Sign of the times

**nuisance26** · 08-11-2011, 08:04 PM

~I just saw a guy on a motorcycle stop and pick through our recyclables for cans. We've had people stop and look through our 'junk' but never the recyclables. He had a trailer on his bike and it was full of trash bags.
I wonder how much he makes turning in cans? We rarely have soda cans so I can't imagine it'd be worth more than $5 for a year's worth of our crushed cans.
But to drive or walk around your neighborhood and raid other's cans, that's pretty enterprising!~

**Imarachne** · 08-11-2011, 08:55 PM

I saw a documentary showing a homeless person picking up bottles (the kind that can be turned in for 25 cents) and he made about 100 dollars from them and panhandling that day. He said he does it it every day so that makes 3000 dollars each month !!

**Momto5RN** · 08-11-2011, 09:05 PM

in some areas its illegal to take from recycling cans - esp if the town has some sort of a contract for pick up thats based on how much money they expect to make from what is picked up

its illegal around here

**Face_Hole** · 08-11-2011, 09:07 PM

Living in a 20-unit appartment complex here...I see the same few guys check out the recycling that's in a communal container... I guess there's less stigma now that those machines do the counting/changing...

**Debbie-cat** · 08-11-2011, 09:23 PM

I guess he has to do what he can do. Surprising though.

**bumplett** · 08-11-2011, 09:49 PM

I've got to admit, I'm impressed.

**BlissMommy** · 08-12-2011, 01:04 AM

That's very common in the city where I live. It saddens me a little bit too though.

**kitkat0649** · 08-12-2011, 01:41 AM

When I lived in Vegas there was a man who appeared to be homeless who would come through my apartment complex and dig through the dumpsters for cans. I started setting all my cans aside for him. After a while I got to know him and he told me he makes $200 a day going around town collecting cans! Here I was feeling sorry for this seemingly vagrant man when he made more than I did!

**fernykins** · 08-12-2011, 04:05 AM

Where I live there is 4-7 family that go thur the dumpsters 3-4 times a day to get cans, bottles,glass bottles, food cans they use the money to help pay their rent and utilities. I save all mine and recycle. With soda cans worth 2.25 a pound it is well worth it.
Besides I would rather see them pick up cans and bottles then standing by the freeways begging for money.
Fern

**tervsforme** · 08-12-2011, 06:56 AM

I live out in the boonies and drive just a 2 lane country road to work. I see people walking along the road picking up bottles and cans. They usually have a couple of garbage bags full, so it definitely is worth it.

**imagine** · 08-12-2011, 08:21 AM

Originally Posted by fernykins

Where I live there is 4-7 family that go thur the dumpsters 3-4 times a day to get cans, bottles,glass bottles, food cans they use the money to help pay their rent and utilities. I save all mine and recycle. With soda cans worth 2.25 a pound it is well worth it.
Besides I would rather see them pick up cans and bottles then standing by the freeways begging for money.
Fern

Wow $2.25 a pound for soda cans?

We take them in for girl scouts it is/was about 25 to 50 cents a pound we can't get near $2.25 a pound here

Most people just take it to the city recycling center and donate the cans. The city will recycle them for free.

Side note in a town I lived in 7 years ago you had to pay to cycle your aluminum cans you did not get paid.

I can see where if one lived in a bottle or can deposit state you could make a bunch of money returning trashed cans. It would be like finding a nickle or a dime.

**nuisance26** · 08-12-2011, 08:29 AM

~$2.25lb for aluminum cans is fabulous!
I think you need to collect about 35 cans to a pound.
A quick Google search is not helping me to see what the prices are right now in NJ. The last price I see listed is $.38lb in 2008.
Even if we could get $2+ a pound we'd make less than $8 saving cans all year. We don't drink too much soda.
But at $2+lb I wouldn't mind biking my neighborhood with a trash bag on recycling day!
Now I really want to find out what the going rate is here.~

**Debbie-cat** · 08-12-2011, 08:35 AM

The best thing to do is to call your local scrap/recycling yard as ask what they are paying. Around here aluminum cans are about .50 a pound.

**Lora88** · 08-12-2011, 09:28 AM

In ny where I used to live you got 5 cents on every can or bottle my brother still lives there and he sees people picking up cans all the time NO deposit cans in NJ or i would do it also My son scraps all the time copper light iron etc he generally makes about 400.00 a month doing it . great extra money but he works construction and has access to alot of materail He saves it up on our property and takes it all at once on a trailer