Returning bottles and cans for deposit

I sort our bottles and cans out separately from the rest of our recyclables and put them at the curb. They are quickly taken. I hate the hassle and with no machines around I find myself standing by the counter of a store with heavy boxes/bags all for a couple of bucks. I'm fine with paying the 5cents and having it just be gone. I know it's a deposit, but I can do without. I just don't find it worth the hassle -- and will gladly "donate" to those who find it worth their effort.

i see folks who look at least semi-professional (serious hobbyists?) at the met on vandy pretty regularly.

Your mom's a Girl Scout?

booklaw wrote: Your mom's a Girl Scout?

Well, yes. She's a leader for 4 troops -- 2 are after-school troops for high-school girls and 2 are for junior-high girls that meet during the school day. It's in a school for "hard-to-handle" girls who were removed from their regular public schools and put into a smaller setting due to behavior/social issues.

I am also a Girl Scout with a troop for 4th/5th graders :-)

Old Time Brooklyn wrote: But the fact that I can't really even get my money back --- at least in any easy way --- is a bit troubling. The system is set up in a very strange way. It benefits these bottle-pickers I suppose.

The "system" also benefits NYS. All of the $ from the unredeemed bottles goes into the state's treasury.

I've seen people redeeming at Key Food on 5th, but my guess is that they fill up the machines pretty quickly. Key Food also limits the amount an individual can redeem on a single day. I've never understood why charities in NYC don't get in on this gig. I'm sure that if one of the local schools or service organizations asked our board, they'd allow a collection bin in the basement if the service org. would come and collect.

By law, supermarkets are supposed to take the bottles in return ....supermarkets hate this law. They don't want to store the cans, or have the can professionals near their store.

....so the struggle you describe is a common one.

And most professionals go to places like the one at Pacific and approximately Grand

Start calling 311 and report/ask what to do OR:

Separate the bottles/cans (personally, not the super or home owner's job) from your garbage, empty them out and put them out for the can/bottle people.
Believe me, the folks who take them really need the money.

If you live in a "home" apartment, you could put them in a bag and hook it on to the fence for folks to pick up and redeem. This may not be feasible in a condo/co-op/apartment building, -- but I am sure you could think of some other way to neatly dispose of them, but won't make suggestions here.

The really good bottle/can professionals try very hard not to mess up the garbage bags or litter. They are basically discrete and don't want to bother anyone and don't want to be bothered. They tend to have their own territories.

They are aware of the times Met Food and Key Food open up the machines and will stand in line. Once the bottles and cans (now, includes WATER bottles) are redeemed a receipt is printed out. The recycler goes into the store and redeems the receipt.

The machines brake and clog, you have to wait for someone from the store to come out and empty the bags, the machines smell bad, it can be a demeaning procedure and one must have patience -- whether you are a "professional" or a regular Joe/Mary who wants their money back.

If folks don't speak up, like traffic laws, MTA shenanigans, bicycle laws, Murphy's Law, things just keep going in a New York century.

If you have a vehicle, there is another set of bottle return machines at Western Beef on Empire just off of Washington. Usually its just the pros there using the machines, but they seem to always be in operation.