Collecting bottles/cans for recycling refunds? - Page 2

khorrell · 07-10-2008, 06:16 PM

In our home here in Maryland, I just put it out with the regular recycling. When I visit family in New York, we haul them to the supermarket where there is a recycling center. They issue vouchers to be used with your grocery shopping. I think it is a great system and wish that we did it here...I imagine that we wouldn't see so much litter on the side of the roads if the bottles and cans were worth actual money.

wildgift · 07-12-2008, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khorrell

In our home here in Maryland, I just put it out with the regular recycling. When I visit family in New York, we haul them to the supermarket where there is a recycling center. They issue vouchers to be used with your grocery shopping. I think it is a great system and wish that we did it here...I imagine that we wouldn't see so much litter on the side of the roads if the bottles and cans were worth actual money.

After the refund value increased in Calif. the recyclable litter has declined significantly. There's also a reduction of cardboard going to landfills, because cardboard recycling is common.

There's still other litter, though. One big culprit I notice is fast food bags and cups that get tossed out of cars. People also leave out a lot of bad stuff, like TVs and furniture.

One thing that's bad is old motor oil. I see that left out. If they had a 20c a quart recycling tax for it, someone would definitely recycle the oil, and there'd be less pollution.

There are some streets here with broken furniture, paper litter, maybe a gallon jug of old motor oil, and graffiti. You just don't find many bottles and cans littering the very same area.

I'm getting to be a big fan of the "litter tax".

cindybythesea · 07-16-2008, 10:04 AM

I would do it but the incentive isn't big enough. With how crazy inflation is what is 4 cents or 5 cents a can going to do when we have to spend 4 bucks in gas driving to the recycling facility and spend time waiting in line there to get the money? For me it's just not worth it bec the only bottles I would have come from jugs of juice but if they made the process easier (like in Michigan where you can recycle at any store you buy the drinks at) I would definitely do it in a heartbeat.

Mary Webber · 07-28-2008, 12:53 PM

Oh, absolutely! There's a kid in our neighborhood who's making $20-$30 a week by collecting returnables at construction job sites (He's actually asked the guys to save him their returnables at one site and they've been great about it.) and at local sports events such as softball tournaments, etc.

My husband and I will pick up returnables when we're out walking, more as an anti-litter thing. When school starts in the fall, we'll take a plastric bag on our walks as the kids leave tons of returnables just lying around at the high school next door to us. Hey, a nickel here, a nickel there...

Myscha Theriault · 07-29-2008, 07:53 AM

Wow! Twenty bucks is quite a haul. We don't do it as an income thing, but we do save the ones that can be recycled and my husband picks them up running. For fun this year, he wanted to see if he could build a homemade telescope using only equipment pieces he had at the house, the salvage area of the dump, and the money fom the botttles. He did it!

http://astroguyz.com/2007/12/27/maki...ss-than-50usd/

Now, there were a couple of items we just happened to have, but I think it still could have been completed for around the hundred dollar range either way. As it was, he got it done for around 50 bucks.

Mary Webber · 07-31-2008, 07:50 AM

Bottle money is such a gift for kids too young to get summer jobs, and on the kinds of days we've had this summer, lots of water and sports drinks are going down the hatch. He's getting road crew returnables from the workers on a new sewer line being laid on our street too. He's saving for a new drum set. I almost hope he doesn't get it!

Myscha Theriault · 07-31-2008, 02:06 PM

Chuckle . . . snort . . . now THAT'S funny. I can see where you'd be on the fence about that one, Mary. Cute.

happiegrrrl · 07-31-2008, 05:34 PM

I live in NYC and we have plenty of people who sort through on recycle night and collect the cans. As someone else mentioned, it is honest work. And, it IS work! The people are very careful to handle the bags properly - no ripping open and tearing the rest out to get the ones they want. They know that the first person who saw them do that would dial 911 and they'd be in jail for it!

I rarely use the sorts of bottles that have deposit, but when I do, I put them in the recycle trash at home or on the corner trash bin if I on the street. They'll be removed promptly, I can tell you that.

Also, I am a rock climber and there are those who pretty much travel the country, living extremely frugally. Living out of a van or even with no vehicle, finding free camping, shower....occasionally, things like that. All in the name of freedom to live the climbing bum lifestyle. Back in the earlier days, many of them would go "canning," as it is called. But these days it seems a couple dollars doesn't go very far and the kids don't seem to want to do it. They find ways to get money with a better return on the time investment, I think.

redsoxmaniac · 08-01-2008, 10:50 AM

My son who is in college told me he and his roommate filled their patio with returnable cans and bottles and cashed in to the tune of almost 80 bucks. Worthy. He likes the fact that the can just weigh them in California. It allows you to crush the cans taking less space.

Mary Webber · 08-01-2008, 02:56 PM

You guys need to know about CLYNK, an awesome bottle/can return system being used at some Hannaford supermarkets here in Maine. It may be in use elsewhere too, but this is the one I'm familiar with.

You fill out a form, get an account card for CLYNK, drop off your cans/bottle, unsorted, at participating Hannafords, swipe your card, and very quickly your money is credited to your CLYNK account. You can check your balance at the grocery store CLYNK stand.

