How to Collect Aluminum Cans

If you are looking for a way to get your hands on some easy money, look no further than your trash can. If you are one of the millions of Americans who buy products sold in aluminum cans, stop throwing them away and turn them in for money. When you add in cans you didn't buy but can acquire by other means, the extra income can really start to add up.

Instructions

1. Begin collecting your used aluminum cans at home by setting up a separate trash bin right next to the regular one. Don’t put it in the garage or outside; out of sight is truly out of mind, and your family members won’t be as willing to jump on board with your collecting project if you take them out of their current comfort zone.

2. Ask your co-workers to bring you their unwanted aluminum cans. Unless someone is already collecting them or your company sets them aside for charity, chances are you will soon be inundated with cans from good-natured helpers who are too lazy to collect cans themselves.

3. Take an after-work walk around your neighborhood and do your part in cleaning it up by grabbing discarded aluminum cans. Wear gloves and rinse the cans when you get them home.

4. The best way to maximize storage space is to crush the cans. But doing so one can at a time, using your feet, is a slow and boring process. In order to make a swift exercise of it, invest in a trash compactor or purchase a can crusher like the ones found at Bettymills.com.

5. Any time you make a day trip, be sure to bring an extra bag to hold any used cans you might come across. If you go on a camping trip, retrieve not only your own used cans but the other campers' as well. Too often, we use the excuse that it is just too inconvenient to collect cans, in order to avoid the tiny bit of work it takes.

6. Don’t forget, you get to collect the money for your work. Most states have made recycling a very profitable endeavor by imposing a surcharge on the purchaser of the original can. You get to collect that surcharge yourself every time you head to the recycle bin.

7. If you have kids, get them involved. Show them that a little extra work entails a reward. Take them with you to the recycling drop-off point, so they can see firsthand how collecting aluminum cans pays off. Hopefully, it is a lesson they will take with them into their adult life.

Resources

• Aluminum Can Fun Facts