A giant sea turtle installation made of recycled aluminium cans appeared on Dún Laoghaire East Pier to mark World Ocean Day last weekend.

Made from 2,000 cans, the PixelCan artwork was created by leading recycling not-for-profit, Every Can Counts, in partnership with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, to shine a light on species which are currently endangered or vulnerable due to ecosystem degradation.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council cathaoirleach Denis O'Callaghan said the local authority was “ delighted to welcome Every Can Counts back to Dún Laoghaire again this year with another beautiful marine sculpture that creates awareness of recycling and the circular economy”.

“It is particularly fitting that it is here on World Ocean Day, when we can all take collective action for the ocean by managing our waste properly, keeping outdoor spaces clean and recycling or returning our empty drink cans,”he said.

Dr Paula McGrane, Environmental Awareness Officer, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council chief executive Frank Curran said the initiative “ reminds us some activities in our daily lives can directly affect our seas and oceans and how we can, and need to take better care for them, for example by disposing of drink containers in a responsible way”.

David Van Heuverswyn, director of Every Can Counts Global said the group’s vision is to achieve 100% global drink can recycling.

“Every can recycled can be back on the shelf in 60 days, and campaigns like the International Recycling Tour bring us one step closer to this vision, demonstrating the power of collective action in creating a truly circular economy for the benefit of both people and nature,”he said.

“Here in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, we’re proud to celebrate our tour for the second year in a row, this time with a unique sea turtle PixelCan installation to tie into World Ocean Day.”

Encouraging individuals across the globe to become #GenerationRestoration, the initiative is taking place simultaneously in 16 cities including Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

Every Can Counts is a unique partnership formed between drink can manufacturers, drink can fillers and the wider recycling industry, all with the goal of reaching a 100% recycling rate for drink cans.

The programme provides free recycling support to businesses and organisations throughout Ireland and around the globe, reaching 183.5 million people worldwide in 2023 alone and helping recycle over 55 million drink cans through event activations and partnerships.

To find out more information about Every Can Counts, visit here