Should I crush cans when recycling?
Some people crush their recycled cans to create more room in their recycling bin, but this is optional. Your can is equally recyclable either way! Both crushed and uncrushed cans are separated from other recyclables at the sorting facility (also called a materials recovery facility) using electric currents. The machines “see” the shape of items when determining where to put paper, glass, ferrous metal, aluminum, plastic, etc.
What can recycled cans be turned into?
Aluminum cans are recycled into new cans as well as car parts, window frames, wire, tubing and electronics. Aluminum placed in your recycling bin is more valuable than any other item in the recycling stream because it can be recycled endlessly without the material breaking down or decreasing in quality. Aluminum cans are among the most recyclable materials because they are 100% recyclable and can be reprocessed multiple times. Recycling aluminum uses only about 5% of the energy required for smelting, making it the material with the highest recycling energy savings of any major material.
Should you rinse aluminum cans before recycling?
Empty and rinse out aluminum cans before recycling them. Moisture and dirt contaminate recycling and can limit cans’ recyclability. Remnants of Foods and Liquids prevent containers from being recycled and contaminate other items in the bin. This is the worst recycling mistake becuase it causes the entire recycling bag to end up in a landfild. Please empty beverage containers and rinse or wipe food containers. If in doubt, place it in the trash.
What to use empty cans for?
Cans are very versatile. Try reusing them in some of these creative ways: Pen holder, desk organizer, plant pot, caddy, soda can stove (for backpacking), etc. Cans can store a broad variety of contents: food, beverages, oil, chemicals, etc. In a broad sense, any metal container is sometimes called a tin can, even if it is made, for example, of aluminium.