Join the Pop Tab Challenge!

    Pop tabs. Pop tops. Pull tabs. Whatever you call them, collect the tabs from aluminum cans to help support Ronald McDonald House Charities. It’s the ultimate example of everyone pitching in.

    Pop Tab Challenge

    What is the Pop Tab Challenge?

    The Pop Tab Challenge invites schools, businesses, families, and community groups to collect aluminum pop tabs and turn them into meaningful support for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona. 

    With the help of our long-time recycling partner, Desert Metals Recycling, your pop tabs are recycled and RMHC-SA is paid for the weight of aluminum. Every year, we recycle millions of pop tabs (literally!) and receive $3,000-$4,000 that we can then use to support our mission. 

    For an added layer of excitement, schools can join Pop Tab Pandemonium, turning collection into a friendly competition. Through Thanks a Million, groups can set a long-term goal of reaching one million tabs (approximately 580 pounds) and be recognized for this milestone achievement.

    It’s an easy, hands-on way to teach kids about giving back, rally your team around a shared goal, and see how small acts of generosity add up to real impact.

    How to Drop Off Tabs

    How to Drop Off Pop Tabs

    Pop tabs can be dropped off at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona any day of the week—including weekends—from 9 AM to 6 PM. No appointment is needed.

    When you arrive, simply enter our courtyard and ring the front doorbell and let us know you’re delivering pop tabs. A member of our team will greet you, weigh your collection using our pop tab cart, log your total, and provide an acknowledgement letter you can share with your group or organization.

    For large deliveries, we’re happy to meet you outside but recommend you call ahead.

    If you have questions before stopping by, please contact Catherine Jones at 520-326-0060 x7110.

    Pop Tab Pandemonium – Our Annual School Competition

    Pop Tab Pandemonium turns collecting aluminum pop tabs into a friendly competition. Schools compete to collect the most tabs in a single year, both by total weight and per student, so small and large schools alike can join in the fun.

    Students, teachers, and staff work together to track their progress and see how their efforts add up to a big impact.

    This year’s challenge runs through Earth Day, April 22, 2026. To participate, fill out the registration form below—there’s no deadline to enter! We’ll send monthly email updates with contest reminders, mission moments, and current top ten lists. 

    The winning schools will be recognized with a posterboard prize and a visit from Ronald McDonald House staff. 

    Please contact Catherine Jones at 520-326-0060 x7110 with any questions.

    2025-2026 Registration Form

    Thanks a Million – For Groups and Organizations

    Thanks a Million is a challenge for individuals, families, and community groups to track their progress toward collecting one million aluminum pop tabs, or about 580 pounds! Every tab adds up to meaningful support for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern Arizona and the families we serve.

    Participants can log their tabs, celebrate milestones along the way, and see how consistent, small efforts create a big impact. Groups and individuals who reach one million tabs are recognized for their dedication and generosity, highlighting the incredible difference their contributions make.

    Please contact Catherine Jones at 520-326-0060 x7110 with any questions.

    Registration Form
    View Our Thanks A Million Hall of Fame

    Resources & Downloads

    Make the most of your pop tab collection by using the resources below! You’ll find flyers, canister labels, and other helpful tools to make collecting tabs easy, fun, and organized for your group or organization.

    Collection Canister Labels
    Pull for the House poster

    Frequently Asked Questions

    • If we could be guaranteed that whole cans came in cleaned and crushed, we might be able to take the whole thing (although space is an issue). The tabs are an easy way to participate, and easy to collect.
    • If you are interested in collecting the whole can, you might consider bringing it to Desert Metals directly and then making a donation to RMHC-SA.
    • No, one pop tab does not equal 5 minutes of dialysis. But it does help us, so keep collecting!
    • No, the metal on the tab is not different from the metal in the can. It’s just an issue of space, cleanliness, and transportation.
    • In general, any aluminum tab is fine. Soda cans, energy drinks, cat food. We’ll take it all. If it sticks to a magnet, it’s not aluminum.
    • We can also take old keys, if they are kept separately. These tend to be worth more by weight, too!

    Although we greatly appreciate your thoughtfulness, mailing pop tabs generally costs you more than what we earn from them. You might consider donating to a local school who participates in our Pop Tab Pandemonium challenge.

    There are two main reasons we love pop tabs

      1. It’s a great way for the community to stay involved and think about Ronald McDonald House Charities. It’s a good reminder of our services to the public, and a fun way for kids to start practicing philanthropy.
      2. By participating, you are helping us raise funds to support our mission. We estimate that about 1,725 pop tabs equals one pound. The price of aluminum generally fluctuates between $0.25 and $0.50 per pound. That may not sound like much, but when the whole community bands together, it turns into thousands of dollars to support families!

    Questions? Contact...

    Catherine Jones

    Donation Specialist

    Catherine Jones

    Info

    Bio

    • 520.326.0060 x7110
      cjones@rmhctucson.org

      Pop Tabs, Donations, Silent Auction

    • As Donation Specialist, I am given the unique opportunity to work with every department at RMHC. From providing administrative support to the staff and helping our wonderful volunteers at the front desk, to keeping in touch with local schools who participate in the Pop Tab recycling program, I am lucky to be involved in so many aspects of what we do, and I’m constantly amazed at all the different ways our local Southern Arizona communities pull together to help our families. I’m honored to be a part of such an amazing organization.

    THANKS A MILLION CLUB HALL OF FAME

    4 Million +

    Pop Tabs Collected

    KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS #8305 in Yuma, AZ

    Mary C. O'Brien Elementary School

    Casas Christian School

    3 Million +

    Pop Tabs Collected

    ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC SCHOOL

    Power from the Past

    2 Million +

    Pop Tabs Collected

    SADDLEBROOKE COMMUNITIES

    A SaddleBrooke resident once said, “Where else could you give something so easily, not cost you anything and still give you back so much pleasure in knowing that you were helping someone?”

    CENTENNIAL ELEMENTARY

    Jodi & Sean Dorsey - In Memory of Kelli Rae

    The Dorsey Family has been donating pop tabs for YEARS. Congratulations for reaching 1,000,000+ tabs!

    1 Million +

    Pop Tabs Collected

    BRICHTA ELEMENTARY

    DESERT SHADOWS MIDDLE SCHOOL

    Epsilon sigma alpha

    METCALF ELEMENTARY

    OUR MOTHER OF SORROWS

    ROADRUNNER ELEMENTARY

    WHITMORE ELEMENTARY

    RICHARD B. WILSON K-8

    Yuma Elks Lodge #476