A giant rainbow made from over 2,500 drink cans has appeared in Piccadilly Gardens to promote recycling on World Environment Day this weekend.
Every Can Counts and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) are encouraging everyone to recycle their drink cans in the 750 recycling bins across the city.
Reps are also traversing the streets with giant can-shaped backpacks, collecting empty drinks as part of the campaign.
“Our key message is that metal recycles for ever,” Every Can Counts rep Jordan Croft told The Manc.
“Recycling is such an important cause and one we’re all really passionate about.”
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Every Can Counts reps with the rainbow
The multicoloured rainbow is made up of thousands of cans – celebrating key workers, the NHS and Pride. It’s travelled all the way from Brighton as part of Every Can Count’s international campaign to promote recycling.
For the weekend, Manchester City Council has installed special gold recycling bins across the city, reminding everyone to recycle their cans instead of throwing them away.
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There are also two competitions to enter. Take a photo next to the rainbow and tag Every Can Counts on social media to be in with a chance to win £250 shopping vouchers. The reps will also be doing a short survey on recycling habits and by answering some questions you’ll be entered into a £100 prize draw.
According to Every Can Counts’ research, people in Greater Manchester fail to recycle nearly 1.5 million drink cans every year. If those cans were recycled, it would be the equivalent of taking almost 4,000 cars off Manchester’s roads for a week (in greenhouse gas savings).
Recycling bin allocated for drinks cans
“It’s all about inspiring people to do the right thing by raising awareness of recycling,” Every Can Count’s Programme Leader Chris Latham-Warde said.
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“In conjunction with World Environment Day on Saturday, we thought it would be a great opportunity to get the rainbow out there, bringing some colour to Piccadilly Gardens.
“Everyone loves a symbol of positivity and there’s the message too that we all need to do the right thing and recycle.”
For more information about Every Can Counts, visit their website.
Featured images: Anna Willis
News
Arrest made after 14-year-old boy found in critical condition on Market Street
Daisy Jackson
An arrest has been made after a teenage boy was found unresponsive on Market Street in Manchester city centre.
Detectives believe that the boy, 14, was approached by seven males who stole a designer jacket from him.
Following the altercation, he went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
Thankfully, the teenager is continuing to recover well.
Detectives from Manchester City Centre Criminal Investigation Department confirmed that an 18-year-old male was arrested yesterday, Thursday 20 February.
He has been arrested on suspicion of robbery and remains in police custody.
Detective Inspector Mark Astbury of GMP’s City Centre Criminal Investigation Department, said: “We hope the victim can continue his recovery following what must have been a terrifying ordeal for him.
“Officers are fully investigating all aspects of this shocking incident that has left a man with serious injuries in hospital.
“Our work doesn’t stop here, we are continuing to investigate this incident and information from the public plays an incredibly important role in our investigations and I ask that the community keep talking to us and keep sharing their concerns with us so our teams can act.”
If you have any information, contact GMP 101 or 0161 856 4305 quoting log 2854 of 16/2/25.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials
Emily Sergeant
Trials are currently underway to see if comedy could be an alternative to antidepressants as a way to reduce NHS costs.
UK tech company Craic Health has secured important funding for its ‘comedy on prescription’ project that’s aimed at helping the Government work with the comedy industry, communities, and organisations on comedy-based social prescriptions in the hope that they can solve financial struggles within the NHS.
The groundbreaking scheme uses stand-up shows and workshops to help people who are isolated, lonely, and vulnerable.
Craic believes comedy is an ‘untapped opportunity’ to improve health and wellbeing, and has a goal to make comedy easier to access, so that it can help communities experience its mental health and social benefits.
To achieve this, the company has started trialling Comedy-on-Prescription experiences in the UK – starting in London, with the potential for expansion – which includes things like curated comedy panel game show events and workshops, and general stand-up comedy shows at some of the capital’s world-famous venues.
Comedy is being prescribed instead of antidepressants as part of UK trials / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
“Mental health issues like loneliness, isolation, and stress are more common than ever,” the company explains.
“So much so that it’s projected that by 2030, mental health problems, particularly depression, will be the leading cause of mortality and morbidity globally, [but] in this challenging world, comedy stands out as a universal language that breaks barriers.
“Research shows that comedy and laughter have powerful effects – they bring people together, create positive connections, and make life more enjoyable.”
Craic Health says that social prescribing, of which Comedy-on-Prescription is a part of, is all about inclusivity, which makes it making it suitable for people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
Its focus is on personalised support, tailored to individual needs and preferences.
Anna Willis -
4th June 2021 
