I was told to remove labels and wash out the can before smashing it and putting it in the recycle bin. I did that for quite awhile until my cousin, who is an emergency room doctor asked me which was more valuable, the water to wash the can, or the tin recycled.
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When I am out walking, which I do several mornings a week, I pick up any aluminum cans I see. We live in a nice neighborhood and it amazes me the amount of aluminum cans thrown out of cars as litter.
Currently I get 57 cents a pound for aluminum cans. I am not only reducing waste by switching from plastic bottles to cans, but also earning some money.
Where do you start? If you can do nothing else, aluminum beverage cans are a good place to start. Recycling aluminum reduces energy use by 90 to 95%. Energy saved from recycling one aluminum can will run a TV for 3 hours.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Does anyone have suggestions for where to find scraps of aluminum sheets or pieces? Not Coke cans.
Thanks,
carolb4 from Fairview, TN
Start with someone in the HVAC line of work. The metal they use to make duct work isn't aluminum, but they often have access to all kinds of sheet metal from their suppliers. You may find someone with aluminum scraps.
I am not sure if in this age of digital type setting if this is still the way that newspapers print, but when I was a child the local newspaper used to use metal sheets in the printing process and would sell the used ones VERY cheaply. Check with your local newspaper.
You can buy a roll of aluminum (flashing) at Lowes home improvement stores. A roll 10 inches wide and 10 feet long runs around $8.00. They possibly have thicker flat sheets of it too.
Lowes and Home Depot stores sell aluminum on rolls for roof repair, it is fairly thin so might be what you are looking for.
carol:
might i ask what you are using them for? i do metalsmithing (jewellry and wind chimes) and use tin cans, mandarin oranges, pineapple (small cans), del monte fruit cups, carnation canned milk (small cans) and olive oil cans are all great sources of aluminum/steel sheets ... just cut out both ends and cut along the seam of the can with a pair of aviation snips ... i used to buy flashing but found the cans were better quality ... if you have any questions please post again
hugs
cailifouhnofthemist
This is a page about selling pop tabs. Aluminum pop tabs may have some monetary value if you find a crafter or recycling center that will buy them.
