Beer Can Widgets recycling?

[okeydokey]

So we all know empty beer cans have rattly plastic bits (widgets) in the bottom and yes they help give beer a foamy head when opened, but how many have opened the can and pulled out the widget?
I've done it on a few occasions over the years just to see whats what and ignored them, yesterday I pulled one out of a Boddingtons can and wondered how to reuse it - any ideas?

 

[Argus]

An interesting question on what is expected to be a very long and hot day.......

.........as a personal preference, I avoid those widget things in beer-cans like the pox.

As with 'Chorleywood' bread and the like, I prefer the real thing.

 

[Thingybob]

And when you have thought of an idea for those we will move on to tasimo pods,Now theres an idea thought up by the anti recycling brigade
Instant coffee =1 glass jar , sugar bag ,milk bottle all recyclable
Ground coffee = foil/plastic bag non recycled, sugar bag milk bottle recycleable
Pod coffee= 1/2 a bin full of non recyclable plastic per day

 

[John Brown]

We used to have a Tassimo, and I used to keep all the used pods, and when I'd accumulated a big bag full, there was a recycling drop-off point about half a mile from our tennis club.
Maybe these schemes were scams, or have been discontinued.

 

[Thingybob]

We used to have a Tassimo, and I used to keep all the used pods, and when I'd accumulated a big bag full, there was a recycling drop-off point about half a mile from our tennis club.
Maybe these schemes were scams, or have been discontinued.

We asked at the tip for the pod recycle skip as they give you a large green bag when you buy the machine to take used ones to colection site we were told dump them in general waste mate we dont have one of those , When you think of the process they would need to remove the ally lid from the plastic the only way i can think would be incenerator to destroy the plastic and extract the ally (Roll up Roll up come and get your polution here )

 

[John Brown]

I never imagined they'd be accepted at the main recycling centre. The place I used was a community cafe type place at a public sports ground in Claygate, Surrey.

 

[Thingybob]

My wife searched on net for local recycle pod depository non round here and to go miles to find one negates the object cost of petrol / polution generated , Even the most ardent recyclist would cycle 10 miles to dump his pods which is his only vice

 

[chris.s]

My pods are all aluminium from the bedside machine which are collected on delivery of new orders and recycled into mushroom compost and Swedish bicycles and the kitchen pods go in the compost, they are meant to be industrial composting only but I cut them in half and put them in the central hottest area of a large green recycled plastic compost bin.

 

[baldkev]

If the widget is fully plastic, it can probably go in the recycling bag for kerbside collection.

As for the coffee pods, my mrs bought me a dulce gusto a few years back. They dont recycle them. I hardly use it.... it might 'break' soon and I'll look into a cupppacino machine ( from Ground coffee, with a frothy milk thingy )

 

[chris.s]

it used to be the case that Dolce Gusto didn't recycle but due to a lot of bad publicity Nestlé have been cleaning up their act recently and the Nespresso scheme has been expanded to not only Nestle brands but several other brands as well.

https://www.podback.org/

 

[Garden Shed Projects]

Any good for keeping freshly painted items off of a bench. Or maybe fill with something and use feet or glides under furniture. What size are they and how rigid?

 

[Thingybob]

Pop small solar powered LED bulbs in and bury amongst plants would look great in the evening

 

[Thingybob]

Many many years ago whilst at senior school the metal work teacher (bit of a maverick) said to us all collect all your milk bottle tops and foil wrappers and he showed us how to smelt and cast aluminium to make g clamps the lesson has always stayed with me , He also showed us the lost wax casting method . That got rid of a lot of waste from home ,what a field day we would have now beer cans,coffee pods etc . Best set of clanps in the world

 

[Thingybob]

If the widget is fully plastic, it can probably go in the recycling bag for kerbside collection.

As for the coffee pods, my mrs bought me a dulce gusto a few years back. They dont recycle them. I hardly use it.... it might 'break' soon and I'll look into a cupppacino machine ( from Ground coffee, with a frothy milk thingy )

The trouble is the widget is encased in the can and the ally is worth more so they probably just melt it down with the widgit in

 

[baldkev]

Cant you just slice open the can and put them in the bag? An old pair of scissors would probably cut a beer tin

 

[baldkev]

Any good for keeping freshly painted items off of a bench. Or maybe fill with something and use feet or glides under furniture. What size are they and how rigid?

I made a 'paint board'
Its basically 9mm mdf, with a grid of squares marked on it at 90mm apart, then wang a screw through the corners of the squares, giving you a spikey board. Its been very handy for painting

 

[Thingybob]

Cant you just slice open the can and put them in the bag? An old pair of scissors would probably cut a beer tin

But then you are doing the recycle work for council for free unless they will pay you for your time and would the polythene widget be recycled Im totaly behind recycling but not creating extra work its bad enough washing tins and plastic pots so the bins dont stink and wasting water

 

[okeydokey]

Thanks all for the varied replies, I was thinking of an alternative uses - they are about 35mm diameter at the largest point and yes pretty tough they would be good for supporting things while they dry - not so sure for furniture use though