This small unit employs a vacuum resivour to very quickly crush your recyclable soda cans, Just place the open end of the can against the Silicon gasket on the top of the unit and press down. The vacuum stored in the resivor crushes the can instantly, saving space in your home.
-- jhomrighaus, Mar 26 2006

For [po}: re:origination markings http://www.deq.stat...ottlebillqa.html#A5
Answer # 5: Advice regarding the reasons why recycler will not accept pre-crushed aluminum cans with deposit or redemption markings in many states. [jurist, Mar 26 2006]

Sp: reservoir.

Can crushers are not a new idea. Many recycling centers in states with deposit laws will not accept cans that have been pre-crushed by any means, presumably because the identifying origination marks have been obliterated.
-- jurist, Mar 26 2006


origination marks?
-- po, Mar 26 2006


your car.
-- methinksnot, Mar 26 2006


I thought they didn't want crushed cans because people would put sand in them before crushing in order to increase the weight...

As for this idea, I'm not so sure about it. Presumably one recycles cans to "save resources" so if this is powered by electricity then you're just trading one resource for another. If you manually push down on a lever to create the vacuum, then it's probably more efficient to use the existing crushers. I think I'll [+] it anyway, since it's a novel idea as far as I know.
-- DarkEnergy, Mar 26 2006


The marks discussed are those marks used in states where there is a deposit paid at time of purchase. This is to ensure that cans are not brought in from markets where no deposit is paid. In many places these are not used. Also when cans are paid based on weight then sand could be used, in most cases though the y pay on quantity of cans and not on the static weight.
-- jhomrighaus, Mar 26 2006


Some of my fellow technology students were building one of these a few years ago. I never saw the final results, but I recall thinking that the pressure available from the atmosphere would not be enough to crush an aluminum can to complete flatness. They did have trouble with their seal, as the deforming can would lift up off their silicon surface.

BTW, my soda-can-crushing technique is to grab the two ends, twist and push. It winds everything into a neat little bundle.
-- baconbrain, Mar 26 2006


//saving space in your home.//
Are we keeping the cans, then?
-- ldischler, Mar 27 2006


Just until you get motivated to take them to the recycler.
-- jhomrighaus, Mar 27 2006



random, halfbakery