This is why you shouldn't crush your cans before recycling them

We all want to do our bit for the environment, whether that's reducing our use of plastic or making a bigger effort to recycle household waste.  

But there is one thing that a lot of us do that actually hinders the recycling process.  

Crushing our cans and tins may seem like a good idea, but has actually proved detrimental.     

Senior director of public affairs at the Aluminum Association, Matt Meenan, in the US, told Recyclebank that the majority of refuse sorting facilities use a single-stream recycling system.

Why you should leave cans how they are when you recycle them. (Getty)

This is where everything is mixed together then sorted, BirminghamLive reports.      

The machine which sorts through the rubbish relies on material and shape.  

So by crushing a can, it may no longer register what it is and could end up in the non-recyclable pile.  

The same process applies to recycling plants in the UK too.     

Sean Pettitt, the director of Purely Waste Solutions, explained: "If you put all of your recyclables in the same bin which then goes to a materials recovery facility to be segregated, it can make it harder for a squashed can to be separated.

"The reason for this is that it is easier for equipment to sort intact aluminium cans due to the larger surface area of the material for the eddy current separator to detect.  

"The same applies to the steel cans for the magnet to remove this material in the process." 

So if you're trying to recycle a can of fizzy drink or a tin of baked beans, it's best to leave the can how it is.