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Friday, December 09, 2011

1944: "SCRAP DRIVES" DURING WORLD WAR II

Today we call it "recycling" and aluminum cans are found in our recycle bins and only a few "tin" cans. Back during WWII, there were no aluminum cans and tin cans were the standard packaging method. So, all you young whippersnappers out there in glover320 blogspot land, let me tell you about those World War II scrap drives we had. There was a process that we all followed. First, we washed the inside of the can to remove any food residue. Next, we peeled off the paper wrapper on the can. Then, opened the other end of the can, removed the lid, placed it on a flat surface, inserted the lid into the cylindrical can, and stepped on it, thus rendering it a "flattened tin can." Did you get all that?

2 comments:

Ralph Lucarella said...

HI TOM....WE ALSO SAVED THE ALUMINUM FROM A PACKAGE OF CIGARETTES. THERE WERE MANY WAYS DURING THE WAR YEARS THAT HELPED THE CAUSE AND EVERYONE SACRIFICED TO GO ALONG WITH GETTING DRAFTED INTO MILITARY SERVICE. WE CAME THROUGH WITH FLYING COLORS AND SURVIVED SOME PRETTY BAD YEARS. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.

Tom Glover said...

RIGHT YOU ARE, RALPH. I CAN REMEMBER WALKING FOR MILES AROUND MY HARTLEY AVENUE HOME LOOKING FOR DISCARDED CIGARETTE PACKS. I HAD A BALL OF LEAD FOIL THE SIZE OF A BASEBALL. I ALSO REMEMBER MY MOM SAVING BACON GREASE AND OTHER COOKING GREASE IN A COFFEE CAN AND TURNING IT IN TO PALOMBI'S FOR THE GOVERNMENT SCRAP DRIVE. GREASE WAS AN INTEGRAL INGREDIENT IN EXPLOSIVES.
TOM GLOVER