From 7 to 9 June, the International Recycling Tour returns, simultaneously in 16 cities of as many countries in Europe, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, an initiative that for many years has been widely promoting the collection and recycling of cans for aluminum drinks consumed in ‘on the go’ situations and in ‘away from home’ contexts.
A real circuit that goes stage after stage, from city to city, along a borderless route, spreading the universal messages of environmental protection.
The chosen dates are not random and follow closely on June 5th, the day on which the Environment is celebrated everywhere in the world.
The International Recycling Tour is a project promoted internationally by Every Can Counts, a non-profit organization (known in Italy as Ogni Lattina Vale) which since 2009 has been the spokesperson for the values of an increasingly sustainable life and the principles of economics circular.
In Italy the project is promoted by CIAL – National Packaging Consortium which, embracing the cause, periodically launches ‘extraordinary collections of cans’ on numerous and different occasions such as, for example, during sporting or cultural events, on beaches or in parks.
This year, Catania is the Italian city chosen by the Tour. The appointment is in Piazza Nettuno, in the beating heart of the town centre. In fact, it is here that the collected cans will give body and soul to a very particular installation.
In line with the theme of this year’s World Environment Day, which invites everyone to become #GenerationRestoration, the International Recycling Tour 2024 offers a #PixelCan pop-up ‘sculpture’ made with over 2,000 cans for used drinks, placed next to each other to form splendid pixelated murals, inspired by four iconic animals in danger of extinction due to the degradation of the ecosystem caused by human activities: the polar bear, the tiger, the sea turtle and the chimpanzee.
On the other hand, the Catania installation reproduces an evocative image of Sicily.
A work of art with a strong visual impact and a strong symbolic value to remind everyone that the aluminum can is the most recycled beverage packaging in the world. And in Italy its recycling reaches record figures, exceeding 93%. But there’s more: the #PixelCan was made with Airlite®, a technology that reproduces a phenomenon similar to chlorophyll photosynthesis and is able to purify the surrounding air by eliminating up to 90% of pollutants.
There is no doubt, it will be the perfect setting for photos, selfies and videos that all visitors will be invited to share on social media, using the hashtag #IRT2024.
The arrival in Catania, as the city that will represent Italy in the world for this tour, is the result of the joint commitment of the CIAL Consortium (National Consortium for Aluminum Recycling) and the Municipality of Catania.
And so, for three days, through the streets of the city everyone committed to the common cause. In the key points of the city, many of the project’s young animators – equipped with special collector backpacks – will work to invite passers-by to keep public spaces clean and to recycle their drink cans wherever they are.
There will also be space for the Wheel of Fortune set up in Piazza Nettuno. Round and round, visitors will be able to try their luck with the Every Can Counts entertainers and win numerous gadgets ‘strictly’ made from recycled aluminium.
