<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4dAGDt_0vhj8lzA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4dAGDt_0vhj8lzA00" width="980" height="653" ><figcaption>Rob Carroll</figcaption></figure><p>You need to stop crushing aluminum cans before hauling them in to be recycled according to industry experts.</p><p>The reason behind this request makes all the more sense once you understand the recycling process.</p><h2>Stomping Cans To Make More Room</h2><p>Some people develop their core childhood memories around family vacations or a memorable holidays. One of mine happens to be based on piles and piles of aluminum cans.</p><p>As a child, my family ran our town's summer baseball program. Not only did that mean being responsible for what's on the field, but also everything involved with operating the concession stand at each of the parks.</p><p>Once the games were over for the day, the garbage cans needed to be emptied around the concession stand where we would amass overflowing bags of aluminum soda cans. We'd haul the bags home were we would spend hours smashing the cans so they could be more easily transported to a recycling center.</p><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1yqZ7L_0vhj8lzA00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1yqZ7L_0vhj8lzA00" width="1600" height="1067" ><figcaption>Getty Images</figcaption></figure><p>A row of cans, a tower stacked five high, one for each foot. We continued to find innovative ways to entertain ourselves while smashing the aluminum.</p><p>Now, I am learning we were doing it all wrong.</p><h2>Why You Shouldn't Crush Aluminum Cans</h2><p>You'd need inside information about how your local city or recycling center sorts items in order to determine whether you should crush your aluminum cans or not. Assuming that you probably don't know that, it's probably best you skip smashing all of those beer cans from the weekend.</p><p><a href="https://www.rd.com/article/dont-crush-aluminum-cans-before-recycling/">Reader's Digest</a> covered the topic and found that some facilities use a "single-stream system" for sorting their recyclables. Crushing aluminum cans can actually throw off the entire system. That smashed can is less likely to be detected as aluminum.</p><p>The engineers in the recycling plant that are carrying the tablet. Looking for recycled materials with paper, metal, glass laid in the factory.</p><p>Getty Images</p><p>"That's because it's harder for the electrical current which helps separate out aluminum cans at municipal recycling facilities to identify them," the website reported.</p><h2>Should You Flatten Plastic Bottles?</h2><p>Another common myth when it comes to recycling is flattening plastic bottles and removing their caps. This practice was actually recommended for a period, but it is now outdated.</p><p><a href="https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/green-living/plastic-bottle-caps-recylable#:~:text=Ideally%2C%20you're%20using%20reusable,process%20the%20caps%20and%20bottles.">RealSimple.com</a> says there have been vast improvements in technology at recycling centers that now allow them to better sort and process plastic bottles. Not only that, but experts now say that flattened plastic bottles can be more easily confused for being a paper product.</p><p>No smashing, crushing or flattening is required for your aluminum and plastic making recycling a whole lot easier.</p><h2>LOOK: 50 Famous brands that no longer exist</h2><p><a href="https://stacker.com/">Stacker</a> compiled a list of more than four dozen famous consumer brands that no longer exist, consulting sites such as TheStreet, Good Housekeeping, and Eat This, Not That!, along with numerous throwback sites dedicated to consumer brands.</p><h2>LOOK: 20 American foods that raise eyebrows outside of the US</h2><p><a href="https://stacker.com/food-drink/20-american-foods-raise-eyebrows-outside-us">Stac</a><a href="https://stacker.com/food-drink/20-american-foods-raise-eyebrows-outside-us">﻿</a><a href="https://stacker.com/food-drink/20-american-foods-raise-eyebrows-outside-us">ker</a> compiled a list of 20 unusual and uniquely American foods that might raise eyebrows outside the U.S.</p></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Stop Crushing Aluminum Cans When Recycling; Here’s Why

You need to stop crushing aluminum cans before hauling them in to be recycled according to industry experts. The reason behind this request makes all the more sense once you understand the recycling process. Stomping Cans To Make More Room. Some people develop their core childhood memories around family vacations...