Daft Question

thescouselander

TheMysterious1 wrote: »

how about this

next time you open a tin can, dont open it all the way around so it comes off. leave a decent sized amount and bend the top back and empty the contents.

that way the lid and can are still one attachment that you can bend the lid back to a closed position.

I remember seeing someone from the RSPCA going on about this - it can be very dangerous to animals to do what you are suggesting. Basically small animals can stick their heads in the can (looking for food) as the top will bend inwards but when they pull it out again the top bends back up and traps the animal. There have also been cases of dogs and other amimals trapping their noses in a similar way.

I remember the advice was to remove the top of the can comletely.

This might not be a problem to everyone but its worth being aware if there are animals around.

scrivette

Not a silly question, I was wondering this yesterday!

M.E.

Where we live ALL cans are recycled.
Generally I take the lid off and rinse out in the washing up water at the end. Pop the lid back into the empty can and into the recycle container.
No recycling plant operative works without gloves.
Check with your local council whether food/drink/metal containers can be recycled and where.
If they are recycled the cans don't get into the environment for wild animals to hurt their noses.
If you rinse before putting them for collection the foxes won't be attracted either..

frivolous_fay

tesuhoha wrote: »

Erm are you saying that tins of tomatoes etc arent aluminium? In that case Ive been wrongly recycling them.

I guess they don't give out magnets anymore for collecting aluminium - if it's aluminium, it won't stick to a magnet.

For me... ring-pull lids - quick rinse, then in the can, then crush. Otherwise, leave attached, quick rinse, bend into the can then squish. Crush with my hands unless I'm f[EMAIL="I@e"]e[/EMAIL]eling energetic enough to get the crusher out of its box.

Ben84

tesuhoha wrote: »

I rinse out the tins as well but we must be wasting a lot of water doing that.

While I'm cooking I save all the tins and jars and wash them up at the end with the used washing up water before I drain it away.

arkonite_babe

Steel cans can be recycled:
http://www.scrib.org/

Easiest way to check what aluminium and what's not, get a magnet, one off your fridge will do. Press it against the can, if it sticks it's steel. If it doesn't it's aluminium. Also aluminium drinks cans have a really shiny bottom, steel ones are dull.

germish_se

thescouselander wrote: »

I remember seeing someone from the RSPCA going on about this - it can be very dangerous to animals to do what you are suggesting. Basically small animals can stick their heads in the can (looking for food) as the top will bend inwards but when they pull it out again the top bends back up and traps the animal. There have also been cases of dogs and other amimals trapping their noses in a similar way.

I remember the advice was to remove the top of the can comletely.

This might not be a problem to everyone but its worth being aware if there are animals around.

Well, that hardly applies when it's going to RECYCLING, last I heard they don't keep pets at recycling centres.

Also putting the lids with the shatp edges in the bin only means they will end up at the tip where they actually might hurt animals that scavenge there. It is less harmful to put them with your recycling as the people that work with it are fully trained and aware og sharp objects, unlike the poor animals.

ailuro2

btw, you can weld aluminium, you just can't weld aluminium to steel. Needs to be similar metals.;)

savvy

luvvlyjubbly wrote: »

Can tins, as in a tin of Roses Chocolates be recycled?

LOL we are always wanting these in our sports dept, as we are healthy people we don't have these at Christmas so get people to bring them in and then use them to put students' valuables in, each group has a tin so they know which one to go to to collect at the end of the lesson............................strangely though, just lately they are constantly going missing (without the valuables in!!) :eek::eek:

We had about 4 at the start of the academic year, replaced 1 after Christmas and now have none left :rolleyes::rolleyes: There's some straaaaaange people around :rolleyes:

Quasar

My local Morrisons has a pretty good recycling centre by the carpark. There are large bins for green, brown or clear glass, and one for cans and tins. It doesn't specify what the metal must be, so I just take them all there, whatever they are.

As for the lid, I just push it back inside, bending it slightly if need be so it fits in.

We used to have an aluminium can recycling centre, and they provided magnets so that people could tell aluminium from steel. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes easy to tell them apart just by looking at them.