# Soda can tabs \*are\* collected **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [January 6, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-can-tabs-are-collected/147014 "2003-01-06T21:10:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tamale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@tamale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tamale)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-can-tabs-are-collected/147014/1 "2003-01-06T21:10:06Z")
The local Ronald McDonald House in Los Angeles (near Childrens’ Hospital of Los Angeles) accepts soda can tabs of any amount to support their RMcD house. I telephoned this RMcD house to verify. Seems that this RMcD house decided to take advantage of the urban legend (of saving tabs for seriously ill children’s medica care), and reap the benefits of funds for this venture. The tabs will be sent for recycling, just like any other aluminum items which are donated. Tabs should be sent/taken to: Ronald McDonald House 4560 Fountain Avenue, Los Angeles. The phone number is: 323.644.3000 ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2003, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-can-tabs-are-collected/147014/2 "2003-01-06T21:30:54Z")
This has already been discussed in [Saving Pop Tabs](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=144927), from which Duck Duck Goose summarized best: "They’re not seriously trying to raise money for kidney research with itty-bitty dribs and drabs of aluminum. They just humoring the Great American Urban Legend-Believing Public. With a weary sigh, McDs sez, ‘All right, we’ll accept the pulltabs–but just the tabs, since we don’t wanna be responsible for taking aluminum out of the mouths of the Boy Scouts and the Jaycees and all the other ‘bring in all your pop cans’ programs out there in the Heartland.’ " ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2003, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-can-tabs-are-collected/147014/3 "2003-01-07T07:20:23Z")
Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Boards, **tamale**. The column in question is [Will saving pull tabs earn free kidney dialysis for needy patients?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_077.html), and it’s requested that you provide a link so that the folks at home can follow. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-can-tabs-are-collected/147014/4 "2003-01-08T13:19:20Z")
Soda can tabs? _ **Soda can tabs???** _ ::Stares at soda can with its intrinsic & permanently attached modern pull-tab:: Now there’s an urban legend the time of which has come and gone! There must be not merely people but _parents_ here on the board who have never in their life purchased a soda in a can where the pull tab is something you lift, peel back, and discard. How the heck would you collect soda can tabs these days? Bend them back and forth and back and forth and back and forth until they separate from metal fatigue? ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-can-tabs-are-collected/147014/5 "2003-01-08T15:50:38Z")
That’s one way, perhaps easiest. With enough force, you can pull the tabs off directly, but it is not easy. I do remember the pull tabs of which you speak. ---
**Author:** ![citybadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@citybadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/citybadger)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-can-tabs-are-collected/147014/6 "2003-01-08T16:38:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AHunter3 \* > \*\*Soda can tabs? _ **Soda can tabs???** _ > How the heck would you collect soda can tabs these days? Bend them back and forth and back and forth and back and forth until they separate from metal fatigue? \*\* Taking half a minute of your time and risking slipping and cutting your thumb open on the can edge. If true, I think its borderline irresponsible for a children’s charity to encourage this. Spend your time, postage, and thumbs writing a short letter to your congressman about a children’s issue if you want to try to make a difference. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-can-tabs-are-collected/147014/7 "2003-01-08T16:48:19Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, and thank you for posting your comment. Please include a link to Cecil’s column if it’s on the Straight Dope web site. To include a link, it can be as simple as including the web page location in your post (make sure there is a space **before** and **after** the text of the URL). Cecil’s column can be found on-line at the link provided by Wikkit. The column can also be found on pages 77-78 of Cecil Adams’ book «[_Return of the Straight Dope (1994)_](https://securesite.chireader.com/cgi-bin/dopestore/buystuff.bat#rotsd)». * * * moderator, «[**Comments on Cecil’s Columns**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)» ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2003, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-can-tabs-are-collected/147014/8 "2003-01-08T19:31:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AHunter3 \* > How the heck would you collect soda can tabs these days? Bend them back and forth and back and forth and back and forth until they separate from metal fatigue? Sometime, when you’re feeling up to the superhuman feat, give it a shot. It’s not quite as hard as you might think. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-can-tabs-are-collected/147014/9 "2003-01-10T21:34:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AHunter3 \* > \*\*How the heck would you collect soda can tabs these days? Bend them back and forth and back and forth and back and forth until they separate from metal fatigue? \*\* Yeah. Either that, or just pull them off. The metal-fatigue way is easier, but if you yank them off and manage to keep the little loop of metal that hooked the tab onto the can intact, you not only can hook them together in chains, you can also supposedly redeem them for _french kisses_. At least, that was the story that went around my junior high school. ---
**Author:** ![tamale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/97f17d/32.png) [@tamale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tamale)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-can-tabs-are-collected/147014/10 "2003-01-12T23:15:32Z")
link to original column: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_077.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_077.html) > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CurtC \* > \*\*This has already been discussed in [Saving Pop Tabs](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=144927), from which Duck Duck Goose summarized best: \ "They just humoring the Great American Urban Legend-Believing Public. With a weary sigh, McDs sez, ‘All right, we’ll accept the pulltabs.’ " \*\* Agreed. Still, the woman at McD House told me “It’s better that the tabs are collected, since we have no storage for thousands and thousands of soda cans.” ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-can-tabs-are-collected/147014/11 "2003-01-13T04:26:59Z")
Seems to me like this woman was confirming what DDG said. “We don’t really want to do this, but if it makes a few people feel good about us, then bring in your damn pull tabs. Just don’t bring us something bulkier, even though it is more valuable.” ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-can-tabs-are-collected/147014/12 "2003-01-13T23:50:39Z")
Tamex, tell me where I go to redeem them. For the french kisses. I’ve been trying to find out for years, and nobody will tell me. Seriously. ---
**Author:** ![juji\_mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@juji\_mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/juji_mojo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-can-tabs-are-collected/147014/13 "2003-01-22T19:03:07Z")
There’s a big icecream pail in my lunchroom, where everyone throws in there pop can tabs. And I refuse… and Im called “heartless” The story there is that it will buy our facility a new wheelchair. Again and again I ask for proof, etc… nobody knows. So finally I asked the “Building Services” Manager, and she tells me every few months she just dumps them off at a recycling place. For free. And then she swore me to secrecy and made this big speach about “knowing where I live…” ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soda-can-tabs-are-collected/147014/14 "2003-01-22T19:15:09Z")
We’ve got some anonymous buckets by our recycling bins at work that have hand-written signs that say, “For every pop tab contributed, a young boy will receive a second of free dialysis.” Which makes me think, first, way sexist (unless it’s set up to benefit one specific person, but I find that kind of unlikely), and two, I don’t really want to find out just who the gullible culprit is–the people who throw their tabs into the bucket, or the person who put them out in the first place and has seven garbage bags full of pop tabs in the garage, just waiting to figure out exactly where to take them so some lucky boy can get free dialysis for the rest of his life. And third, given that a soda can has a recycle value of about two cents, how the hell much can dialysis cost at one can tab persecond?