Storing aluminum cans for recycling/sale

[MossRoad]

Not mine, spotted on the internet few weeks back:

Just go to youtube and type in "homemade can crusher" and you'll get lots of hits.

I know I'd get my fingers in that one, for sure. :laughing:

 

[Industrial Toys]

Our municipality instructs NOT to crush cans. I think it makes sorting harder for them. Flattened ones took up so much less space and didn't jump out or fly away on the way to the road.

 

[Oaktree]

I tried a harbor freight can crusher, but its too slow. I just throw the can on the garage floor and stomp on it with a forward motion. Its flat! :laughing:

I take in about 5-6 bags at a time. I don't make a special trip ever. I only take them when I'm going to be going past the recycler. Usually get 15-20 bucks each time I go. Maybe once a year at most.

Yep same here. Who needs a special can crusher?

In the spring, summer & fall I'll do "can walks"...go out & pick up cans that have been tossed out of car windows. While we don't have a bottle deposit law in my state, all neighboring states do and quite a few deposit bottles/cans get tossed. I'll sort 'em, crush the non-deposit ones and cash in the deposit ones when I'm going to be near a place that accepts them. The crushed ones (as well as any other scrap metal, batteries, etc.) go to the metal recycler once a year. The proceeds go in a kitty, we'll use it for restaurant meals.

 

[dragoneggs]

Yep same here. Who needs a special can crusher?

In the spring, summer & fall I'll do "can walks"...go out & pick up cans that have been tossed out of car windows. While we don't have a bottle deposit law in my state, all neighboring states do and quite a few deposit bottles/cans get tossed. I'll sort 'em, crush the non-deposit ones and cash in the deposit ones when I'm going to be near a place that accepts them. The crushed ones (as well as any other scrap metal, batteries, etc.) go to the metal recycler once a year. The proceeds go in a kitty, we'll use it for restaurant meals.

:thumbsup::thumbsup: I have to admit... I have gotten lazy and just take everything to recycle and don't collect on metal like I used to. But I do recycle about as much as is reasonably possible. Cardboard, glass, most plastics, paper, metals, etc. Food waste is composted and the true garbage is becoming a smaller and smaller percentage of my 'waste'. I used to have to go to the 'dump' because of garbage, now I can go a couple months if it wasn't for the recycle pile. I also admit I am consuming more than I really need to... but I am enjoying American life.

 

[Ford850]

What's the going price for aluminum cans in your areas? It's $0.50 here.

 

[Deere Dude]

Over a couple year span on our daily walks in the country we would collect aluminum cans dutifully. I would crush some and left others uncrushed. After a couple years I took them in and got maybe 5-10 bucks for them. Not worth it to get feet wet or risk spraining ankles retrieving cans from ditches. plus carrying bags around whenever we would walk.

I did build an air cylinder operated can crusher at work at a factory. It would mash them almost instantly and was mounted on my desk. I had people from all over the factory bring their cans over to play with the masher. I could make a little but then.

 

[kcflhrc]

I have 3 recycle trash cans in my garage. Cans,plastic and cardboard. I take them about once a month to the recycling bins at our local dump.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I have 3 recycle trash cans in my garage. Cans,plastic and cardboard. I take them about once a month to the recycling bins at our local dump.

Good for you. We need more civic minded people like you. As I said before, my city's trash service includes recycle (which we actually pay EXTRA for) and we use it religiously, but not all folks do. We are fortunate to live on a acreage, which allows some space for composting. As a result, our actual trash is minimal. Our neighbors, on the other hand often have two 50 gallon trash cans full every week. I believe eventually that recycling will be mandatory everywhere. Composting probably should be, but I see that as a practical impossibility currently.

 

[MossRoad]

We used to have recycle drop off points scattered around the city and county. They had multiple bins for different color glass, cans, paper, cardboard, plastics, etc...

Many years ago they switched to mandatory recycling. They give you a 95 gallon wheelybin and pick it up at the street every other week. We get charged for it. No way out of it.

Anyhow, I dump in all my plastic and paper, etc... but I keep the cans.

The 10 centers we give to someone that lives in Michigan, as Indiana doesn't do deposit/return.
The others we smash and take in when the bags start getting in the way.
However, anymore, plastic bottles are cheaper than cans, so not too many cans anymore.
Beer, we buy in bottles. :drink: