Why You Should Never Throw Aluminum Cans in the Trash in Minnesota

We've been taught for a long time to recycle. Recycle your pop cans, milk jugs, cereal boxes, etc. Not only is it best for the environment, but there's something really nasty that happens if you don't recycle your pop cans in particular.

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Are Minnesotans Good At Recycling?

I feel like we're pretty good about recycling in Minnesota, but according to a study of recycling in all 50 states, we're not as high as I thought.

We're still in the top 15, coming in as the 12th-best state at recycling (according to a packing solutions company called O.Berk) but I really thought we'd be higher than that.

The states above us, from 11th to 1st, are Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Iowa, Massachusetts, California, Oregon, Connecticut, Vermont, and Maine.

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As for recycling aluminum cans, this study says Michigan is the best at recycling those (but overall they ranked 18th).

Why You Should Never Throw Aluminum Cans in the Trash

I was under the impression that everyone knew you should recycle your aluminum cans (pop cans, beer cans, etc.) but turns out that may not be the case!

The most obvious reason to recycle in general is that it's good for the environment. The less stuff we put in the trash the less that gets burned at incineration sites, and the less air pollution we have.

But there are other reasons why it's important to never throw your pop cans in the trash.

Olmsted County Environment Resources shared on Facebook recently what happens when an aluminum can ends up in the trash. As soon as it gets put in the trash it can't be sorted out. I would imagine this is because it now has all of the other waste that can't be recycled stuck on it.

Then it gets taken to the garbage facility (in Olmsted County that would be the Olmsted Waste-to-Energy Facility) where they melt the trash in combustion chambers.

You know what happens to the cans? They just melt and become this nasty solidified hunk that you can't do anything with.

Not only that, but the process of the can melting and then solidifying can cause some serious issues within the garbage facility and increase maintenance costs.

Long story short, do your part and recycle! It's pretty simple and even if you just recycle your aluminum cans and cardboard boxes that's a great step in the right direction.