Where can I find aluminum cans? In many states like Michigan, finding aluminum cans is often a slow process because of bottle and can deposits.
Then you have states such as Indiana where there is no deposit on cans and you can find them everywhere.
Unfortunately, we all can not just skip town to go and gather cans but if you are serious about recycling aluminum and metal cans, there are definitely some options that you have overlooked.
Within this article on, where can I find aluminum cans, I will share some good tips with you that can if implemented correctly, can and will provide tons of cans for you on a daily basis.
So where can I find aluminum cans to sell? Let’s get the most common places for you to look out of the way first.
Recreation Centers
Around Schools
Car Wash
State or Community Fair
Beaches
Fishing Spots
Camp Grounds
Truck Stops & Rest Areas
Construction Areas
There are probably a few that I missed but there are probably some locations on that list that you may have not checked as well. If you are recycling metal cans, home owners throw these types of cans away all of the time or simply place them into recycling bins out by the curb on garbage day.
There are 2 additional places that deal with a high volume of aluminum cans that are just thrown away and they are hair salons and nail salons.
You can even include beauty schools and nails schools as well.
There are hundreds of hair and nail salons but you should start off with only what you can handle. Look through the phone book or even easier, do a quick search online for beauty and nail salons in your area.
Put together a list of around 20 of each to start. Contact each of them professionally. Briefly explain why you are calling and how your scrap business can help them.
In this situation, when you show up to their place of business make sure that you are presentable.
If you generally get filthy throughout the day while scrapping make your aluminum can pickups the first stops that you make.
Many of these locations maintain a certain ritz about them so walking through the door looking as if you just walked out of a coal mine does not look good but I am sure that you get it.
All sealed cans that you collect will have to be punctured because some scrap yards will not accept the cans if they are still under pressure. You should use an approved commercial puncturing device or machine.
Once the aluminum cans are punctured, rip the cans into two pieces so that it is clearly visible that the cans are no longer pressurized.
When you rip the cans in half make sure that you pour out any remaining liquid in the can.
Tip: For your protection and every one else’s protection, do not smoke or puncture any of the sealed aluminum cans around an open flame.
Hair spray is flammable as well as many of the other products that you find in sealed aluminum cans.