What You Need To Know: Can Recycling In Emerald

BCM Scrap Steel • Aug 25, 2022

With climate change becoming an increasing concern, there's never been a better time to do your bit for the planet. And recycling as much of your waste as you can is a good place to start. If you collect a lot of cans, the good news is that the majority of these are completely recyclable. In this article, we take a closer look at everything you need to know about can recycling in Emerald. Keep reading or give us a call on 0413 555 421 today!

What metal items are recyclable?

Most cans consist of steel, tin and aluminium, which are excellent resources for recycling. But cans do come in many forms, not just the drinks cans and tins of foods (like beans) you're probably used to. Several other items are suitable for recycling, including:

• Biscuit tins
• Aerosol cans
• Aluminium foil wrapping and trays
• Tubes that include aluminium, such as toothpaste

However, not all metal items are suitable for recycling. Some non-recyclable metal items include:

• Laminated foil pouches like cat food
• Sweets wrappers and crisp packets
• Metal containers for fuel, paint or white spirits
• Metal cutlery, pots or pans

There’s a bit of a back-and-forth debate about whether or not soup cans are recyclable. Although tin or steel cans are perfectly fine to recycle, many soup tins include an inner tin layer to help keep the soup fresh and protect it from corrosion. However, these tins also contain bisphenol-A, also known as BPA, which is a hazard to the environment. If your soup cans contain this compound, then they can't be recycled. For further guidance around soup can recycling, it’s a good idea to contact your local council for advice on the matter.

It’s important that you prepare the cans before they are recycled by washing them thoroughly. Any leftovers or residue from the contents found in the can pose a risk of contaminating other recyclable materials, so it’s always important to rinse them out before recycling them. It’s perfectly acceptable to leave any labels or stickers attached to the cans, though. Those working in the recycling facility can easily remove the labels, so there isn’t any problem with leaving them on.

Any lids should also be handled in a similar manner, so give them a good rinse to remove any residue. You can either put them directly into the can or leave them separate to be recycled with glass. Another consideration is any ring-joiners, like those found on multipack cans for beer, as they can be recycled too.

If you’ve got some cans that you’re looking to recycle in Emerald, one of the most accessible locations is the Emerald Transfer Station, which allows for drop-offs. Alternatively, if you have a lot of cans that you’d like to get rid of, contact a scrap metal collection company such as BCM Scrap Steel.

If you’d like to learn more about can recycling or would like to request a recycling uplift, contact the team at BCM Scrap Steel today on 0413 555 421.