I just started a new job a few months back and got to know all my new coworkers really well over these past few weeks especially one in particular, Wanda. As I walked past Wanda's desk I saw she was collecting soda tabs (see picture below) and I asked why?? She explained that her nephew, who is only 5, has had 5 strokes and is having all sorts of problems with his heart, has been in and out of the hospital since he was born and he currently is still in the hospital for therapy and monitoring. She explained that when she donates these tabs to her nephew's hospital, his bill is substantially lowered/discounted. On top of all this, her nephews parents are struggling with all sorts of bills and that the father had just lost his job, leaving the mother to work non stop without seeing much of her son. Since they have to pay a certain percentage of their sons medical bills, Wanda my coworker, asked everyone at our office to help with this if we could and just take off the tab of every soda can we drink and place them on her desk. My thinking, since I have the ability to reach out to so many through CA and knowing how great BOTL's and SOTL's can be...if you can remember while your drinking your favorite soda with your smoke, or just any time of the day, please pull of the tab when your done and put them in a zip lock baggy or a USPS box. If you are willing to save and stock pile these tabs, I will gladly pay the shipping for a box, bag, or envelope so we can help this family out in there great time of need. All you have to do, is save soda tabs, Its That Easy!! PM when you have a bunch saved up and I will gladly pay for shipping!!
Thank you for taking time out to read this post and I hope we can make this work :-)
Taki
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Sounds like a plan!!!!
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Have done this locally for a friend, I don't drink soda but i'll try to save my wife's :-) and my beer ones :-) you should get plenty from me!
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Thanks Brother...I appreciate any and all help :-)

Thanks Ogre :-)
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More Incentive for helping out with the above request...I will send out a care package, CA style, for anyone that fills a USPS box up with tabs. :-)
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I wish you posted before I turned in all of my cans a week ago :/
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This is a great cause Taki...

My wife is a diet coke fanatic and I have already told her to start saving these. You will certainly get help from a fellow Zombie on "The Wood."
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Im in, I have a bin full of cans ready to recycle right now. I will pull the tabs off.

Side note, How does it help with the bill?
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Done, Sounds like a great plan and I would love to help.
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I am saving what I can as well Taki.
Nice gesture of helping a coworker brother!
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I'll try to buy my beer in cans for a while here to help.


Curiosity overwhelms me though, why are the tabs so valuable in particular compared to the whole can? Is it just a size:value ratio thing or is there something about tabs that's more valuable?
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The tabs are not valuable. I think I read that a million tabs will net you something less than $500.
I saved tabs for years for my grandfather's 'friend' or community group or something, but found after he stopped collecting that it was part of some urban myth.
Not saying that this one is, but it bears looking into just a little bit further. I applaud your desire to help, Taki - its just that the skeptic in me says I'd like to know just a little more about it.
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Well to try and answer all questions....I did this also as a kid way back in the day (saved up and donated to a local hospital) and from what I remember, they use the aluminum from the tabs to make a machine or something?? Not 100% sure but what I can do is definitely get a correct answer from my coworker so I have an accurate answer. I really do appreciate the response though on this thread :-) Stay tuned, I will get an answer tomorrow when I get to work and post it in the evening.
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Mike...do you know what exactly the hospitals use these tabs for?? At the moment I do not know the official answer and I don't want anyone thinking I am doing this for the wrong reasons or that I am just messing around, but again I will talk to my coworker tomorrow and post the answer. :-)
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The tabs are worth no more that any other part of the can. Sadly this is an urban myth that just won't go away. One pound of pull tabs is worth less than 70 cents. It would cost more to mail them then they are worth. According to reports, one million tabs is worth about $360.

My wife started to do this last year with a group of office workers so I looked into it back then. There are no buyers out there that will give anyone more than they are worth recycled. Period. And some recyclers won't even take them because people now think they are worth a lot of money.

The best bet to help out is to donate cash or organize a can collection drive (the whole can being worth a lot more than the tab alone), take them to any recyclers and donate the money.

Sorry.

Ron
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I will start doing that now also Taki...great gesture man.
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Ron,
Quick Answer...

"The Ronald McDonald House of Minneapolis, Minnesota was inspired by the rumor to actually create a tab collecting program. Now known as the Pop Tab Collection Recycling Program, it has helped raise over $4 million in funds for all participating U.S. houses.

Regardless of Ronald McDonald House collections, the rumor has cost countless numbers of people time and energy, and caused a lot of caring people much heartache."

I thought it was all rumors too and I thought it was nuts!! But it actually started a program years back. Figuring that we all drink soda or beer with tabs I just figured I would do something to help someone out :-) How it helps my coworkers newphew, I am going to have an answer shortly!! :-)
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This may help fellas!
Pop Tab Collections
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Thanks Shane!!! :-)
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Cool, I figured it was a symbolic thing, just wasn't aware that the RMDH actually had a collection for this.
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