Metal Cans

What are Metal Cans Used For?

  • Metal cans were invented nearly 200 years ago in France as a method of preserving food.
  • Metal cans are used for human food, pet food, drinks, aerosols, paint, bottle tops and lids.
  • Metal is used because it is very strong, light, and easy to recycle. It is 100% recyclable.
  • Recycling saves 87% of the energy it takes to make cans from raw materials.






How are Metal Cans Made

Most metal cans are made from iron ore, limestone, and up to 25% recycled steel. Metal cans are made from metal that is found under the ground. It takes much work to find this special metal, clean it and make it into cans.




Metal Cans
Save metal cans!
Don't throw them away!






The recycling depot collects old metal cans so that the metal can be used to make new things.

What to Do:


  • You should rinse out the metal cans with water before you bring them to the recycling depot so they will not smell.
  • You do not need to remove the labels.
  • For fun, you can flatten the metal cans so that they will take up less space!
  • Then put the cans into the collection bin at the depot.




JUST WASH, SQUASH AND RECYCLE!

  • Steel is collected
  • Steel is transported to a steel plant.
  • The steel is melted down.
  • The molten steel is poured into a mould and left to cool.
  • The steel is chopped into big blocks.
  • The steel blacks are taken away to be made into steel products.






What happens to the Steel Blocks?

  • Reinforcement rods
  • Tins cans
  • Bulldozer blades






Do you have any metal cans that you can give to the recycling depot?
Remember: When you give your old cans to the depot they will be used to make something new. If you put your metal cans into the garbage, they will go into the landfill where they will be wasted and take up valuable space.




What Do You Think?

It can cost a lot of money for a city like Camrose to recycle. So, is it a good idea to have a recycling depot? Is it a good idea for people to recycle?




$$ Is It Worth It?
It costs time and money to
  • sort the cans into the proper bins at the recycling depot
  • put the cans into the large bunker
  • haul the cans
  • melt the metal
  • form the melted metal into bars.




The money it costs to operate the recycling depot comes from the people who live in Camrose. Each residence in Camrose pays $3.25 each month to keep the recycling depot operating. This money is used to pay the people who work at the depot, and to pay for the equipment that is used at the depot.

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