Isn't this just a great idea?! You can drop those returnables off when you go shopping, and you don't have to do the sorting or waiting to have a clerk count and credit them. I think I've got the details right, but you might want to check CLYNK.com. I'd love to see this idea spread.

07-28-2008, 12:53 PM	#14
Mary Webber Family Thrift Counselor Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Maine Posts: 135 Reputation: (22)	Oh, absolutely! There's a kid in our neighborhood who's making $20-$30 a week by collecting returnables at construction job sites (He's actually asked the guys to save him their returnables at one site and they've been great about it.) and at local sports events such as softball tournaments, etc. My husband and I will pick up returnables when we're out walking, more as an anti-litter thing. When school starts in the fall, we'll take a plastric bag on our walks as the kids leave tons of returnables just lying around at the high school next door to us. Hey, a nickel here, a nickel there... __________________ Family Thrift Counselor - Get practical advice on how to save money and eat better.

07-31-2008, 07:50 AM	#16
Mary Webber Family Thrift Counselor Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Maine Posts: 135 Reputation: (22)	Bottle money is such a gift for kids too young to get summer jobs, and on the kinds of days we've had this summer, lots of water and sports drinks are going down the hatch. He's getting road crew returnables from the workers on a new sewer line being laid on our street too. He's saving for a new drum set. I almost hope he doesn't get it! __________________ Family Thrift Counselor - Get practical advice on how to save money and eat better.

08-01-2008, 02:56 PM	#20
Mary Webber Family Thrift Counselor Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Maine Posts: 135 Reputation: (22)	You guys need to know about CLYNK, an awesome bottle/can return system being used at some Hannaford supermarkets here in Maine. It may be in use elsewhere too, but this is the one I'm familiar with. You fill out a form, get an account card for CLYNK, drop off your cans/bottle, unsorted, at participating Hannafords, swipe your card, and very quickly your money is credited to your CLYNK account. You can check your balance at the grocery store CLYNK stand. Isn't this just a great idea?! You can drop those returnables off when you go shopping, and you don't have to do the sorting or waiting to have a clerk count and credit them. I think I've got the details right, but you might want to check CLYNK.com. I'd love to see this idea spread. __________________ Family Thrift Counselor - Get practical advice on how to save money and eat better.

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07-10-2008, 06:16 PM	#11
khorrell Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 379 Reputation: (45)	In our home here in Maryland, I just put it out with the regular recycling. When I visit family in New York, we haul them to the supermarket where there is a recycling center. They issue vouchers to be used with your grocery shopping. I think it is a great system and wish that we did it here...I imagine that we wouldn't see so much litter on the side of the roads if the bottles and cans were worth actual money.

07-16-2008, 10:04 AM	#13
cindybythesea Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 25 Reputation: (15)	I would do it but the incentive isn't big enough. With how crazy inflation is what is 4 cents or 5 cents a can going to do when we have to spend 4 bucks in gas driving to the recycling facility and spend time waiting in line there to get the money? For me it's just not worth it bec the only bottles I would have come from jugs of juice but if they made the process easier (like in Michigan where you can recycle at any store you buy the drinks at) I would definitely do it in a heartbeat.

07-29-2008, 07:53 AM	#15
Myscha Theriault Wise Bread Blogger Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 53 Reputation: (15)	Wow! Twenty bucks is quite a haul. We don't do it as an income thing, but we do save the ones that can be recycled and my husband picks them up running. For fun this year, he wanted to see if he could build a homemade telescope using only equipment pieces he had at the house, the salvage area of the dump, and the money fom the botttles. He did it! http://astroguyz.com/2007/12/27/maki...ss-than-50usd/ Now, there were a couple of items we just happened to have, but I think it still could have been completed for around the hundred dollar range either way. As it was, he got it done for around 50 bucks.

07-31-2008, 02:06 PM	#17
Myscha Theriault Wise Bread Blogger Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 53 Reputation: (15)	Chuckle . . . snort . . . now THAT'S funny. I can see where you'd be on the fence about that one, Mary. Cute.

07-31-2008, 05:34 PM	#18
happiegrrrl Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 8 Reputation: (10)	I live in NYC and we have plenty of people who sort through on recycle night and collect the cans. As someone else mentioned, it is honest work. And, it IS work! The people are very careful to handle the bags properly - no ripping open and tearing the rest out to get the ones they want. They know that the first person who saw them do that would dial 911 and they'd be in jail for it! I rarely use the sorts of bottles that have deposit, but when I do, I put them in the recycle trash at home or on the corner trash bin if I on the street. They'll be removed promptly, I can tell you that. Also, I am a rock climber and there are those who pretty much travel the country, living extremely frugally. Living out of a van or even with no vehicle, finding free camping, shower....occasionally, things like that. All in the name of freedom to live the climbing bum lifestyle. Back in the earlier days, many of them would go "canning," as it is called. But these days it seems a couple dollars doesn't go very far and the kids don't seem to want to do it. They find ways to get money with a better return on the time investment, I think.

08-01-2008, 10:50 AM	#19
redsoxmaniac Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 90 Reputation: (13)	My son who is in college told me he and his roommate filled their patio with returnable cans and bottles and cashed in to the tune of almost 80 bucks. Worthy. He likes the fact that the can just weigh them in California. It allows you to crush the cans taking less space.