# Pop Top Legend Rears Ugly Head **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 23, 1999, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918 "1999-03-23T04:49:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/61 "2011-05-12T00:27:21Z")
Another thought that comes to mind is that removing the tab doesn’t affect the redemption value in states that require a deposit. So you can still recycle your can for the full 5 cent deposit while giving Ronald McDonald House a tiny bit extra. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/62 "2011-05-12T12:58:13Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > What’s the recycling value of three cubic feet of aluminum? Three cubic feet of solid aluminum is about 500 pounds. 500 pounds of aluminum cans is worth about $250. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/63 "2011-05-12T13:14:05Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > Three cubic feet of solid aluminum is about 500 pounds. 500 pounds of aluminum cans is worth about $250. Which, properly invested at about 4%, will yield $8,000 in only 86 years. ETA: Or, if this is all based on ~24 gallons, wouldn’t that be ~6 cubic feet per 55 gallon drum, or about 16 drum-fulls? Wait, that’s not quite right. 2x24 is 48, not 55… how does that work out? I can do it eventually, but not within the edit window (yes, my math skills are very slow). ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/64 "2011-05-12T13:28:48Z")
A 55-gallon drum is 7.3 cubic feet, so if solid Al about 1233 lbs, or about $675 for that weight in cans. Impossible to get that much weight of actual cans into the drum though. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/65 "2011-05-12T14:42:32Z")
My dad used to work with a guy who would ask people to save the can tabs. I think he said it was for a relatives kidney dialysis. Was this BS then? ---
**Author:** ![DJ\_Motorbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@DJ\_Motorbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJ_Motorbike)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/66 "2011-05-12T15:10:32Z")
> [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](#): > > My dad used to work with a guy who would ask people to save the can tabs. I think he said it was for a relatives kidney dialysis. Was this BS then? How could it be anything other than BS? ETA: You’re better off trying to help find the cure for Boneitis. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/67 "2011-05-13T14:03:07Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > The work is going to occur whether McDonalds encourages it or not. They are just turning it into a productive outlet, however small. No. No. No. No. No. It costs more for McDonald’s to collect, store, ship, and redeem these tabs than they can possibly get back in scrap value. McDonald’s is willing to absorb that cost because it generates some small amount of publicity for their charitable program. The snopes article talks about a group in Canada who collected over a million tabs, then couldn’t find anyone willing to take them or even to pay the cost of transporting them. Imagine the effort it took to collect that many tabs. Dozens, maybe hundred of people participating… pulling them off, bagging them, collecting them, taking them to a central location… for months. All of that energy could have been put to a productive use – say, collecting pennies, or passing out flyers, or anything that would have actually generated some actual result. The only payoff for collecting tabs is a possible Idiot Dividend – when someone feels so sorry for your misguided efforts that _they_ make a donation so you don’t realize what a complete idiot you are. And even that can be had with far less effort. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/68 "2011-05-13T15:26:24Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > All of that energy could have been put to a productive use – say, collecting pennies, or passing out flyers, or anything that would have actually generated some actual result. That is a rather pointless observation. The idiots who believe their email will continue to remove pop-tops, no matter how often you wish they didn’t act like idiots. If you cannot accept the McDonalds effort as a making charitable plus out of their idiocy, then look at it as recycling aluminum that would otherwise end up in a landfill. We spend countless dollars and manhours to reduce our trash stream, without any direct economic payback whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/69 "2011-05-13T15:35:42Z")
I thought this thread was about Ryan Seacrest calling Lady Gaga “a modern day legend” last night!? Whatever that means, I’m not even sure that’s possible! ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/70 "2011-05-13T16:25:20Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > then look at it as recycling aluminum that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Only if the rest of the aluminum can would _also_ have gone into a landfill. At least half of all aluminum cans in the U.S. get recycled. [http://www.aluminum.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=30442&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm](http://www.aluminum.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&CONTENTID=30442&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm) ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/71 "2011-05-13T16:50:30Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > That is a rather pointless observation. The idiots who believe their email will continue to remove pop-tops, no matter how often you wish they didn’t act like idiots. If you cannot accept the McDonalds effort as a making charitable plus out of their idiocy, then look at it as recycling aluminum that would otherwise end up in a landfill. We spend countless dollars and manhours to reduce our trash stream, without any direct economic payback whatsoever. It’s probably not a charitable plus because McDonald’s is paying money for the privilege of accepting the tabs. If there’s any gain, it’s that they leverage this to raise awareness of their charity. And once collected, those tabs would end up in the recycle flow with or without McDonalds. If McDonalds wasn’t doing this I’ll concede that some folks would continue to collect the tabs, and that most who stopped wouldn’t put their efforts to a more productive use. But some undoubtedly would, especially the less passive large scale campaigns. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/72 "2011-05-13T16:59:23Z")
Right now, Sprite has a promo with Habitat For Humanity. Collect and mail green tabs from Sprite and Sprite Zero cans, and Sprite will send ten cents per tab (up to $500,000) to Habitat. More info is at [Sprite Spark Parks -](http://www.spritesparkparks.com/get_involved/) ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/73 "2011-05-13T18:28:45Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > Right now, Sprite has a promo with Habitat For Humanity. Collect and mail green tabs from Sprite and Sprite Zero cans, and Sprite will send ten cents per tab (up to $500,000) to Habitat. > > More info is at [Sprite Spark Parks - Sparking Conversation & Discovery](http://www.spritesparkparks.com/get_involved/) So very very lame. What a waste of postage. Sprite is not going to count the green tabs. They are going to give $500,000 to Habitat for Humanity no matter how much postage people waste. I hate these things. ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/74 "2011-05-13T18:57:08Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > No, they are not rivetted on the cans; they have been removed by idiots who believe their email. Which a better use for 250,000 pop-tops: $8,000 for RMH, or taking up space in the landfill? Depending on how perfectly the non-recycled can in question is crushed, the pop-top is likely not taking up any extra landfill space. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/75 "2011-05-13T18:59:21Z")
> [@gazpacho](#): > > So very very lame. What a waste of postage. Sprite is not going to count the green tabs. They are going to give $500,000 to Habitat for Humanity no matter how much postage people waste. I hate these things. Maybe they’re hoping people are sending in checks along with the tab? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/76 "2011-05-13T21:02:21Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > And once collected, those tabs would end up in the recycle flow with or without McDonalds. . How do you figure? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918/77 "2011-05-13T21:03:55Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > Depending on how perfectly the non-recycled can in question is crushed, the pop-top is likely not taking up any extra landfill space. The cans in question have no pop-tops, having been removed by email boobs, in the mistaken belief that they can pay for dialysis. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-top-legend-rears-ugly-head/1918.md?page=3)