Think about the last time you saw someone throw an aluminum can in the trash. We all know we should recycle, but it doesn’t always happen.

So, Novelis partnered with Brazilian brewing company and Novelis customer Ambev, as well as the Abramundo Institute for science education, to change that. Together we created an exhibit designed to teach visitors the critical role recycling plays in the world and how individuals can “reverta” or “reverse” their habits of consumption.

Located in Ibirapuera Park, in the heart of São Paulo, Brazil, the exhibit Exposição Reverta combined art and technology to produce interactive displays where visitors could learn about consumption, waste and recycling. The goal of the exhibit was not only to get more people talking about recycling, but also to encourage more self-reflection on habits of consumption.

The exhibit included memory games, photography, motion sensor activities and a mini production line of soda – from the recycling of used beverage cans to the arrival of new cans in the refrigerator. One of the photographers contributing to the exhibit, Gregg Segal, provided a photo series where a local family posed with their trash collected over a series of seven days to show just how much the average person consumes daily.

This was a great opportunity to teach nearly 30,000 people about the importance of recycling and sustainability in Brazil.