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Are can seals recycled together or separately?

Recycling is a fundamental practice for preserving the environment, and aluminum cans are one of the most recycled materials in the world. However, when it comes to the seal on a can, many people have questions about how it should be treated in the recycling process. The answer is simple: the seal must be kept on the can. This is crucial to ensure that all the material is recycled correctly.

lacre de latinha
In the past, when you opened a can, the seal would come off. Today, it is designed to remain on the can, making it easier to recycle.

Can Seals: Composition and Impact on Recycling

The seal on a can, the ring you pull to open a drink, is made of a different material than the rest of the can. The body of the can needs to be thin and light to keep production costs low, while the lid and seal are designed to be more resistant. However, the seal is made of an alloy with a lower amount of aluminum, which directly affects its recycling.

Aluminum recyclers accept the seal when it is attached to the can, but not when it is separated. This is because the low aluminum content of the seal reduces the recycling yield in the furnaces that melt the material. When separated from the can, the seal loses commercial value and makes the recycling process more difficult. Therefore, to ensure that all aluminum is recycled efficiently, it is essential to keep the seal attached to the can.

Why Should the Can Seal Remain Attached?

In the past, when you opened a can, the seal would come completely off, but that has changed. Today, seals are designed to remain attached to the can, a measure that makes recycling easier. This design is not only a matter of convenience, but also a strategy to ensure that aluminum is recycled more efficiently.

An aluminum can weighs about 14.5 grams, and it takes approximately 70 cans to make one kilogram of recyclable material. However, to make this weight with just can tabs, it would take more than 3,300 tabs. This shows that even if you collect a large quantity of tabs, the commercial value of the separated material is significantly lower. In addition, the process of transporting and sifting the recyclable material would need to be adapted to accommodate a large quantity of loose can tabs, which would increase costs and reduce the viability of the process.

Lacre de latinha
Seals separated from the can are only useful if they are used in crafts.

Creative Alternatives: Crafts with Tin Can Tabs

While it’s not ideal to separate the can tabs for recycling, they can be creatively reused in craft projects. Many people turn can tabs into accessories, bags, and other craft items. This type of repurposing not only prevents the tabs from ending up in the trash, but also creates opportunities for creating unique and sustainable products.

In addition to crafts, some social initiatives promote the exchange of can tabs for wheelchairs. These campaigns rely on the collection of large quantities of tabs and offer a noble way to reuse this material. If you would like to collaborate with these initiatives, you can visit the Lacre Amigo website to learn more about how to participate and contribute.

Sustainability and Environment: Education Makes a Difference

Recycling is only part of the solution to the environmental challenges we face. Education and awareness about sustainable practices are essential to ensure that people understand the importance of recycling correctly and adopting behaviors that benefit the environment.

The environmental preservation field is one of the fastest growing in the world, and investing in knowledge about recycling and sustainability can open doors to new professional opportunities. There are recycling and sustainability courses available online, which allow you to learn without leaving your home. These courses are an excellent way to delve deeper into the subject and prepare for a promising career in one of the most important sectors today.

Can Caps: Recycle Correctly and Contribute to the Environment

In short, the can seal should be recycled along with the can. Separating it hinders the recycling process, making it less efficient and viable. Although the seal can be reused in crafts or donated to social initiatives, the best practice for industrial recycling is to keep it attached to the can.

Every little action counts when it comes to protecting the environment. By understanding how to recycle correctly, you not only contribute to sustainability, but also support a more efficient and cost-effective recycling system. Investing in education and awareness is an important step towards ensuring a greener, healthier future for everyone.

The Value of Recycling Awareness

Recycling is a practice that depends on everyone's collaboration. Each person plays a crucial role in ensuring that recyclable materials, such as aluminum cans and their seals, are disposed of correctly. Therefore, when recycling, remember to keep the seal attached to the can. This small action can make a big difference in the efficiency of the recycling process and, consequently, in the positive impact on the environment.

Additionally, by participating in craft projects or bottle cap donation drives, you are contributing to the creative reuse of materials that would otherwise end up in the trash. These initiatives not only help reduce the amount of waste, but also raise awareness about the importance of recycling and sustainability in our daily lives.

With knowledge and action, we can all do our part to protect the environment and ensure that natural resources are used responsibly and sustainably.

Check out other interesting facts about recycling clicking here.
Learn how to make art by recycling, Click here.

