Collecting aluminium cans
Discussion
Not in a bag lady sense, I hope.
Someone has suggested that our community group collect the aluminium drinks cans (and any other aluminium we can get) which we currently put out for the council bin men , and then sell it to a scrap merchant/recycler when we have a 1 tonne bag. August price was £675 a tonne for crushed cans.
I wonder about the logistics but also how many cans will make up a Tonne? We have storage space but will soft drink and beer cans need washing out to avoid smells as it will no doubt take us months and months to get a tonne together.
If it was that easy everyone would do it right?
Someone has suggested that our community group collect the aluminium drinks cans (and any other aluminium we can get) which we currently put out for the council bin men , and then sell it to a scrap merchant/recycler when we have a 1 tonne bag. August price was £675 a tonne for crushed cans.
I wonder about the logistics but also how many cans will make up a Tonne? We have storage space but will soft drink and beer cans need washing out to avoid smells as it will no doubt take us months and months to get a tonne together.
If it was that easy everyone would do it right?
rolex said:
And you would need one of these
http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&...
I was just about to suggest that! At least they are cheap now, back when I was at school and collecting them the crushers were only made by one company and a LOT of money. Back then the aluminium price was 50p/kg I think, £500/tonne, so it's even more worthwhile now.http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&...
When I used to go to Novelis(biggest processor of cans in the uk)they make 20tonne slabs from them and estimated that it takes a million cans to make 1 slab.I've not been to the plant in Warrington for a good few years(you can see it when you drive over the thellwall viaduct on the m6),but last time I was there someone was telling me that they need around 300 tonnes of cans per day to tick over.
Edited by MarsellusWallace on Sunday 19th September 01:58
I collect my cans for the local cub group, well my neighbour is a pack leader or something so all I actually do is put them in a bag and dump them on her drive when I put the bins out! I'm not really being all that generous!
I have often thought about collecting them fulltime from workplaces and the like but the costs of going to get them would outweigh the payback!
I suppose, had I the space, it would be a good idea to keep all my metals, segregate them and weigh them in when the prices are good. Would be untidy though.
I have often thought about collecting them fulltime from workplaces and the like but the costs of going to get them would outweigh the payback!
I suppose, had I the space, it would be a good idea to keep all my metals, segregate them and weigh them in when the prices are good. Would be untidy though.
I see Corus now buy from merchants not councils. I think we will do a sample weigh as suggested and do a quick recycling box dip to see how many we might get and then work out how long it would take. Logistically someone has to collect them every 2 weeks before the council come unless it put a coiuple of bins through the vilage.
I do this.
Started doing it to try and raise money for my local scout group but it was more hastle than it was worth.
There are around 60 Alu cans per Kilo.
The take up a fair bit of space, I was advised not to crush them as they are easier to compress into bales if not crushed.
If my figuring is correct £20's worth take up 800litres of space meaning a trailer or van is required to make the trip to the scrap merchant to get the £20.
Our council used to run a scheme where they supplied bags for cans which you brought back full. These were weighed and you got credited to your account, they posted you a cheque when you got to £10 in your account. (However they stopped this due to lack of interest)
Re washing them out, I've never done it and had some for a long time. They don't smell as long as it's drinks cans only, but can attract wasps!
Started doing it to try and raise money for my local scout group but it was more hastle than it was worth.
There are around 60 Alu cans per Kilo.
The take up a fair bit of space, I was advised not to crush them as they are easier to compress into bales if not crushed.
If my figuring is correct £20's worth take up 800litres of space meaning a trailer or van is required to make the trip to the scrap merchant to get the £20.
Our council used to run a scheme where they supplied bags for cans which you brought back full. These were weighed and you got credited to your account, they posted you a cheque when you got to £10 in your account. (However they stopped this due to lack of interest)
Re washing them out, I've never done it and had some for a long time. They don't smell as long as it's drinks cans only, but can attract wasps!
Edited by AndyAudi on Sunday 19th September 10:09
I read this as collecting aluminium cars
Time for an eye test
Cans.....A friend of mine use to operate a small recycling operation two days a week, the best price he paid was I think 54cents/lb.
The cans had to be uncrushed and were supposed to be washed, but by thr number of wasps around his machines I doubt they were.
He had two machines that crushed them and throw them into the back of a couple of 48ft trailers. The cans reached the front with ease
He then sold them and also received a tax credit on his regular busines.
The price drifted down to just above 20 cents and he gave it up because of insufficient volume.
Time for an eye test
Cans.....A friend of mine use to operate a small recycling operation two days a week, the best price he paid was I think 54cents/lb.
The cans had to be uncrushed and were supposed to be washed, but by thr number of wasps around his machines I doubt they were.
He had two machines that crushed them and throw them into the back of a couple of 48ft trailers. The cans reached the front with ease
He then sold them and also received a tax credit on his regular busines.
The price drifted down to just above 20 cents and he gave it up because of insufficient volume.
Edited by jeff m on Sunday 19th September 11:58
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