Amy Stewart thought she had a bottle full of gold.
The 21-year-old bakery worker was told by a friend that if she filled a 2.25 litre bottle with the aluminium tabs she would receive $300 for the scrap metal.
She spent a year collecting the shiny rings, badgering friends at parties and
adding to her collection month after month.
She was well on the way towards her goal, when she learned this week that her collection was worthless.
"I'm gutted. I was really looking forward to filling the bottle."
Scrap Metal Recycling Association president Korina Munro said the age-old tale that collecting a 2.25-litre bottle of can tabs, also known as pop or pull tabs, in exchange for a small fortune was a false one.
"We've had all sorts of myths over the years, but this is a sad one that seems to surface every few months."
Mrs Munro said the claims had gone as far as people believing that the money exchanged for each can tab will be contributed towards the Kidney Association.
"[The can tabs] are certainly not worth much as scrap," Mrs Munro said. The myth had become widespread and it was quite sad for people going to scrap metal recyclers and being turned away.
It's unclear where the myth originated - some websites reported that the Ronald McDonald house triggered the myth when they collected can tabs for a brief fundraising drive.
But Ronald McDonald House Charities fundraising manager Karinia Lee said she had been working there for five years and hadn't heard of any can tab fundraising in that period.
Ms Stewart, though disappointed, said she wasn't going to give up, even if the tabs were worthless.
"I think I'm still going to keep collecting, I quite enjoy it anyway," she said.
