How You Can Help

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Pop Tab Collection Program
"Pull for the Ronald McDonald House

Looking to start a collection group? Click here to find useful information that you can use to get your group’s collection campaign started, as well as many activities that you can incorporate for kids. There is also helpful information on collection containers, drop off information and tools to promote your group’s participation in this program.

How the Program Works

The Ronald McDonald House collects the pop tabs that can be easily pulled off soda cans (or many other items including vegetable and soup cans, pet food cans, etc) and takes them to a local recycling center where the tabs are converted into cash. The money that we receive from the tabs is then allocated to the “Family Emergency Fund” to help our guests with unexpected expenses such as purchasing groceries, personal hygiene items, clothing, and even car seats for infants.

Why Collect Pop Tabs?

Because it’s so easy! The tabs on aluminum cans can be easily removed and are small and easy to store. The tabs can be collected in milk jugs, plastic containers, buckets, ziplock bags, and many other things. You can even get children involved by having them design and decorate their very own pop tab container!

Many wonder why we collect just the pop tab, rather than the whole can. While the entire aluminum can, can be recycled, they are more difficult to both store and deliver. The aluminum tabs are smaller and easier to handle and are also often not as sticky or as messy as the entire can! The pop tabs are also easier for the House to handle when large volumes are delivered.

Who Can Help?

Anyone who would like to contribute to the Ronald McDonald House in Lexington.  Churches, schools, organizations, businesses, families, and friends! No registration or notification of participation is required.

Where Do I Drop Off the Pop Tabs?

Each group is responsible for turning in their collected pop tabs. With only a few exceptions, the Ronald McDonald House is unable to pick up the tabs from your group, school or organization. Pop tabs can be dropped off at the Ronald McDonald House seven days a week between the hours of 9:00am-8:00pm.

Tabs can also be taken to any local recycling center. In Fayette County , you can drop tabs off at Wise Recycling Center and they will take care of the donation. When dropping off tabs at any other recycling center, you can simply get a check and then mail it to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Bluegrass .

Fun Facts/History of Pop Tabs

  • The Ronald McDonald House Pop Tab Collection Program was established in 1987 by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Ronald McDonald House.
  • The ring-pull can known today was invented in 1962.
  • The pop tab was invented by Mr. Ermal Fraze in Kettering, Ohio.

Pop “Tabulations”

1 lb. = 1,267 pop tabs
1 inch = 1 pop tab 
1 foot = 12 pop tabs
1 meter = 40 pop tabs
1 lb. = 1,267 pop tabs
1 km. = 40,000 pop tabs
1 mile = 63,360 pop tabs

2008 “Pull” for the Ronald McDonald
House Results

On May 12, 2008 the Ronald McDonald House in Lexington held a “drop off” event to deliver the tabs that KY Drug Court Statewide System had been tirelessly collecting in the past year. 3,649 pounds of pop tabs were collected outside the House and then taken to Wise Recycling in Lexington, where they were converted in to $3, 028.67 (3.6 million or 61 miles of tabs were collected)! We hope next year’s event will yield an even larger collection!

http://www.wkytarchives.com/watch?v=2833