Aluminum-27 (stable) and Aluminum-26 Taylor Media, 7 Sept.

2017,
Materials www.thepennyhoarder.com/make-money/side-
(radioactive with a half-life of 720,000 years) are
1. Aluminum Cans gigs/collecting-cans/.
the only isotopes of Aluminum that occur
2. Spray Paint
naturally. The percent composition of Aluminum-
3. Scissors for Metal (aviation snips) “CanCentral: Everything You Need to Know about
27 is above 99.99%, and the percent composition Cans.” Recycling Facts - Can Manufacturers Institute |
4. Pointed Tool
of aluminum in soda cans is around 95% Washington, DC, www.cancentral.com/funfacts.cfm.
5. Paper Scissors
6. Pen
7. Cardboard
8. Pliers Data/Calculations Where My Inspiration Came
The market rate for one aluminum can is about From
What Would Happen If It Wasn’t 1.7 cents per can, and there are approximately
32 cans per pound, and across the US, the Milo, Evie. “Festive Stars Made from Recycled Drinks
Upcycled? average price to recycle one pound of aluminum Cans.” Milomade, Eskymo New Media Design, 1 Nov.
If this Aluminum Can was not upcycled, then it is about 45 cents. Since, 1972, the US recycles 2011, www.milomade.co.uk/blog/2011/11/festive-stars-
made-from-recycled-drinks-cans/.
would have gone in the blue recycling bin outside around 37 billion pounds of aluminum cans every
my house. It would’ve been picked up by a big year, and there is an average of 105,800
truck, taken to a recycling center, sorted, and aluminum cans that are recycled every minute.
shipped to a business that would then recycle it So, if you upcycle your aluminum cans, rather
into, say, another aluminum can, or maybe some than recycling them, then you would save about
wire. $62,900,000,000 a year.
If this Aluminum Can wasn’t upcycled or put into
the recycling bin, then it would’ve been put in the
brown trash bin outside my house. Then it
would’ve been picked up by a big truck and taken
to a landfill, where then it would be put in a huge Sources Citation
pit and burned with all of the other trash.
Chemistry Involved Gillman, Steve. “How I Made $1,500 Collecting Soda
Cans During My Work Breaks.” The Penny Hoarder,