A can crusher is a handy device that reduces the original size of cans before you put them in your recycling bin, which is a super handy space saver – especially if you have a small kitchen!
I’ve put together a list of the best can crushers for personal and commercial use, listed their pros and cons and answered some questions too. So, if you’re looking for a can crusher, but aren’t sure where to start, take a read of this article below!
Covered in this Article:
Best Can Crusher For Aluminium Drink/Beer Cans
Can Crusher & Bottle Opener
This aluminium can crusher can press 8oz, 12 oz and 16oz cans as well as plastic bottles, to save space in your recycling bin. It’s made of steel, so you know that it’s durable and it won’t break or struggle with crushing cans.
The comfortable handle has a soft grip to protect your hands during use. It only weighs 1.16kg so it’s easy to move around and store away if need be.
The can crusher can be mounted to your wall, indoors or outdoors, so it can be hidden out the way rather than having to be kept on your kitchen side, but it can be kept here too if you’d prefer. It also comes with wall plugs and screws to mount it, saving you a trip to the hardware store.
I love that this has a convenient bottle opener at the bottom, I think it’s a great device to use at parties as you can open bottles and crush beer cans all in one device!
Pros:
- Durable as it’s made of steel
- Soft grip handle
- Can be mounted to an indoor or outdoor wall, or placed on a worktop
- Comes with plugs and screws for wall mounting
- Also has a built-in bottle opener
Cons:
- Some reviewers have said that this can crusher requires a lot of strength to use so may not be suitable for the elderly
Best Freestanding (Non Wall Mounted) Crusher
This heavy duty can crusher by Eddingtons is operated by your feet! To work it, place it on the floor, unhook the catch to release the top part, slip in the thing you want to crush and then press down on the footplate.
The pedal style can crusher means that it doesn’t require a lot of arm or wrist strength to operate, so it can be used by most people – even the elderly! If you’re worried about scratching your floor, don’t panic!
It has 2 padded strips on the base of the crusher to protect your flooring. Or, if you prefer, it can be kept outside near your recycling bins as it’s strong enough to be used outside too.
It’s made from a strong steel that can crush anything from tough steel cans, to 2l plastic bottles and its durability means that it will last throughout the years. It weighs 2.1kg so is fairly lightweight and once used, you can re-hook the arm to store it flat, keeping it compact and easy to store.
Pros:
- Easy to use as it’s operated by your feet
- Comes with padded strips to protect flooring
- Can be used indoors or outdoors
- Durable as it’s made from steel
- Lightweight
- Compact
- 3 year guarantee included
Cons:
- Takes a few times to get the knack of it, as if not used correctly cans can easily slip out and not get crushed
Best Pneumatic/Automatic (Non-Electric) Crusher
Lhfacc Air Cylinder Can Crusher
This air cylinder can crusher by Lhfacc uses an air cylinder to crush metal cans up to 7 inches in height. The Cylinder Bore is 2.4 inches and the Cylinder Stroke is 7.9 inches which provides enough force to crush cans easily.
It has a flush press valve that is used to activate the crusher, which means that you don’t have to worry about your little ones injuring themselves as they can’t just activate it out of nowhere.
It’s sturdy and durable as both the frame and piston are made from metal, but you don’t have to worry about it rusting as it has a surface treatment to prevent corrosion. It weighs 3.88kg so is fairly lightweight and won’t get in the way.
As the can crusher is automatic, it requires no physical strength to operate making it perfect for those who struggle with mobility such as the elderly or those with lower strength.
Pros:
- Automatic so no physical strength required
- Flush press valve required to operate which is a handy safety feature. Although don’t leave unsupervised with children!
- Only weights 3.88kg
- Durable and sturdy
- Surface treatment for corrosion resistance
Cons:
- Requires assembly, although the instructions are relatively easy to follow it can still take a while
Bonus: Best For Commercial Use (e.g cafés and restaurants)
This tin can crusher by Just Recycling is the best can crusher for commercial use as it can handle up to 5 gallon cans. It’s powered by a single phase, 13 amp plug and its dimensions are H: 2300mm x W:1m x D: 585mm, weighing 270kg. It takes just 24 seconds to complete a cycle and finish crushing your heavy duty cans.
A really useful feature of this can crusher is that by removing the can crushing insert, the crusher can also be used to squash cardboard and paper waste to save even more space! Your bins will never overflow on your busy days again as all your waste is easily compacted with the press of a button!
Pros:
- Crushes metal cans, paper and cardboard waste to save space in all your recycling bins!
- Powered by a single phase, 13 amp plug
- Super quick – takes just 24 seconds to complete a cycle
- Can handle up to 5 gallon cans!
Cons:
- It’s a relatively large contraption, so you’ll have to have suitable storage space for it in your workspace
Should I Use A Can Crusher Before Recycling?
Not only are can crushers great fun to use, they also save a ton of space in your collection bin. This means, especially if your bin is on the smaller side, that you’re actually able to recycle more – no more jumping in the bin to squash it down!
Using your own can crusher can actually reduce pollution too, as your local recycling facility doesn’t have to use as much power to crush cans because there’s less that need to be crushed!
However, crushing cans before recycling can sometimes make them harder to recycle. Most (not all) recycling centres in the UK use a single stream recycling system. This is where everything that needs to be recycled is put into the same household bin and collected by the council.
It is then taken to a recycling facility, where everything is put into one system without being separated by humans beforehand.
This is where the issue lies as a single stream recycling system relies on the shape of the recycling to determine what exactly it is.
A crushed can is not the shape that the machine is expecting, so it may think that it’s a different type of recycling (such as paper) or automatically send it to the non-recycling pile, which means that it won’t get recycled at all, which therefore has a negative impact on the environment.
However, as mentioned above, not all cities in the UK use this method of recycling. If you have more than one recycling bin that requires you to separate your cardboard from your plastics, then your crushed cans will be put in a metal only stream and are fine to be crushed.
If you want to use a can crusher, but still want to be able to recycle, the government website allows you to enter your postcode and find out what kind of recycling facilities your local council uses, or check your local council’s website.
After reading this article, I hope you’ve found all the information you were looking for! If you’re unsure about whether crushing cans is for the best, contact your local council for more information.