In June 2017, Right Guard, a leading Henkel brand, launched the UK's first ever gym made from recycled aerosol cans. The community gym, was donated to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London, to become part of the London 2012 legacy.
TerraCycle and Right Guard set up 50 public drop-off points in communities across the country to collect old deodorant and antiperspirant cans. The Great Outdoor Gym Company then repurposed the aluminium to create premium gym equipment for public use at the iconic London venue.
Over 2,500 deodorant cans were used to construct the gym in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Fitness fanatics can make the most of free workouts both day and night, thanks to electricity-generating kit built into the equipment. The bikes and cross trainer light up the central rig when users pedal or step fast enough; this means that exercise enthusiasts can compete to see who can produce the greatest power and illuminate their surroundings. The gym even has mobile phone ports to recharge batteries, so you can charge your phone at the same time as charging your adrenalin.
The Park’s Director of Visitor Services, Peter Tudor, has commented: “We have over 5 million visitors a year and sustainability was a core legacy of London 2012. We have many targets for the recycling of material and therefore the AEROCYCLE gym fits our mission perfectly.
“The response to the gym has been great! Whenever I walk through the park, someone is using the equipment, whether children after school, fitness enthusiasts during the day or families at the weekend. I think it is fantastic that people are able to literally plug in, via their phones, and we’ve found many use the facility to link into events that are going on in the stadium.
“Before London 2012, the site was industry wasteland and now it’s a free park that everyone can enjoy. The addition of the AEROCYCLE gym which is free to use, adds to the health values of the Olympic Park.”
Mark Crane, General Manager of Henkel Beauty Care UK and Ireland said: "Right Guard is always working to improve its sustainability programme. The initiative to create the Right Guard AEROCYCLE gym enabled us to construct an environmentally friendly space from recycled aerosol cans and to contribute a long term, valuable resource for the local community around Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park."
The National Recycling Awards will take place on 28 June in London.
28 Mar 2018 London
Henkel short-listed for National Recycling Awards
Henkel has been shortlisted for the Partnership Excellence – Business category at the National Recycling Awards 2018, for the AEROCYCLE gym partnership between Right Guard, TerraCycle and The Great Outdoor Gym Company.
