Trailblazers Life Choices collects and sells aluminium pull tabs to buy wheelchairs for donation

Trailblazers Life Choices has been saving pull tabs from beverage cans for various charities to aid in the purchase of wheelchairs. The organization has been already successful in its efforts. Trailblazers is a non-profit agency dedicated to supporting adults living with disabilities operating since 2005.

According to Shasta Fisher of Trailblazers Life Choices, a basic wheelchair costs $6,000, which can be procured in exchange for 95,000 pounds or 10 million aluminium tabs.

"There is approximately 1,500 tabs to a pound, which is worth $60," Fisher explained.

Trailblazers purchased three wheelchairs for its clients from their collection of pull tabs in 2019, Fisher said.

"People drop off anything — from Ziploc bags to carloads," she said.

Tabs may come from food cans as well as drink cans.

Asked why the whole can is not accepted, Fisher said "The can is made from a different aluminium." Since the body of a can is made from a different aluminium alloy, they only accept the tabs.

In June 2019 Trailblazers completed its first year as a drop-off site for Tabs for Wheelchairs which raises funds to annually present a new wheelchair to a Manitoban in need.  Trailblazers volunteers collect soda can tabs from schools and sorting the tabs into bags. The tabs are later sold to aluminium scrap recyclers and the money raised is spent on wheelchairs.