How to Recycle Aluminum Cans, Glass and Plastic Bottles for Cash

Preparing to Recycle

Learn if your state or country has container deposit laws. Container deposit laws, also known as bottle bills, require beverages to be sold with a refundable deposit for each container. You're charged the deposit for each container on top of the beverage price. For example, in Oregon, if you purchase a six pack for $6.99, it would have a line item for $0.60 representing six containers at 10 cents each. You will lose the deposit fee if you do not return the containers. You could also return littered containers or those given to you by others who chose not to redeem them themselves and have a positive cash flow. There are ten states with a state container deposit law. 5 cent: Connecticut, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts and New York. California: 5 cents up to 24oz, 10 cents over 24oz. In California, you're entitled to opt for quantity counting up to 50 pieces. Many water bottles will result in payout of only about $1.16 per 50 instead of the full $2.50 (0.05 x 50) due to their thin walled light weight design(see reference for details) Maine: 5 cents on most things. 15 cents on liquor and wine containers; including canned wine. Oregon and Michigan: 10 cents on all containers subject to deposit. Vermont: 5 cents in general. 15 cents on liquor and spirits. Containers may only be redeemed in the state where the deposit was paid. A large quantity of them can still be sold to a recycling facility by the weight for the material value. It’s illegal to go to another state to redeem your bottles and cans. Many countries outside the US also have container deposit laws. To find out if your country, state, or province has a container deposit law you can visit http://www.bottlebill.org/index.php, and look under the tab “Current and Proposed Laws.”

Locate nearby recycling centers by searching online. Just search for your city and the words “recycling center.” Recycling centers that accept cans and bottles might be at big recycling plants or even at your local grocery store. Most recycling centers limit how many containers a person or group may turn in per day, and some only allow county residents to recycle there, so make sure to read the requirements before you go.

Learn which items can be redeemed. Go to your local recycling center’s website to learn what items they accept. If they don’t have clear guidelines, call them. The ten states with bottle deposit will accept aluminum cans, plastic and glass bottles from soda and beer. Specific rules and applicable rules can vary considerably between states. Some recycling centers also require that certain beverage containers have a stamp indicating that the item came from that store or the distributor who wholesaled the beverage to that store.

Collecting Cans and Bottles

Start by collecting items in your own home. Instead of just tossing cans and bottles in the trash or recycling, start a separate bin where you collect items you can redeem for a deposit. Tell everyone in your household about this new system, so they don’t continue tossing away your opportunity to make money. This works especially well if you have a lot of people in your household who drink processed beverages. If you're in an area with high vagrancy activity, avoid storing containers in your backyard or in your garage that is in the view from the street. Thefts targeting deposit bottles for their cash value has been known to happen.

Collect cans and bottles from friends or neighbors or at work. Don’t go rifling through other people’s trash without permission, because many states have laws against this. However, you can ask people to set aside cans and bottles for you. Many people don’t want to go to the bother of going to a recycling center themselves and will be happy to have you take their trash away. As an incentive to get people to set aside their bottles and cans for you, you can offer them a cut of the profit you make. Make sure to get permission from your employer before taking away cans from the breakroom.

Look for labels showing that the can or bottle is a deposit container. Aluminum cans are labeled as deposit containers either by having the label stamped into the container top or printed on the bottom. Bottles have the information printed on the neck or side labels. Because beverage containers and their labels are mass produced at bottling plant to accommodate a large market area, identifiers identify all the states with a bottle deposit. Remember, if a can or bottles have not been purchased in your state, you should still recycle it, either by taking it to a recycling center or through your city's curbside recycling program. Whether or not it has the labeling, it is generally unlawful to claim redemption in the state other than where they were purchased. You maybe subject to substantial penalties for doing so.

Present containers in conditions set by the local law or recycling facility. Empty cans and bottles are usually required to be reasonably clean and free of contaminants. If and when required and such a policy is allowed by state law, it is possible to straighten bent cans by inserting a wooden or metal rod into the can and pushing out against the sides of the can if required. (Don't push hard enough to tear the can's sides, however.) Plastic bottles can be straightened in the same fashion or by blowing air into them. In Oregon, it is unlawful for recycling facility to refuse redemption for the simple reason they're "crushed", however it is legal for them to refuse containers that are crushed in such a way that they've already been redeemed in a redemption machine and stolen from a facility It makes sense to crush 2 liter bottles for the reason of space constraint if your local law or facility allows crushed bottles. Recycling centers can refuse materials if conditions or contamination level do not meet the requirements. EXPERT TIP Kathryn Kellogg Kathryn Kellogg Sustainability Specialist Kathryn Kellogg is the founder of goingzerowaste.com, a lifestyle website dedicated to breaking eco-friendly living down into a simple step-by-step process with lots of positivity and love. She's the author of 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste and spokesperson for plastic-free living for National Geographic. Kathryn Kellogg Kathryn Kellogg Sustainability Specialist Our Expert Agrees: Check with the facility where you're bringing your cans and bottles. If you're being paid based on weight, for instance, you can typically crush the cans, bag them, and take them to the facility.

Turning Your Cans and Bottles In

Gather enough cans and bottles to be worth the time and fuel expense. Try to gather the maximum number of deposit containers that a recycling center accepts before you turn in your cans and bottles. In Oregon, Maine and New York, there's a subscription based service which allows you to co-mingle any containers that has a deposit in the state you're returning them in and drop off the filled bags to receive payment later. Go to your nearest recycling center’s website or give them a call to figure out what their maximum is.

Prepare your returns according to local policies and practices. Some deposit centers require cans and bottles to be separated from each other. The cardboard box in which you purchased the beer in works the best for returning those bottles. Put bottles in cardboard boxes or plastic milk crates to easily move them to the recycling center. The best way to turn in aluminum cans is usually to put them on cardboard flats, the shallow boxes in which cans are delivered to the grocery store. These flats usually hold 24 cans apiece, which will help you count the number of containers you have and get a rough idea of how much money you'll get when you cash in. Organize your redeemable containers as required or requested in your area or your situation. You may be asked to sort by material type, brand and/or size.

Turn your cans and bottles in and collect money or a receipt. It helps to know in advance how many cans and bottles you're turning in, as many recycling centers will ask you how many containers you have instead of counting them for you. Some places will pay by weight, instead of by count. You may either be paid at the center itself or given a receipt to take to the store to receive your money. You can purchase beverages in bulk at an adjoining state without a deposit as long as you don't redeem them. This way you don't pay a deposit on something you'll consume away from home.