Cans

Collecting and Preparing Aluminum Cans for Upcycling

Diverting Waste into a Resource

A typical two-week collection of aluminum cans from residential waste can be diverted from conventional disposal and repurposed for sustainable applications. Before use, these cans require cleaning and preparation to ensure they are safe and functional.

Preparation Steps

1. Empty and Clean – Remove any remaining liquid and rinse thoroughly.
2. Puncture (if needed) – Create drainage or airflow holes as required.
3. Straighten and Sort – Uncrushed cans retain more structural value than fully crushed ones.

Structural Considerations

If filling cans with soil structure material, consider opening the top using tin snips:

• Make a few cuts from the opening towards the outer edge.
• Fold down the sharp edges to prevent injury.
• Alternatively, use a funnel or smaller materials to fill through the existing opening for a safer approach.

Maintaining the structural integrity of the cans is key—fully intact cans provide greater strength than crushed ones. However, natural gaps will form, allowing air, water, and roots to integrate into the system.

VertiCan is an example of how these cans can be repurposed for vertical growing systems and sustainable design.