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Every Can Counts (ECC) – the BCME-backed initiative that promotes beverage can recycling across Europe – witnessed a major first in 2015: the launch of Can Dunk, an interactive social media game. The game worked to convey ECC’s key recycling message, with an element of fun, across all nine European markets – the UK, Ireland, France, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Montenegro, Greece and Spain.The game – which was hosted on Facebook and, where possible, supported through Twitter – allowed players to throw as many virtual cans as possible into an Every Can Counts recycling bin within a 60-second time frame. This worked not only as a test of the player’s speed and skill, but also to remind them to recycle cans while out and about. Those who managed to “dunk” more than five cans in a minute were entered into a draw to receive a cash prize.The game itself – which came with a package of associated social content and supporting advertising and prize budgets – was created centrally. Each country was then free to implement the game as they saw fit – with Greece in particular taking an extremely effective strategic approach (see highlights). Can Dunk proved to be a huge success, with 14,000 players taking part across Europe, recyling 179,396 virtual cans.But the number of virtual cans couldn’t compete with the extraordinary amount of work going on in the real world. Every Can Counts continues to expand across Europe, delivering the recycling message at key events. In Romania, ECC’s work included the ExtravaCANza summer campaign, which was aimed at encouraging tourists to recycle, even when on holiday. ECC’s Montenegro activity focused primarily on festivals, including the Sea Dance Festival, while in Hungary the programme collaborated with Spar to encourage can recycling across the country. In Austria, ECC volunteers took to their bikes to bring can recycling to the streets of Vienna, and, in Ireland, ECC’s presence was also felt at multiple festivals, from Bloom in the Park to Electric Picnic 2015.One such collaboration was in France, where Chaque Canette Compte teamed up with Coca-Cola to spread the recycling message at Paris Games Week 2015 and Video City Paris 2015 – a YouTube conference. Both were ideal locations to connect with a youth audience (see highlights).Also busy in the summer was Every Can Counts’ newest addition, the Spanish Cada Lata Cuenta. Its initial work with summer camps was based on research that revealed educating young people about recycling not only instils lifelong good habits in that person, but also positively influences their families.And, while recycling is its own reward, it’s also nice to know that all of this hard work is being recognised. The Every Can Counts campaign has been shortlisted for numerous awards across Europe. Congratulations are due to both Ireland and Greece, winners of the Best Environmental Initiative at the Public Sector Awards and the Silver Award in the Circular Economy category at the Waste & Recycling Awards respectively. There was also a Special Honour for Kathe Kouti Metrai in recognition of its outward orientation and cooperation with European recycling and awareness-increasing organisations. Every Can Counts has also been shortlisted for several awards in the UK, including the Best Partnership Award at the Awards for Excellence in Waste Management with Manchester shopping centre Intu Trafford Centre. There were also two further nominations for Best Partnership Award at the National Recycling Awards: one with Intu Trafford Centre and the other with Suez and Barr’s Soft Drinks, the KAnival Krush at Notting Hill Carnival 2015 (see highlights).➤ MAKING EVERY CAN COUNTBCME’S EVERY CAN COUNTS RECYCLING CAMPAIGN CONTINUES TO GO FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH, BREAKING COLLECTION RECORDS AND PROMOTING THE CAN’S SUSTAINABLE CREDENTIALS THROUGHOUT EUROPE. HERE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2015EUROPEAN CAN MARKET REPORT 2016 31RECYCLING