channel.

Education is the key to increasing recycling at home

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•  Pilot project sees increase in recycling rates of 12.9%
• 22% increase in recycling of 17 or more items regularly
• Lack of awareness a barrier to recycling at home: perceived as a “waste of time”

metalmatters announced the results of a groundbreaking pilot project designed to increase kerbside metal recycling rates. The project, conducted in conjunction with two local authorities, delivered significant results including a 12.9% increase in metals recycled in the biggest trial area of 54,283 households.

 The project, the first of its kind, was conducted in cooperation with Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council and East Hampshire District Council. metalmatters delivered a community outreach programme which highlighted popular misconceptions about recycling and educated residents on the benefits of recycling as many items as possible.  There was an overall attitudinal shift as a result, with almost one in five respondents agreeing that the campaign had encouraged them to recycle more metals. The post project research also showed a 22% increase in those who reported recycling 17 or more items regularly.

metalmatters has set a new benchmark for projects in this industry by using extensive research and consumer testing to develop and refine messages and communications collateral to create a targeted metals campaign.  Using the Acorn classification tool, metalmatters evaluated those materials against demographic groups alongside recycling behaviour and competence levels.

Norman Lett, Project Leader, metalmatters, commented: “The project’s goal was to increase existing household metal recycling rates by at least 10% and create a ‘best practice’ model.  We came to understand that the key to success was education, to encourage people to recycle more things, more often.  In our pre-campaign research many people thought recycling was either a waste of time or that, despite their best efforts, the materials then didn’t actually get recycled.  Metals are a precious resource as they are infinitely recyclable and it makes a real difference if they go back into the recycling loop.  The consumer wanted reassurance of this.”

Councillor Bill Shepherd, spokesperson for the Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, said:  “We are delighted with the results this project achieved, not only the increase in volumes recycled but also the shift in attitudes. The extensive research that went into metalmatters made it extremely effective in changing people’s recycling behaviour.”

Linda Horne, spokesperson for East Hampshire District Council, added: “East Hampshire residents have one of the best recycling rates in the UK, of which we are very proud.  Yet, despite this, the metalmatters project delivered increases in recycling rates that are significant.  It is certainly a programme others should consider.”   

About metalmatters

metalmatters is a partnership between the UK drinks can manufacturers, the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the aluminium and steel packaging and recycling industries.  It aims to encourage more people to recycle all of the metal packaging they use at home.  For more information visit the consumer website www.metalmatters.org.uk

 

metalmatters: Funding Partners

1. BCME (Beverage Can Makers Europe) is the European beverage can association whose prime objective is to promote the beverage can. The three members are: Ball Packaging Europe, Crown Bevcan Europe and Middle East and Rexam Beverage Can Europe & Asia

2. WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) WRAP’s vision is a world without waste, where resources are used sustainably.  We work with businesses and individuals to help them reap the benefits of reducing waste, develop sustainable products and use resources in an efficient way.  Established as a not-for-profit company in 2000, WRAP is backed by government funding from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.  More information on all of WRAP’s programmes can be found on http://www.wrap.org.uk.

3. Novelis operates Europe’s only dedicated used aluminium can recycling plant in Warrington, Cheshire.  The plant has the capacity to recycle every aluminium can sold in the UK for the foreseeable future (currently 6.6 billion cans, which equates to approximately 101,000 tonnes in weight).

4. Tata Steel Packaging Recycling: Tata is the largest steel reprocessor in the UK. TATA Steel Packaging Recycling promotes steel packaging recycling to consumers, local authorities and the commercial sector