Recycling can for cash.

**SammeyG** · 03-13-2007, 11:37 PM

For over a year now dh and I have been recycling soda cans. Then when we get enough then we take the to the recycling center. Last time that he did this he got about $50 to $60. But it took us awhile to get that. Now I find myself at work diging through the trash cans for cans. Mainly the trash can that I go through is a good size trash can. I am taking home anywhere from 4-8 cans a night. I sometimes go through the trash can that is sitting outside at work for guest to throw there trash in. Only if the cans are fairly easy to get to. It has got to the point that if I see any cans in the trash I have to get them. I was talking to a co-worker the other day about it. He said that if he knew that I was saving cans then he would have given me the ones that he just threw out. Well now he is going to start saving his cans for me. Dh and I have set a bucket next to our regular trash can. I think that he got it from his fromer employer. It was those big containers of laundry soap. We just put a regular trash bag in it. Since I have been doing this. We have been chaning the trash bag more often now. I am sure that we need to take what we have now to the recycling center by now. We wait until we have between 30- 50 bag. Anything less than that it isn't worth us to take it to the center. Since the closest recycling center is atleast 40 miles away. That is the closest major town with a big recycling center. So I am glad that I said something to my co-worker. Hey it is one more way to try to earn some extra money. Every little bits helps. If the recycling center would do this with newspapers as well. I would rack up on that as well.

**danni** · 03-14-2007, 11:12 AM

We do it too. We walk alot and we pick up any we find, so many people just throw them out. Two full garbage bags gets us about $20. I even go through the recycling bins because so many people just recycle the cans instead of turning them in for money.

**acidcookie** · 03-14-2007, 11:30 AM

Here in PA you don't get money for cans. But in Oregon you do and we once raised over $500 for a trip just collecting and turning in people's cans! Needless to say, I miss the trash-to-cash.

**crazyBMB** · 03-14-2007, 11:36 AM

There are several groups of folk who recycle the pop-tops tabs from cans for charity. That way you can send them the tabs in the mail from all across the country. I think Shands Hospital does this and some local schools.

**suzysaver** · 03-14-2007, 11:41 AM

In oregon we get 5 cents a can, of course you pay for this when you first by the product....but it's like throwing nickels away?? Why not get that money back? It amazes me how many people throw them away. One of the guys at work set up a large can in the break room for everyone to toss them in, he put up a small childs basket ball hoop over the top...the guys love the challenge.

**Emjo** · 03-14-2007, 12:26 PM

When we were dating DH was in school and working as a custodian part time. He got to keep a lot of the school's cans, and I'm proud to say my engagement ring was partially bought with "can money"!

**crazyBMB** · 03-14-2007, 01:24 PM

Thats cute!

**cherrie79** · 03-14-2007, 02:32 PM

We also collect cans. Only 5 cents in NY. But we wait til my father comes home for a visit and he takes them back with him to Michigan and get 10 cents a can. Then he will deposit the money in the bank and transfer it to the kids accounts. It does add up quick.

**Laurie in Bradenton** · 03-14-2007, 03:31 PM

We collect cans, copper and stainless steel off job sites. We go about once a week. The most we ever got was 75.00 for a load of staineless pots a resturant was throwing away. Put it was worth it to me to load um up and take them in. Our center also takes car batteries. We pick them up off neighborhood trash piles as the normal trash collection won't pick them up. A buck a piece. Keep an old rubber floor mat in the back of my van to protect the carpet.
One mans trash is another mans treasure!
Laurie in Bradenton

**SammeyG** · 03-14-2007, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by suzysaver

In oregon we get 5 cents a can, of course you pay for this when you first by the product....but it's like throwing nickels away?? Why not get that money back? It amazes me how many people throw them away. One of the guys at work set up a large can in the break room for everyone to toss them in, he put up a small childs basket ball hoop over the top...the guys love the challenge.

At my last job we did something similer(sp) with the large trash can. But they ended up just cutting a hole in the top of the trash can lid. Then when it go full someone took it out to the Habit(SP) for Humanity bin that we had sitting outside of the store that I was working at. IT was something that a collage kid that was working there thought of. Since that for one we had there so that customers could put there cans in. For the second reason was that there were 2 can soda machines in the break room give a little back to the community. But here in Missouri it is anywhere from .40 to .60 cents a pound to take in soda cans. So that is why that dh and I wait until we have plenty to take in. When dh built our storage shed he built a leand too onto it. So that is where we store our bags of cans. I think that I am also going to try to start doing what someone else mentiones. Taking walks. That way I can also get some excerise at the same time. But I do like every one else suggestions as well.

**fernykins** · 03-14-2007, 10:09 PM

Where I live in Ca. I get $1.95 a lb for cand and 0.95 for the plastic soda bottles. Last time I took them in I got $40 for 5 bags mostly plastic. I drive my son up the wall by keeping them but I've been doing it forever.
Fern

**Stella** · 03-14-2007, 11:07 PM

We save cans, bottles and plastic. I MAKE my BF save them because where i take them, they give you a voucher for the grocery store. There is nothing better than going shopping and getting $40 off my bill. I have been nagging him so much lately, he actually made his friend take them out of our trash and throw them into our can recycle bin.
I also started everyone at work recycling. We bought some rubbermaid containers, and once they are filled we are going to get a pizza lunch for the office. We have vending machine at our work, so alot of people seem to drink soda around work.

**miss_thrifty** · 03-15-2007, 10:32 AM

i wish we had can pop . Were not allowed on PEI because we always had a small buisness (Seamens Beverages) that have glass bottles. If can pop came on the Island to sell, it would probably bankrupt them. Not saying that people dont go across to N.B. and buy it and bring it across, but then we cant sell th emptys here either, so it goes to landfill aghhhhhhhh
But they'll sell can juice, doesnt make sense does it, and guess whwre they go, land fills too. Its not on our recycling list ive seen in waste watch.

**SammeyG** · 03-20-2007, 08:33 PM

I know that I am the one that started this post. But since then I have started at my job what we call the can can. There are several people that I work with that save cans as well. Both are like me do it for a little extra cash. So two of us are going to take turns of taking the trash bag from our can can. I put the can out on Saturday and it is almost full already.

**Edna_E** · 03-20-2007, 09:22 PM

I collect them and put them in the recycle bin at work, and collect mine at home and cash them in. It never occurred to me to take them home from work (duh!) and I'm not sure I'd feel right about taking ones that someone else put in the bin, but I think I'm going to start taking home the ones I collect.