Every Can Counts to promote aluminium can recycling through Soapbox Race

On Sunday, July 3, a team of four members from Every Can Counts will be competing in Red Bull’s renowned Soapbox Race. The main goal behind this participation is to motivate individuals to responsibly dispose of their used beverage cans by emphasising both the endless recycling potential of cans and the diverse applications of aluminium.

To complete the course in front of tens of thousands of people at London's Alexandra Palace, the team created and constructed a soapbox with a recycling theme. The part-can, part-plane soapbox racer from Every Can Counts will compete against 70 other teams on an uphill, obstacle-filled course in the hopes of finishing first.

Every Can Counts is a non-profit communication programmer designed to motivate, empower, and inspire individuals to recycle their used beverage cans. The program's goal is to have all beverage cans recycled completely across Europe.

“I’ve watched the Soapbox Race on TV for years and our team of recycling ambassadors have attended previously, but I never thought I’d actually be taking part! It just felt like a fantastic opportunity to spread our recycling message in an exciting new way,” said Chris Latham-Warde, programme manager at Alupro.

For the competition, Every Can Counts has teamed up with custom bike makers Cyclone Works in Leicestershire to construct the soapbox construction. From conception to completion, the crew spent 18 weeks creating the soapbox.

Together with Tom Giddings, executive director of Alupro, Chris Latham-Warde, UK programme manager for Every Can Counts, will test the soapbox. Paul Bacon and Lee Cox of Cyclone Works complete the crew as the accomplished engineers behind the can-shaped invention.

“We want to use the race to reach as many people as possible and show how important recycling drink cans is. People might not think too much about what happens when you put an empty can in a recycling bin, but they can be recycled, refilled and back on shop shelves in just 60 days – or they could even be recycled into something else made from aluminium, like a bicycle or part of a car or plane – or maybe even part of a soapbox! We’ll be representing recyclers everywhere when we take to the course this weekend, so we really want to finish the race – which is an achievement in itself – and hopefully set a good time. Wish us luck!” added Chris.