Make Money Collecting Deposit Bottles and Cans
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By E.A. Kogward
INTRODUCTION
Doesn't matter if you need some quick gas money, or part time job. Collecting deposit bottles and cans is very easy, can be done almost anytime and tax free.
10 States have a bottle law. In those states you have to pay a deposit for some if not all drinks sold in plastic, glass and Aluminum. Collecting these easily disposable bottles can be a very lucrative business. An organized hard worker can average a take home over $20 and hour. Because the Laws are different from state to state, please read the Section on Bottle laws and check the laws in your state and town. For purposes of this book I am using New York State as a guide. If your State does not have a bottle bill, don't despair you can still make some money recycling them yourself.
Table of Contents
- Bottle Laws 3
- Who can collect bottles and cans 4
- Preparing to collect 5
- What am I collecting 6
- When and Where to Find bottles 7
- Where to Return the bottle for Cash Money
- Productivity equal Profitability
- Making Extra Money Along the Way
- FAQ
- Important Links
Bottle Laws
The New York State Returnable Container Act, also known as the "Bottle Bill", has been a tremendous success. Since its passage, the Bottle Bill has achieved significant impacts to create a cleaner and healthier New York. The Bottle Bill:
- reduces roadside container litter by 70 percent;
- in 2016 helped to recycle 5.1 billion plastic, glass and aluminum beverage containers totaling more than 336,000 tons; at no cost to local governments;
- eliminates 200,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases each year.
Deposit initiators collect at least a 5-cent deposit from each distributor or dealer on each beverage container sold to such distributors or dealers in New York.
Dealers (commonly referred to as "retailers") pay the distributor or deposit initiator at least a 5-cent deposit for each beverage container purchased.
Consumers pay the dealers the deposit for each beverage container purchased.
Consumers may then return their empty beverage containers to a dealer or redemption center to get their deposit back.
Retailers and redemption centers are reimbursed the deposit plus a 3.5-cent handling fee by the distributor or the deposit initiator for each empty beverage container returned.
What beverages are covered by NY's Bottle Bill?
- Carbonated Soft Drinks Including Sparkling Water, Carbonated Energy Drinks, Carbonated Juice (anything less than 100% juice, containing added sugar or water) Soda
- Water
- Beer and Other Malt Beverages
- Mineral Water - Both carbonated and non-carbonated mineral water
- Wine Products
- Water which does not contain sugar, including flavored or nutritionally enhanced water
What beverages are not covered by NY's Bottle Bill?
- Milk Products
- Wine and Liquors
- Hard Ciders
- Tea
- Sports Drinks
- Juice
- Drink Boxes
Each bottle or can is stamped with Deposit NY.
For list of all States with Bottle Bills go towww.Bottlebill.org.
Who can collect bottles and cans
Anyone can collect bottles and cans.
- Homeowners can collect bottles and cans and return them spend on groceries.
- Kids and collect bottles and cans for extra spending money.
- Clubs can collect bottles and cans as a fundraising campaign.
- Everyone can do collect and recycle bottles and cans for Cash Money.
Preparing to collect
Before you start to collect bottles and cans you need to prepare.
Containers
You will need a place to put the bottles and cans such as a large pail or plastic bag. You will need a way to get the bottles and cans to the redemption center.
If you have to walk you need to think about how you're going to get enough bottles to the redemption center as possible. Bottles are lightweight. A Pail or container may be heavy to carry. Plastic Bags seem to work best. A Large Plastic Bag can hold 60 to 100 bottles and cans depending on size of the bottles and the size of the bag. You will not be able to carry more than 2 bags per hand .
Garbage pails lined with plastic bags work best for Sorting your bottles and cans. While plastic bags work best to collect them with and later take to the redemption center. You may wish to reuse the bags as long as they haven't got wet and nasty. Else it's easy to replace them with new ones.
Transportation
How are you going to collect the bottles. Are you just collecting what you use and maybe a few neighbors. Are you planning to go door to door, or picking them out of the street. Think about where you're getting the bottles and cans from. Later I tell you my secrets of where to get the most bottles the fastest.
