Recycling Aluminum Can Pull-Tabs



Posted: Thursday, September 24, 2009

by Brant Reed

Over the years, I have met numerous people, with good intentions, that collect pull-tabs from aluminum cans. One person explained to me, pull-tabs are made from pure aluminum, and the tab is worth more than the entire can! This article will address how aluminum is formed, and I will present some facts about pull-tabs and aluminum cans.

Aluminum is one of the most cost-effective materials to recycle. Recycling aluminum cans saves ninety five percent of the energy required to make the same amount of aluminum from its original source. One ton of recycled aluminum saves forty barrels of oil, and ten cubic yards of landfill space. In addition, it's also a great way to generate some extra money.

Aluminum is formed from a material called bauxite. Found in the very thin layer of the earth's crust, this material is plentiful and easily mined. The bauxite is refined to remove impurities, and the material is formed into a white powder called aluminum oxide. Processors use electricity to shock the aluminum oxide. This separates the aluminum from the oxygen and even more electricity is used to melt the aluminum into a thick, liquid form. For extra strength and to discourage rusting, small amounts of other metals are added to the aluminum. Finally, the molten metal is cast into blocks and rolled into sheets for distribution. Cans are formed from two pieces, made from this aluminum blend, the body and the lid.

Just like other parts of the can, pull-tabs are made from aluminum alloy. The tab is made from a slightly different type of aluminum alloy, but it has no special value. Contrary to popular rumors, pull-tabs are not made of pure aluminum. For this reason, the tab is equal in value to any other piece of scrap aluminum with the same weight. Collectors of pull-tabs are actually keeping a small piece of aluminum, and they are throwing away the majority of the aluminum in the can. When recycling aluminum, scrap companies pay per pound. So, it would be in our best interest to save the entire can.

Don't worry, if you have been saving pull-tabs all is not lost. The tabs are worth current aluminum scrap value, based on the weight of metal collected. For example, one thousand pull-tabs are worth approximately thirty five cents. It doesn't sound like much, but you can do something charitable with your collection. Donate your tabs to the Ronald McDonald House, and they will sell them to help fund temporary lodging for families needing to stay near their sick child in the hospital.

Different forms of the pull-tab hoax have been around for years, and like a lot of myths, the pull-tab story has gained more attention through the Internet. Please understand, no organization will pay extra for pull-tabs. If you are going to take the time to collect aluminum maximize your profit by recycling the whole can, not just the pull-tab.

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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)
» left by Baden Powell
from Perth Australia 2 years 204 days ago.
Yes it sure was helpful - I was told they were made of TUNGSTEN & have been saving all of my can tops for over 10 years, storing them in the laundry, now I can free up space & put them in the re-cycle bin. THANK YOU very much
» left by Brant Reed 2 years 204 days ago.
4 fans.
Thank you for taking the time to read my article and comment!
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