STALLION In short: Rinse them, let them drain, and crush them only if your buyer is fine with crushed cans. The 'do not crush' advice comes from kerbside sorting plants that sort by shape. It does not apply when a person collects the cans and handles them by hand.
Where the 'do not crush' advice comes from
Many recycling plants use machines that "see" the shape of an item when deciding where to send paper, glass, metal and plastic. Writing in the Concord Monitor in 2024, David Brooks put the problem this way: a crushed can does not look like a can, so it can go to the wrong place and foul the system.
Single-stream kerbside systems mix cans, paper, plastic and glass on the same belts, which is where the shape problem shows up. Most of the 'never crush your cans' headlines trace back to it.
Where crushing is fine
Some plants do not sort cans by shape at all. Jeff Weld, director of communications at Casella, a US recycler, told the Concord Monitor that they use eddy currents to sort aluminium from ferrous metals, so it is not a shape issue. An eddy current separator spins a magnet near conductive metal such as aluminium, which creates a current that pushes the metal off the belt and into its own bin.
If your cans go to a person who sorts by hand, shape does not matter to the sort either. Whether they like crushed cans is a question for them.
Rinsing matters more
Liquid is the real concern. The UK's Health and Safety Executive says one of the most common causes of explosions in metal furnaces is water getting in with wet scrap, and it tells operators to punch holes in drums so liquid can drain. A splash left in a can is nowhere near that scale, but recyclers want their scrap dry for the same reason.
There are plainer reasons too. Leftover drink adds weight, attracts ants and flies, and smells after a few days in a warm store room.
A simple routine
- Tip out the last of the drink and rinse the can once.
- Stand it upside down to drain.
- Bag the cans loose, or crush them if you want to save space and your buyer accepts them.
- Open and empty any can that is still full or sealed before crushing it.
- Keep cans away from bottles, foil and food waste.
What we ask
We count cans at your door. If you crush them, put them in a bag so the count is quick, and tell us when you book.
Common questions
Do aluminium cans need to be rinsed before recycling?
A quick rinse is enough. Leftover drink adds weight, attracts pests and smells, and recyclers prefer dry scrap.
Does crushing a can reduce its value?
Crushing does not change a can's weight, so it does not change what a kilo is worth. Whether a buyer takes crushed cans is their call, so ask.
Why do some recyclers say not to crush cans?
Plants that sort by shape can send a crushed can to the wrong place because it no longer looks like a can. Plants that use eddy currents do not have that problem.
Should I crush cans before selling them to a kabadiwala?
Ask the buyer. A person who sorts by hand is not affected by shape, and crushed cans take less room in a sack.
Sources
Next steps
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