Does anyone know anything about the value of aluminum can(beer, soda, etc.) pull tabs? I have heard a rumor that the tabs are worth more than the cans and that a gallon jug of tabs can be sold at recycling centers for several hundred dollars.Anyone know if this is really true?
Sept 2014 Update. Aluminum recycle rates continue to be low in comparison to other metals, about 85 cents per pound. 2,000 tabs are worth about $1. A gallon (approximately 4,000 tabs) is worth about $2. The effort needed to collect that many tabs isn't well rewarded. There is no special value for the pull tab - it is simply aluminum. The entire can has more than 100 times the aluminum as the tab itself. While it takes less room, recycling just the tab and throwing away the can doesn't make any sense and isn't worth the time or effort. While they are accepted at charities like the Ronald McDonald House, you are likely to spend more on gas driving them there and would pay approximately twenty times their value in postage if you mail them. Some craft projects use tabs, if you find someone or a group who does this they may give you more than the metal value. Purses made out of pull tabs are somewhat popular. My suggestion - if you recycle - great! Recycle the whole can and realize that you are not going to get yourself or a charity rich because aluminum isn't worth a lot. You are helping the environment though. Take the entire can and any other metal you want to recycle to a local recycler and donate the proceeds however you wish.
they are none too bright!! We save pull tabs for our church, we find that saving the tab is worth more than the whole can! The can requires a lot of storage while you can get a denser pack into a 55 gal drum with just the tabs. I do not know the current price of aluminum per pound. I do not know the weight of a gallon jug filled with pull tabs SORRY! I do know that the other posters have no idea of what they say or think they know. All I can say, is start collecting and weigh it when you are done. I do know that our church finds this a worthy project, they make a bunch of money for something that would be trashed or otherwise disposed of... FYI, a black bag filled with cans will get you about $8.00US
This Site Might Help You. RE: value of aluminum can pull tabs? Does anyone know anything about the value of aluminum can(beer, soda, etc.) pull tabs? I have heard a rumor that the tabs are worth more than the cans and that a gallon jug of tabs can be sold at recycling centers for several hundred dollars.Anyone know if this is really true?
This okorder posting stating tab redemption to be a myth, The type I silver aluminum pull tab (the normal pop can tab which accounts for 96.21% of the U.S. market) weighs in at about 0.65 pounds per thousand (0.0104 ounces each). These tabs have no special value other than the fact that they are scrap aluminum. A gallon of tabs is about 3,400-4,700 tabs (they is no way to get an exact number, as I have recorded 156 different tabs, and there is the matter of the little curly thing which tangles all the tabs together and can affect volume by up to 36%), so a gallon should weigh in close to 2.65 pounds. As scrap aluminum is going for 50 cents to a dollar, depending where you live, yoiu would therefore have a value of $1.33 to $2.65 in metal.
