Just when you thought you’ve seen everything.

[RicardoJM]

Timely topic as I will soon have 30 or 40 lbs of cans needing to be emptied. I have employed a multi-step process approach. To keep this thread somewhat on topic - where does one take aluminum if you live here in the city?

While this is not the General Tech forum - I just can't help myself from including an overview of my multi-step process.

Step 1 - Put it in the initial stage crusher, unless it is a Coors Light can in which case step 1 is twist the can to make 1/5" shorter so it fits in the initial stage crusher. The Modelo Especial cans do not need pre-treatement.

Step 2 is adding them to batch hopper, where they wait until batch hopper is full or my nephew stops by and is bored enough to move them on to step 4.

Step 3 is to make them smaller using the press

Here are the before and after profiles of step 3

Finally, this is where they have been accumulating since November of 2017. I do expect that if it is a warm summer, the holding container will be full and I will need to find someplace to take them.

 

[dan1554]

If you are individually crushing cans with a hand-pump press you are surely a masochist.

 

[stusic]

 

[krice118]

IS this real? Alu Cab jumped the gun on April 1st...

 

[Jcbmx]

Got a product launch email this morning.

Introducing the Alu-Cab OLAF can crusher. Can’t wait to see the MSRP on this bad boy. And the certain to follow Overland Journal product test and comparison. Hope they include the $5 Harbor Freight unit.

The Can Crusher

A space-saving solution for your waste, and a nifty campsite party-trick. Reduces aluminium 500ml cans by 80% of their size

www.alu-cab.com

This will really come in handy when your jeans are so tight you can't lift your leg and you don't want to damage your Thursday chukka boots

 

[Inukshuk]

Genius. Plastic caps said "Budweiser"

 

[Hulk]

OK, this is another device of questionable utility:

iSwift Roboarm Phone Holder: Empower Bathtub Netflixing

Flexible in any direction as a robot arm, yet holds steadily as a rock. Hands-free bathroom texting and streaming has never been easier

www.kickstarter.com

 

[bassguyry]

OK, this is another device of questionable utility:

iSwift Roboarm Phone Holder: Empower Bathtub Netflixing

Flexible in any direction as a robot arm, yet holds steadily as a rock. Hands-free bathroom texting and streaming has never been easier

www.kickstarter.com

The only thing I hate more than taking a bath, is taking a bath with electronics.

 

[CardinalFJ60]

I dunno, I love soaking in my own filth 👎

 

[OilHammer]

I hate to be the green guy here, but also don’t forget that current single source standards are to not crush cans, as they don’t sort well when crushed.

My company makes cans…pretty much all of them. I can assure you we crush the defects and scraps into nice 25lb bricks of aluminum. No issues recycling them but they are “pure” and not run through general recycling.

 

[stusic]

My company makes cans…pretty much all of them. I can assure you we crush the defects and scraps into nice 25lb bricks of aluminum. No issues recycling them but they are “pure” and not run through general recycling.

I too work in the canmaking industry.

 

[gr8fulabe]

My company makes cans…pretty much all of them. I can assure you we crush the defects and scraps into nice 25lb bricks of aluminum. No issues recycling them but they are “pure” and not run through general recycling.

I too work in the canmaking industry.

Ball corp selling scrap directly back to Alcoa or some other smelter for recycling has zero bearing on how a single source sort yard removes aluminum cans from the stream. Anyone here that wants to take cans directly to a recycled can crush them too.

By the way, I think Ardagh would take offense to your assertion.

 

[stusic]

My company makes cans…pretty much all of them. I can assure you we crush the defects and scraps into nice 25lb bricks of aluminum. No issues recycling them but they are “pure” and not run through general recycling.

Ball corp selling scrap directly back to Alcoa or some other smelter for recycling has zero bearing on how a single source sort yard removes aluminum cans from the stream. Anyone here that wants to take cans directly to a recycled can crush them too.

By the way, I think Ardagh would take offense to your assertion.

Ardagh is number 2!

 

[nakman]

The only thing I hate more than taking a bath, is taking a bath with electronics.

When I learned my tablet wasn't water proof enough for the bathtub, I was shocked.

 

[ccslider]

My company makes cans…pretty much all of them. I can assure you we crush the defects and scraps into nice 25lb bricks of aluminum. No issues recycling them but they are “pure” and not run through general recycling.

You work at the ball plant?

 

[DanInDenver]

Ball is trying to get you to say goodbye to the Red Solo cup. Join the revolution ✊

 

[stusic]

As much as I like aluminum, I'm not a fan of those. Biggest complaints are: you can't put hot beverages in them, can't microwave them, and can't put them in the dishwasher. Yes, all these are true for solo cups, but solo cups are dirt cheap.

 

[DaveInDenver]

As much as I like aluminum, I'm not a fan of those. Biggest complaints are: you can't put hot beverages in them, can't microwave them, and can't put them in the dishwasher. Yes, all these are true for solo cups, but solo cups are dirt cheap.

I guess the concept is they're used like Solo cups that are just recycled the morning after a kegger instead of thrown away. From what I've seen these Ball can-cups cost around $0.50 each compared to about $0.10 in normal store sized sleeves for Solos. So if you can get people to hang on to the same cup all night rather than going through a few it might work without being a huge financial strain and still filling the exact same role.

Agreed on the concept of metal containers with you. We have a few Kleen Kanteen bottles and pint cups around. They only really work if they're double wall. It's not just hot stuff but the single wall bottles are a SOB to use in the winter. Drinking water in the winter with them risks a Christmas Story situation, which isn't a problem with a Nalgene. OTOH it's easier to hastily thaw a frozen metal bottle that's become one with a hunk of snow you left it overnight.