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All cans are recyclable, but make sure you're doing it correctly. Here are the do's and don'ts.

Katie is a writer covering all things how-to at CNET, with a focus on Social Security and notable events. When she's not writing, she enjoys playing in golf scrambles, practicing yoga and spending time on the lake.

Today is Earth Day, and one small thing you can do to help the planet is to start keeping track of how many cans you go through weekly. From canned food to soda and aerosol cans, all metal cans -- including aluminum and steel -- are infinitely recyclable. According to the American and Iron Steel Institute, more than 90% of the co-products from the steelmaking process are reused or recycled. That's the good news. But if you're not recycling the right way, you risk contaminating an entire batch of recyclable materials.

Since metals are nonrenewable natural resources (they can't be replaced as quickly as they're used), they're limited in supply, which is why it's important to recycle your cans. What's more, metals can be recycled over and over without the material losing quality. It's worth contacting your local recycling center to learn the best procedures for recycling metal cans. Some may ask that you bring the cans directly to the recycling center, rather than placing them in your recycling bin. 

Here's how to recycle your metal cans, and what not to do. For more, here's what to know about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch .

All metal cans are recyclable, but examples include:

Don't do this: Toss cans into the recycling bin before cleaning. If foods or liquids are left in the cans, they can contaminate an entire batch of recyclables.

Do this instead: Make sure all cans are clear of liquids or foods that could be left in the container. You can do this by rinsing the can when you're finished with it. 

Also, ask your local recycling center to see if you need to remove the paper labels from the can or if it's part of their process.

Canned goods: Don't remove the lid only halfway before placing it into the recycling bin. Instead, completely remove the lid from the can and place it inside the can (after rinsing, of course).

Aerosol cans: Lids on aerosol cans are typically plastic, so you should remove those before putting the cans into the bin. The plastic lids should go with other plastic recyclables.

Clean out all cans before recycling.

For more recycling information, here's how to properly recycle plastic and the right way to recycle paper and cardboard .