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What is this tool for? It has a handle that looks like it can crush something.

enter image description here

Tetsujin
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Adina
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2 Answers2

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As crip659 says, it is a can crusher.

The key to understanding it is, it must be mounted on a wall, on studs. At that point you simply pull down on the handle to crush the can. Without the wall mounting, the device is useless.

The extra height (as compared to 12 oz cans) is to accommodate the taller Arizona Iced Tea, tallboys, etc.

Harper - Reinstate Monica
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13

Cannot see it well enough to be sure, but if you search for can crushers I bet it looks the same.

crip659
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    Something like this [12oz Aluminum Can Crusher](https://www.homedepot.com/p/XtremepowerUS-12-oz-Aluminum-Can-Crusher-for-Recycling-Trash-Bins-96081/321089404). – HABO Mar 17 '23 at 17:43
  • Yep, that's what it is. My grandparents used to pay us grandkids a dime for every 10 cans we crushed in one. – Chris O Mar 17 '23 at 17:43
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    @ChrisO Nice to have grandparents that pay you for working. Did they ever mention they got a quarter for ten crushed cans. – crip659 Mar 17 '23 at 20:18
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    @crip659 And give up the profit? :) – Chris O Mar 17 '23 at 20:21
  • In some states with bottle deposit laws, the machine that accepts the cans will spin them to read the UPC code. Cans from adjoining non-deposit states have a different UPC and it won't accept those. If you crush the can, the deposit is gone and they are aluminum scrap. – Harper - Reinstate Monica Mar 17 '23 at 20:58
  • @Harper-ReinstateMonica I guess you were not too happy when you discovered that interesting piece of information. – crip659 Mar 17 '23 at 21:03
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    They came out with recycling in my state between the two years I helped do road cleanup. (not associated with the criminal justice system). The first year, half the stuff we picked up was soda and beer cans and bottles. The second year, two cans in 100 bags of trash. Probably tossed out of a car in the prior *hour*. Of course back then, 2 cans got you a candy bar and 4 got you a comic book. So I was a "stakeholder" in the bottle deposit law, and as such, fully briefed :) – Harper - Reinstate Monica Mar 17 '23 at 21:13
  • I just marvel at the way the world has evolved. Every since I was a little kid, there has been trash scattered around. It has just changed over the years: soda/beer cans and bottles (recycling eventually cut that down) -> plastic rings from 6-packs (oh no, the birds will get caught - don't know if that was real or just a scare tactic) -> plastic water bottles (wow, everyone is healthy now!) -> plastic bags (because killing trees for paper is bad, so let's use oil instead) (laws taxing or banning the bags changed that - except that it turns out a reusable bag has to be reused a **lot** to make – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Mar 17 '23 at 21:22
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    it actually a resource savings; though cutting the trash is still a good result) -> disposable face masks (started finding those everywhere in 2020...still find some, but not so many lately). Who knows what the next trash du jour will be! – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Mar 17 '23 at 21:23
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    @manassehkatz-Moving2Codidact McDonalds packaging round here, also cigarette litter far out of proportion to the number of remaining smoker. But I can always tell if it's been raining over the weekend in the city I work in - the litter on the streets is dominated by umbrellas on Monday morning! – Chris H Mar 19 '23 at 21:55