I know a guy who collects tabs from aluminum cans with the expectation that he can donate them to a company that will end up buying wheelchairs.

Does anyone else do this or is this really an urban myth?

not an urban myth.

Definately not a myth, but it does take a long time to gather enough tabs. Can be done within a year if done with a lot of people involved.

It also takes a long time to weld those tabs together in the shape of a wheelchair. Especially the moving parts!

I found tonnes on the beach... Those new ones ring like gold on my metal-detector...

yeah...not a myth.

a guy I work with goes around with his neighbor and collects the cans from various businesses.

They average 1 or 2 wheelchairs per month...though they said it's faster if they take them to a place in Saskatchewan rather than Manitoba.

apparently each tab is worth 1 to 2 cents.


http://www.ehow.com/how_4555195_selling-aluminum-pull-tabs-ebay.html

I don't get it,why not just collect and donate the whole can? You would get a lot more aluminum from the whole can than from just the tab. Am I missing something here?

perception and storage

Deank wrote:apparently each tab is worth 1 to 2 cents.


http://www.ehow.com/how_4555195_selling-aluminum-pull-tabs-ebay.html

Huh?? 500 tabs are worth $5-10. Big range difference eh.

I though that the price of aluminium was about $1.00 a pound.

thats what I thought too.

actually no.

a whole can costs more to process, because of the ink in the labeling.

The can tab is PURE aluminum, and therefore easier and cheaper to process.

apparently, because of the process...it costs more to recycle the whole can, than it's worth.

But 'scrap aluminium' is still scrap aluminium and the price is the same for all scrap aluminium....cans, tabs, siding, whatever...I thought???

as far as I know

Myth.

http://www.snopes.com/business/redeem/pulltabs.asp

There are two types of scrap aluminum.
One is in the single-laminate form, and the other in a multiple-laminate form. It appears that the multiple-laminate type is worth alot less because it has been more stressed during it's original process.
(Just what I heard, I might be wrong, any experts out there?).

sputnik wrote:Myth.

http://www.snopes.com/business/redeem/pulltabs.asp

Thank you, it all makes sense now.

I just weighed a tab (damn they're hard to get off now) and it's .02 g. It would take quite a pile to make a pound eh.

Is this more of a goodwill thing? "X" tabs = a wheelchair?

Great, now what the hell do I do with 15 forty gallon garbage pails of this stuff in my basement.

Freeman wrote:Great, now what the hell do I do with 15 forty gallon garbage pails of this stuff in my basement.

make a really cool robot?

grumpy old man wrote:Is this more of a goodwill thing? "X" tabs = a wheelchair?

I suspect that would be the case if any such program exists. I know the Khartum Shriners were collecting tabs at one time, but they donate a ton of money every year to kids medical needs so I can't see collecting tabs as being a big cash cow for them.

It would just make more sense to collect pennies instead. At least they are worth something.

Maybe its a conspiracy by the soft drink companies to keep people buying canned drinks!

I'll drink to that.

hic

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I was looking for pics online from a wheelchair presentation ceremony this year by the tabs for wheelchairs program (which I attended) and I stumbled across this thread. I just want you all to know that the tabs for wheelchairs program is very real. They manage approximately one wheelchair per year and have 160+ schools and I think about 180 businesses and organizations saving tabs from all over Manitoba. They trade the tabs in for cash and recycle them. The recycling company accepts the whole cans as well. It's called Western Scrap Metal Inc. Cans should be dropped off at the recycling facility at 18 Sutherland Ave. (Just tell them it's for the Tabs program and they will put it on their account.)
Tabs are stored throughout each year at Holy Cross School in Winnipeg and are cashed in after the presentation ceremony each year. I believe you can drop your tabs at your nearest participating school or business, or Holy Cross School. For more information about the program, please call Gwen Buccini at Holy Cross School (204) 256-4227.

Finally, I want you all to know that my son, Tarok will be the recipient for the tabs chair next year (2011). With all the schools and organizations collecting tabs, he's sure to get his chair right on schedule next spring, but the program has managed two chairs in one year before and I'd love to see that happen again. The more tabs saved, the sooner the next child will get a special wheelchair.
Here's a picture of Tarok.

This is Tarok on his special bike from Freedom Concepts.