Save those cans!

If you happen to be like me and hold an affection for carbonated beverages, you may find yourself in the possession of many empty aluminum cans.

While it is surely appropriate to stick them into your curbside recycling bins, it would be more profitable and fun to take them to a scrap metal buyer!

If you live in the Columbus area, you should consider heading to Sims Recycling Center on James Road. The people there are always kind to excited polite children.

My youngest daughter had never been to the center and I thought she might enjoy the trip. So, for the past week or two I kept my cans instead of sending them off curbside.

Today when we arrived, we got a mesh bag on wheels and I told her the good news.

She could keep the money that the recycling people would give her!

After my daughter carefully dumped the cans, (making sure to keep a hold of the empty bags), we pushed the bin into the building. A friendly worker came up to us right away. Elated, my daughter watched as the man weighed the cans on a giant scale in the floor. Minutes later the woman in the office gave my daughter $2.16 for her three pounds of cans!

Before we left, we watched the workers dismantling old storm doors and I showed my daughter the can crusher. If you are lucky, maybe you'll get to see it in action. A conveyor belt feeds the cans uphill into the crusher. Inside the machine, they are smushed into a solid block that drops out the far side. The noise alone is entertaining to children!

If you plan to go, call the center you wish to visit. Ask their hours of operation and if they have any special rules. In our area you will need to show a photo id and leave a thumb print on a form. (We've had a rash of vandalism with crooks stealing copper and other metals.) Do not take unruly children because there are often machines in use and if they ran off, they could get hurt. If you have an older, well behaved preschooler this might be a nice solo trip. (But, only if they would hold your hand and be happy to watch quietly.)

If you live in an area that has a bottle return policy, taking the empties back to the supermarket can also be fun. Many years ago my kids were amazed at the "can muncher" that swallowed cans and bottles at their grandparents' market in New York. In that case as well, they were allowed to keep the proceeds.

It is interesting to see what children will do with their earnings. Today my daughter happily bought a drink for her grandma and an icee for herself. The machine gave her a free drink coupon and so she was able to spring for a drink for dear old mom as well.

With change jiggling in a pocket, we went for a drive, discussing the morning's adventure as we traveled.

It is really amazing how the little things in life can be so enjoyable when shared with the right people.

Two dollars is not a great deal of money, but to a child it can seem like great riches.

Did you notice what she did with her vast and unexpected wealth?

She shared.

It has been my experience that children almost always do.

=-)