The growing use of aluminum by packaging companies in the US has created an abundance of aluminum scrap all over the country. If you look around your house, you’ll probably find multiple empty aluminum cans that previously held soda, beer, food, and other items. Instead of dumping your aluminum cans in the trash and contributing to America’s landfill problem, you can try any of these creative ways to reuse them.
Crafting earrings
A single aluminum can can be used to make multiple pairs of earrings that look nice and have intricate designs. The silvery-white color of aluminum looks great on earrings, and since aluminum is malleable, it can be easily manipulated into different shapes without the need for complex equipment. For this project, you’ll only need scissors or a knife to remove the ends, pliers to design your shapes, sandpaper to file down any sharp edges, and a pushpin to make holes. Once you’re done making your earrings, you can add them to your collection, gift them to loved ones, or even sell them on websites like Etsy if they are really good. However, since this project will only require a few cans, you can send the rest of your cans to a scrap metal yard, where they can be melted and given a new life instead of ending up in a landfill.
Making a herb garden
If you want to add some greenery in your home or backyard, soda cans can help you save some money on pots. You can use soda cans as temporary pots for your seedlings or as the permanent holders for small plants like the air plant, echeveria, or baby toes. For this project, you only need to cut off the top part of your cans and fill them up with soil before planting. You can also drill holes into your cans and hang them in your kitchen, balcony, or any other room where you need some greenery.
Making sculptures
If you want a project that will use every last can you have, an aluminum sculpture is it. Scrap metal sculpture is a unique style of art that is quickly gaining popularity among eco-conscious art lovers. The kind of sculptures you make will depend on your imagination, your skill, and how many cans you have. You never know – one of your sculptures could end up in a museum or art gallery. For this project, you’ll need tools like a hammer to crush your cans, pliers to manipulate them into desired shapes, and scissors to make cuts where necessary.
Those old cans you see as trash can be transformed into something useful with just a little creativity and a few household tools. Start saving them and get busy with fun DIY projects. Keep in mind that if you can’t repurpose all your cans, it’s better for the environment to send them to a recycling facility instead of dumping them in the trash.