Ricardo Ricchini
Ricardo Ricchini
Articles: 198

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63 Comments

  3. Hello, we have many kilos of can tabs, we want to sell them to help with the construction of the Chapel of São Jorge that we have already started. How much do you pay per kilo?
    Thanks

      • Hi Bianca, I'm Sandra. I have a bottle and a half to sell. The bottles are 3.3L. I do Christmas events for underprivileged children. There are a thousand and ninety children that I helped from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. My WhatsApp is 985725641. A hug.

  5. GOOD afternoon, I'm Alexandre, I live in São Paulo, I have a large quantity of seals, those interested can get in touch, or call via WHATSAPP, NUMBER, 973455322.

  7. Hello, I work with the association of collectors of recyclable and/or reusable waste in Santa Terezinha de Itaipu, and we are looking for this project to exchange seals for wheelchairs. We already have about 8 20-liter drums full of seals and we are still collecting them. I would like to know if anyone is interested in purchasing this material or can suggest ways to exchange it.

    my contact is 045 9947-4445 (tim)

    Thank you in advance,

  8. I need 3 600 ml PET bottles filled with seals urgently (I believe it is approximately the equivalent of 1 2 L bottle)

    URGENT!!!

    11 974624326

  13. I am from Rotaract in Santo Anastácio and we managed to collect more than 20 bottles of seals. We are looking for buyers for the bottles and with the money we can develop social projects in the city. If anyone is interested, my contacts are (18) 99731-6562 or [email protected]

  17. Good afternoon, I have 5 2-liter PET bottles with silver can seals and 1 colored 2-liter PET bottle. How much would you pay???? My contact (021) 9.9179-0484 / (021) 27854148. If anyone is interested, please contact me. Att: Sara

  19. goodnight

    I don't understand, people ask to collect 2 PET bottles of seals, saying that with them they can buy wheelchairs to donate, and these people want to buy them for 10 reais each bottle,,,,, what do you mean,,,,

  22. Hello, my name is Mara, I live in Paracambi RJ, I have 6 PET bottles full of seals for sale if anyone is interested, my WhatsApp is 21975955561

  23. I think this article was not at all CLEAR or objective, nor did it take a position in terms of social and environmental responsibility.
    Or... the people who are selling here and blah blah blah blah blah don't understand that removing the seal makes recycling difficult? Even if you make bags and crafts... there are other materials for that. 1,000 seals are 1,000 cans, people. Besides, I don't understand this business of winning wheelchairs, Rotary gives the chairs and then sells the seals without aluminum? Well, this only encourages the CONSUMPTION of soda and beer. Does anyone realize this?

    • Hello Maria,
      I think that the environmental positioning of a website that has been disseminating the culture of recycling, selective collection and reuse since 2000 is really unnecessary.

      This article was written to combat the habit that some people have of separating the seal from the can.
      Wheelchairs being exchanged for tabs are almost an urban legend, but every now and then people are talking about it, which encourages people to separate the tabs from the cans.
      Without proper disposal, the seals will not be recycled. Now, the seal market does exist, as you can see in the comments. On the website Arte Reciclada http://www.artereciclada.com.br/?s=lacre There are several materials, including step-by-step techniques for producing all types of material with seals, which encourages artisans and crafts.

      As for encouraging consumption, I ask you to think carefully: there is an industry that produces an incredible number of cans per day. This industry is supported by giant marketing and advertising companies, which certainly encourage consumption. The movement against it, from a segmented website like Setor Reciculação, would certainly not make the slightest difference. A drop in the ocean. My initiative aims to encourage environmental awareness in a holistic and comprehensive way. First you show the advantages of recycling, then reuse, and then the reduction happens naturally. I am sure of this strategy, but I could be wrong. Anyway, this is my way of contributing.

      Thank you for your comment.

      • Diego, thank you very much for your collaboration. I always said “almost” urban legend in the hope of finding someone to do the exchange, haha. Do you know the guys from Lacre Amigo? I would love to publish some of their material on the website to encourage donations.

        A hug!

