Pop Tab Collection
Collecting pop tabs is a great way to teach kids about philanthropy and the importance of recycling, and raise funds to help children and their families at the same time. Some Chapters raise thousands of dollars with pop tab collections.
What are pop tabs?
Our pop tab program collects aluminum tabs only, like the ones found on soda cans. Many other products, like animal food, use tab systems but may not be made of aluminum. That is why we suggest you consider “specializing” in soda tabs. However, a good rule of thumb to follow if you want to collect tabs from other products is this: if you put a magnet near the tabs they should not be attracted to it. If they are, they are not aluminum tabs.
Why collect pop tabs?
We collect pop tabs instead of entire aluminum cans because it’s more hygienic to store tabs at the House than cans, collection is easier to manage for our volunteers and storage is certainly easier for us. The program is an easy way for people of all ages to support Ronald McDonald House Charities and know they are making a difference for families and children. Those interested in collecting aluminum cans and other metals should refer to our Metal Recycling page.
How does it work?
You may use any clean container to collect pop tabs. Over the years we’ve seen all sorts of creative vessels – decorated coffee cans, large plastic pretzel jars, cloth sacks, zip lock bags, etc.When you’re ready to make a donation, just stop by the House and we’ll take care of the rest. We truly appreciate your efforts in collecting and donating pop tabs to us.
What happens after I drop off the pop tabs at the House?
Once we have received enough tabs to fill two 32 gallon bins we take them to our recycling partner, Gerdau. If you have collected a significant amount of tabs and you are in the Charlottesville area, you may wish to take these directly to the Gerdau recycling center yourself. The address for Gerdau in Charlottesville is 100 Meade Avenue. Otherwise, just deliver the tabs to us and we will take it from there! If you live outside of the Charlottesville area, contact your local metal recycler. There are quite a few positioned throughout the state. They will provide a check to you in exchange for the tabs at the time of your visit. You may sign this check over to us or send us a check of yours in an equal amount. It is quite easy.
How much money does the House receive for pop tabs?
The amount you, or we, receive in exchange for the tabs varies. These values are market dependent, and go up and down throughout the year. But it all adds up to precious dollars that help the House fulfill its mission!