How will you be getting to the redemption centers. Usually more than one. Not ever store accepts every bottle can. Most stores only take back the bottles that they may have sold. So if you collected a water bottle with the CVS brand name on it, you may have to return it to CVS. Later I’ll discuss tricks on being most productive.
If you are walking or even riding a bike, consider some kind of cart or wagon to help carry the load.
If you have a car. I’d advise using the trunk as much as possible. Glass bottles are heavy and not always clean. Your car can start to smell of old beer and soda. Always remember to empty the bottles as much as possible to avoid this. Use a tote or original case box for beer bottles as much as possible.
The Best Vehicle to use would be a pickup truck. I myself have used both a 2 door car and a 4 door. There is more advantages to the larger 4 door car with back windows. Or, an SUV with a separate opening back window.
Anyway you do it. You will soon learn how much you can handle in one trip.
The only other supplies you need to think about is cheap disposable rubber gloves. Basicly you will be handling bottle and cans that are thrown in the garbage.
What am I collecting
So what kind of bottles and cans have a deposit on it. In New York State ( your state may be different) all water bottles one gallon and smaller, all carbonated beverages (soda, sparkling water,juice and energy drinks), Malted beverages ( beer, hard teas and the like), Wine Products.
There is a wide range of this type in varied brand names. For example think of all the different soda brands and types there are out there. Each coming in different sizes. All bottles and cans should be stamped with a Dep and the state and amount on it. If not it’s usually not returnable. Some of these come in from out of state. Just because it's a coke, doesn't mean it was sold in your state.
So Do I Collect Everything?
At first yes collect everything that has a deposit on it. After a while you learn what is collect and what’s not worth your time. Some store brands may not be local or easy to redeem. Two liter bottles make take up too much space. It’s a judgement call you have to make from experience.
Even if you make a mistake and find yourself with cabs that you can't redeem. Aluminum cans are easily redeemed at a metal recycling plant.
When and Where to Find bottles
This is the part I like best. Here is where you’ll start to see how you can make a lot of money collecting bottles and cans. Most people start at home. Collecting the bottles and cans that they use within their own homes. Here’s a list of places to find bottles.
- Your home, your friends and neighbors. Not a lot of people enjoy redeeming bottles. Most you will find go out in the recycle bin on trash day.
- Just thrown out on the ground everywhere.
- Every public garbage pail. This includes maybe the second best place to find bottles.
- Parks and ballfields. One local park near me has 2 baseball fields, a soccer field and playground. Right after a ball game or practice is usually good for a few dollars of clean water bottles.
- Fairs, flea markets, carnivals, fireworks shows.
- Summertime is beach time. Who doesn't have a beer or soda at the beach.
- The Best place to collect Bottles and cans is right out of household recycling bins on trash day. Make yourself a plan and go house to house collecting the bottles and cans before the garbage men come. Learn what areas do collection on what day of the week. Start as soon as the sun comes up and collect as long as you can stay ahead of the garbage collectors. I’ve collected over $75 tax free in one day just this way. Not including all the other ways.
- Ask local business if you can set up a box for collection. If needed you can give a portion to charity.
Where to Return the bottle for Cash Money
The Bottle in New York says that the store that sells the bottle and charges a deposit must give back the deposit when requested. A Few restrictions apply.
- Store must post hours and rules
- Bottles must be cleaned
- A Maximum of $12 may be redeemed per day ( Per Store)
Supermarkets
Supermarkets, discount store, mega marts are the best place to buy these items. They will be the best place to take them back. Most of these larger stores use automated machines to take back the bottles and cans. As long as they sell that item there machines will be programed to take it back.
Knowing what stores take what brands in a particular size is just a matter of trial and error. Either a stores machine will take it or it won’t. Not every machine is always programed correctly. Check the shelves to make sure the items is sold by them. Then take it to customer service.
Keep track of what store takes back what bottles. Other people give up easy. If the machines don’t accept their bottles the throw them away. Check the pails in the bottle room at the redemption center. You may find a lot of bottles that just need to be taken to another store.
