If you recycle aluminum cans for cash, what do you use the money for?

Question

I'm just curious what fellow recyclers do with the money they earn from cashing in aluminum cans. I use the money I get from turning in cans to fund a college account for my son. He's only two and has over $1000 from selling scrap already. What do you use your can money for?

Answer 1

Here are some "green" ideas:
- Purchase CFL bulbs for your house (which will save in more $$ in the long run)
- Purchase organic or locally grown foods
- Purchase recycled paper for your printer
-Buy a new water bottle that you can refill, instead of buying a new one constantly
- Purchase cloth napkins to use with meals instead of using paper ones
- Purchase a cheap set of silverware to use with meals away from home, instead of getting plastic silverware from restaraunts
- Purchase tubberware and bring it to restarants when you know you will have leftovers
- Use the extra money to buy non-toxic biodegradable cleaning supplies
- Use the money to purchase a non-disponsable razor
- Purchase a low-flow shower head or faucet
- Purchase and replace the air filter in your house
- Purchase a reusable coffee mug to use at to-go coffee shops
- Purchase a canvas bag to use at grocery stores
- Purchase a hot water heater blanket

The list could go on and on. Many of these ideas would save you $ in the long run, buy saving you energy

Answer 2

I receive a nickel for each can & bottle (plastic or glass). I use the money for my personal fund & save for extra things that I want. I drink little soda as it is very unhealthful, but I get some from my workplace from residents. My husband likes Squirt, so I have those, too. Sometimes, I put nickels & one dollar bills in banks for a savings account for my grandson.

Answer 3

they aren't worth anything by themselves - aluminum is aluminum - it takes about 10-12 aluminum cans including tabs to weigh a pound, which will get you whatever per pound alum scrap is going for today if it's $1.00 per pound, that's about 8 cents per can, which would mean you'd need hundreds and hundreds of can tabs to equal that same pound - not worth the time or effort - just get the full (empty) cans

Answer 4

Right now It is buying gas but normally we put it into a vacation fund.

We are in the process of asking our neighbors to save cans too. We get a lot of cans off the roads around here too.

Answer 5

I "donate" them to our local Boy Scouts. It saves me the hassle of storage and taking them in. Before that I just made sure that I kept the cans on the outside of the recycling bin for anyone that wanted them. We have a few people walking and looking for cans.

Answer 6

actually instead of recycling those for the money i just give it to a collector i believe really needs it more than i do such as a family or an elderly drug free person. its the least i can do since they work hard for the money collecting the cans i mine as well help supplement their income just a little slightly

Answer 7

our city has a "pounds for the pound" option for our humane society. u turn in ur cans at the humane society, and they give u a reciept for tax purposes. they turn in the cans, and the money they get from recycling the cans goes to buy dog/cat food, kitty litter, and exteranious expenses not covered by our city budget's meager funding of the shelter. that's what i do w/my cans.

Answer 8

To me money is fungible. That means that when I earn $10 from Aluminum cans and $10 from rebate coupons they become indistinguishable.

I don't worry about where each $10 came from. I use them alike.

Answer 9

#1. Full Cans.

#2. Gas to Get Full Cans.

#3. The Rest to Charity.

Answer 10

I save it and spend it at Christmas. With the number of cans I find dumped along the side of the gravel road I live on, by Christmas I have about $1200 to spend.