a quandary

Dear readers, I have an issue that I would like your opinion on.

As I am sure you can tell from my posts, I live in a city.  And a pretty dirty one at that.  There are numerous opportunities to rescue poor, helpless bottle caps that have been tossed aside on the road, the sidewalk, and in the dirt of trees and bushes along the street. I understand this can sound gross. Who wants to pick these things off the road where animals (and possibly homeless people) have done their business? What is the proper protocol?

I ask because there are opportunities to get bottle caps that I would never in my right mind purchase with the intent of drinking the contents of the bottle. Drinks like Bartles & Jaymes. Olde English. India Malta. Freez.  Budweiser. Bizarre, gross or unappetizing beverages that just happen to find their way into my walking path. What is too much? And when is it more useful to just pick them up and forgo drinking something that I know will just be nasty? I don't want to drink any more Malta. And I don't really want to trade for them. So if, in my wandering through the streets of NYC, I find a Malta cap that I don't already have, is it OK or bordering on crazy to pick it up?

Should I get my head out of the gutter?  Should I carry around a Ziploc bag and/or plastic gloves? Should I simply trade for them on the interwebs? How far is TOO far?