It can be hard to decipher the real fundraisers from those that are scams sometimes. It was widely circulated for years that saving pop tabs from aluminum cans could benefit dialysis patients in different hospitals throughout the country. While this was never in fact true, one organization decided that if people were going to save them for charity, they may as well collect them. They began collecting pop tabs at the their facility in Minneapolis where they collect, recycle, and use the money to help fund projects for the organization.
The Ronald McDonald House Charities collect pop tabs for recycling instead of the entire pop can. They do this for several reasons. First, there are no sanitary issues with cans that are being collected as the tabs are usually clean. Secondly, logistically speaking, it is easier to store and transport several thousand pounds of pop can tabs at one time than it is to store the same amount of cans. They are more compact, and take up less room.
So, what does the Ronald McDonald House do with the pop tabs they receive? First of all, all the pop tabs are recycled. The money is used to fund different programs within the organization and buy gifts and games for the children who are staying at the house due to their illness or a sibling’s illness. One house in California reported that they are able to bring in over $9000 from recycling pop tabs each year.
So, next time you are thinking that you don’t really have the money to donate to a charity, save your pop tab instead and give it to the Ronald McDonald House.