Recycling Cans

• 1). Locate the recycling center nearest to your location. You can use your ZIP code to find a recycling center near you using The Recycling Center website. Call the recycling center to find out what the price per pound of aluminum cans is and the hours of operation. Prices do change regularly, so once a week you may want to call and see if the price has changed.
  
  
• 2). Collect cans from friends and family. If you are serious about making money, ask neighbors if you can pick up their cans on garbage day. The more cans that you take in the more money you will make.
  
  
• 3). Fill the wash tub with water from the garden hose. Use the wash tub to rinse out the cans before using the can crusher or your foot to crush the can. Crushing the cans after cleaning allows you to get more cans in one bag to save on storage needs.
  
  
• 4). Collect one bag of cans or a few bags before taking the bags into the recycling center. The center will weigh each bag and pay you whatever the price of used aluminum cans is per pound for the number of pound you have in cans. It takes 32 empty cans to make one pound, according to the Can Central website.
  
  

Beverage Container Laws

• 1). Understand the beverage container law. Some states have enacted beverage container laws, which means that each soft drink can sold has a deposit paid on it. The deposit can be anywhere from 5 to 10 cents per can. The laws were enacted to prevent litter on the highways and to help with recycling aluminum cans to keep them out of landfill sites.
  
  
• 2). Find the cans. Although it may be harder to find soda cans because of the deposit, you can look in public waste bins and along highways where people throw the cans out the windows. People from out of state usually don't keep the cans or return them for the money back. Ask family and friends who do not return their cans if you can pick them up one or two days a week.
  
  
• 3). Use the wash tub to rinse out each can. If you are going to keep the cans until you have enough to take in for a refund on the deposits, you want to rinse the cans out to prevent fruit flies and smell.
  
  
• 4). Place the clean cans in a clear garbage bag. When the bag is filled, take the cans in for a refund or start a new bag and continue saving the cans. Taking the cans in once a month can result in a nice income for the month if you have a few bags with refundable cans inside.