One of the most commonly used drink containers is an aluminum can. It is found almost in every sale outlet, such as supermarkets, gas stations, grocery stores or restaurants. 92% of energy can be saved if we recycle aluminum cans rather than producing new ones. It is wise enough to take the cans to a nearby bottle depot. Recycling aluminum cans is beneficial for both consumers and the environment. Consumers can benefit from recycling as they can get some extra penny for collecting and taking their used cans to a return it bottle depot.
Where are aluminum cans recycled?
When you have many aluminum cans to be recycled, you should search every nearby bottle depot to hand them over the waste. Some of the familiar places where aluminum cans can be dumped are:
- Scrap yards
- Grocery stores
- Bottle depots
What form of aluminum can be recycled?
Almost every type of aluminum cans can be recycled at a recycling facility. In 2019, almost 60% of aluminum cans were recycled among the total produced. Some examples of recyclable aluminum cans are:
- Beverage cans (soda, beer cans, etc.)
- Canned goods
- Paint cans (excluding dried paint)
- Aerosol cans
Storing aluminum cans for recycling
Instead of putting your trash aluminum cans in a trash bin, you can collect them at your place to submit them to a bottle depot by checking the available bottle depot hours in Calgary or elsewhere to get paid for the cans. Some of the effective storing measures of aluminum cans are:
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Cleaning
Cleaning is a better option when you consider recycling your aluminum waste. You can get paid well if you store a considerable amount of recyclable aluminum and then hand it to a return-it bottle depot. If you plan to store aluminum cans, it is better to clean them first, as they might attract insects if they remain dirty with sugary products. Proper cleaning prevents your can from smelling bad and pests, and thus recycling process becomes much easier for them.
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Collect abandoned cans
If you are up to collecting more cans at your storage space, you can collect the abandoned cans along the side of the road, in public places and on beaches. This way, you can contribute to public service by storing aluminum cans. You can help clean up your neighbourhood and prove yourself to be a much more responsible citizen.
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Crush the cans
Crushing the cans can help to save much space for additional storage. Crushing the cans into suitable pieces can help prevent many filling bags with waste, and you can return them to a return-it bottle depot while getting paid sufficiently.
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Do not mess with your cans
You should avoid using your leftover aluminum cans as ashtrays or a food container as this will add more chance of them being polluted with the food or ash residue. This, in turn, will make the recycling process more challenging.
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Keep them sorted
You should keep your cans sorted and separate from other waste unless you use the public curbside recycling method. This will make the final process more convenient for you when you take your cans to a nearby bottle depot during the open bottle depot hours in Calgary or elsewhere.
Conclusion
If the aluminum is cleaned and taken care of properly, it can be recycled indefinitely. A minimal amount of aluminum is wasted in the recycling process. Most of the aluminum products around you are not made from raw materials but recycled once again from the old products dumped into the garbage bins. Almost 75% of the metal produced previously is still used today, whereas only 25% is produced by mining from ores.