        • Ricardo, we will soon launch a campaign focused on ATTITUDE.
          I came across your site because I was looking for information about selling seals.
          The text is interesting and I promised myself not to be discouraged because there are people who need wheelchairs. I wish I had the physical space to store the cans, but that is not feasible. The tabs are the alternative for now.
          A hug

    • Good afternoon Maria Beatriz, I disagree with your observation. The seal has a commercial value, it may not be the same as the can. Rotary has done a good job in terms of donating wheelchairs. Did you know that having a wheelchair, even a simple one, makes a difference in the lives of people who don't have any resources for it?
      Looking at it from just one angle makes for a short-sighted reading. There is no incentive to sell, but rather to transform, because the cans have already been consumed (soft drinks, juices, beers, etc.). Now the question is what to do. I see here that they are charging an absurd amount for a PET bottle. Thirty reais is really an excellent price, because I buy wheelchairs to donate for three thousand reais. If I follow the table they pay in the official market, I need to have a ton to buy a wheelchair.
      Understand the entire process to deconstruct myths and build possibilities.
      Attitude is important!
      Just yesterday I saw a campaign where they collected ONE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED BOTTLES full of tabs to buy prosthetics. Do you know how much the prosthetics cost? ONE HUNDRED AND TEN THOUSAND REAIS.
      Expanding our perspective to understand allows us to create possibilities and transform lives.
      A big hug

      • Look, I'm a speech therapist, I work with people with disabilities, at the Association of Independent Waste Pickers, there are dozens of wheelchairs that were DONATED in a campaign, brand new, and discarded there! These are chairs that have no way of adapting to their unique needs. I'm not speaking from a "layman's" perspective, but I can answer technically. And in fact, I invite you to visit this warehouse. Our organizations, where we work, an environmental education collective, provide environmental education based on the PNEA. Well, just because consumption exists, WITHOUT A DOUBT, it does not mean that, as an environmental educator, I will not follow the guidelines of Agenda 21, environmental standards, and the National Solid Waste Policy: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE! This campaign, with GOOD, excellent intentions, raises awareness, I have no doubt. But... tell me... what about reverse logistics? Well, we cannot turn LAWS into mere decorations in an anarchic country. Let's change paradigms, YES! Social and Environmental Responsibility, references in ISO 26,000. I do have the courage to question this campaign, I don't question the ATTITUDES of you who are running the campaign, no! But I expected more from this Recycling Sector, which I've seen more objective before. Of course, the use, reuse, and repurposing of seals for HANDICRAFTS exist and are the SECOND of the Rs of the PNRS. But running a CAMPAIGN, no! A coherent campaign would also teach where to take the CANS: to the COLLECTORS, the main and fundamental actors in this reverse logistics process. To the recycling sector, my ENERGIES! I understood the text, and I know perfectly well your position. To the campaign organizers, I would really like some information: WHERE do these seals go? Do the sales of the seals buy the chairs? Hugs

  25. Hello!
    Is anyone interested in donating can tabs?
    My solidarity project, to buy or exchange
    By wheelchairs.
    The number of people in the interior is frightening
    Motorcycle accidents result in death for others
    I'm from Araripina, Pernambuco
    I really want to help, I already have 14 full pt bottles
    Thank you for understanding.
    [email protected]

  26. Hi, I'm Alexandre. I work in recycling. I'm looking for someone to buy the can seals because I get a lot of cans. If it's worth it, I'll start separating them. I live in Rio Grande do Sul, specifically in Montenegro.

  27. Look, I'm a speech therapist, I work with people with disabilities, at the Association of Independent Waste Pickers, there are dozens of wheelchairs that were DONATED in a campaign, brand new, and discarded there! These are chairs that have no way of adapting to their unique needs. I'm not speaking from a "layman's" perspective, but I can answer technically. And in fact, I invite you to visit this warehouse. Our organizations, where we work, an environmental education collective, provide environmental education based on the PNEA. Well, just because consumption exists, WITHOUT A DOUBT, it does not mean that, as an environmental educator, I will not follow the guidelines of Agenda 21, environmental standards, and the National Solid Waste Policy: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE! This campaign, with GOOD, excellent intentions, raises awareness, I have no doubt. But... tell me... what about reverse logistics? Well, we cannot turn LAWS into mere decorations in an anarchic country. Let's change paradigms, YES! Social and Environmental Responsibility, references in ISO 26,000. I do have the courage to question this campaign, I don't question the ATTITUDES of you who are running the campaign, no! But I expected more from this Recycling Sector, which I've seen more objective before. Of course, the use, reuse, and repurposing of seals for HANDICRAFTS exist and are the SECOND of the Rs of the PNRS. But running a CAMPAIGN, no! A coherent campaign would also teach where to take the CANS: to the COLLECTORS, the main and fundamental actors in this reverse logistics process. To the recycling sector, my ENERGIES! I understood the text, and I know perfectly well your position. To the campaign organizers, I would really like some information: WHERE do these seals go? Do the sales of the seals buy the chairs? Hugs

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