Recycling Cans And Bottles For Money? Bottle Picking Explained

[@sethryan09]

Oklahoma needs this asap. Everywhere should have this in every state!

[@thubprint]

100% agree!

[@jeffbrown4927]

I would also love to see that, but the mindset and value system of most legislators in OK means that this will happen there when hell freezes over.

[@yardmine]

Excellent breakdown and thanks for bringing up crime reduction. In the states, where I am, we don't have a lot of bottle deposit opportunity because we value capitalism and our corporate overlords more than our neighbors and environment. We have to rely on scrap metal mostly to fill in those earning gaps. Our country, and our planet would greatly benefit from a change in laws regarding bottling.

[@thubprint]

Really we should just hold every manufacturer responsible for their packaging and waste. It isn’t right to tear through resources just to blanket the planet with trash in exchange for piles of money, and not be accountable for the damage left behind.

[@cryptojonny6837]

@@thubprint This might be a bad question but do the plastic pellets from water bottles sell for more than the water bottles itself. I am guessing so since its heavier in weight, but you need the machine to make the pellets.

[@gussuperman7565]

M8 I reside in Oregon USA where deposit is .10 cents per container with exceptions of milk jugs and other items. Your presentation was amazing . I would like to say cheers to you M8. Keep up the good work. God bless y'all.

[@thubprint]

Thanks so much! I like doing these ones 😊

[@gussuperman7565]

@@thubprint M8 you may want to advice your viewers when 1 aluminum can gets recycled , it saves the energy of making 100 cans from processing the raw materials to making 1 can.

[@grandpakevin3354]

Here in the U.S. most states don't have a recycling program. I however do save up my empties and return them to be recycled for cash. I live in New Jersey and bring them to New York state. My wife and I get to take a road trip and with the cash we have lunch.

[@thubprint]

Nice! Seems a bit sneaky but if it keeps working, at least they aren’t in the landfill!

[@davidpalmer6288]

It's also illegal. Folks have gone to jail for doing that.

[@zlatanmorrison8182]

I live in Scotland and I was totally unaware that such a scheme was due to start in 2022! thx for the vid and the info:)

[@DavidWardle]

I'm in Scotland too, I'd heard a couple of places were going to put in the machines but didn't know dates had been set. Never knew Iceland did it, will have to start looking about.

[@thubprint]

I’m excited to see it! I think the dates are flexible, when a government says they’ll do something “by XYZ” it could be anytime really. But that’s the plan! The internet told me so!

[@MrRoscojones1]

I’m in Nashville Tn. It’s by the pound for aluminum cans. Honestly I don’t know how I would feel if they put a deposit on cans here. There’s no market for plastic bottles. Steel cans I clean them out as much as possible and I put them with my scrap steel. I was introduced into recycling when I got a job at a Reynolds Recycling shop in February of 97. But I didn’t really do it like I do now until 2013 due to some major financial issues brought about by a drawn out nasty divorce and custody situation among other things. It has become a bit therapeutic for me. Now I think that I’m addicted to it.

[@dumpsterjerry3577]

Definitely more states in the USA needs these programs, they can start in dirty Indianapolis IN. Flat boys everywhere ✌️ where’s the merch? You be the first channel I’d buy from 👊

[@randystone6781]

I agree with DJ on the merch. We, your adoring subs, need Thub & Wubb shirts and other stuff... 🤙

[@thubprint]

I’m on it!! I honestly don’t know when though, everything is good on my end. Just waiting on emails now 😕

[@Okiescrapper]

as a kid growing up in Washington State, I remember getting bottles for deposit, then everything went to no deposit no return, Great Video

[@thubprint]

They took it away?? What a silly thing to do!

[@JasonBristow2003]

Very informational video! I live in Texas and in my town, less than 10% of people recycle, there is no market for plastic, I get one cent per aluminum can at the scrapyard, and I don't know if there is a market for glass. It would be nice if recycling here was like it is in Canada.

[@thubprint]

It’s kind of a shame because there really are lots of products that can be made from the plastic! Hopefully someday. 👍

[@kave9482]

Down here in Phoenix I'm lucky to have a scrapyard nearby that recycles aluminum cans and plastic bottles. Thanks to this place, they've saved so much plastic from ending up in the landfill. They have mountains and mountains of plastic bottles piled up in their yard. The only downer is that they're only about 20 cents a pound. We don't have a bottle deposit, though.

[@marcel7576]

In the Netherlands there are collection points in the supermarkets and everyone brings their bottles back to the store because we are all very cheap. You could go though 100 household containers and not find a single bottle with a deposit on it.

[@imAlico64]

Yeah, it's even illegal as well. Both trash picking and street scrapping.. But I guess you are right about us being cheap. Or we just don't like it messy around the neighbourhoods

[@thubprint]

Well with the recycling rates I was reading about, it doesn’t sound like many get left out haha! Might be a waste of time trying bottle picking there.

[@e-lo-ken702]

@@imAlico64 you cant collect cans from trash/ dumpster

[@imAlico64]

@@e-lo-ken702 yeah, I know. As In mentioned trash picking is not allowed.

[@e-lo-ken702]

@@imAlico64 wow.. is there a reason why.. what is the excuse that came up with

[@FlazZ95]

Here in Denmark, there is actualy high deposits: Under 0,5 liters = 16 cents (1 DKR) 0,5-1,4 liters = 24 cents (1,5 DKR) Over 1,4 liters = 49 cents (3 DKR) And they are clearly marked as Class A, B or C, which is corosponding to the prices.

[@thubprint]

Those are great prices!! I imagine that motivates people to bring them in though so there aren’t too many in household garbage though?

[@jerryjennyc5352]

Hey thub , recently I took in some steel copper wire copper pipes and 2 small rads from a air conditioning unit I took apart I got 60$ towards some paint for my new house

[@thubprint]

Paint for a new house??? Moving on up!!

[@stevehitchman1846]

I live in Newbury, England, our local Sainsbury’s has a bottle and can machine on trial - they pay 5 pence per item (which they must sell in store, if not they reject it) and they pay in vouchers which you can use in store!

[@thubprint]

Oh fantastic! I know trash picking is frowned upon there but hopefully it helps keep the disenfranchised out of trouble.

[@vatarion2683]

We have here in Germany a Slogan called "Pfand gehört daneben" means Deposit belongs next to the Trash Bins, to avoid it for People to put their Hands in the trash :) Not everyone follow this Slogan but its getting more and more popular. And i think this is beautiful :)

[@mysterybuyer3738]

I have been picking up other peoples containers and been getting money since the early 1980s. I always have been floored when other people dont turn their own containers in. I think they could be unaware totally, lazy, think of themself too highly, who knows. My favorite places are dump sites out in the woods and shooting ranges. I have made many thousands over the years.

[@thubprint]

I don’t think it’s anything negative like that, it’s just not a high value thing for a single household. Not everyone has storage space to keep them either, right?

[@mysterybuyer3738]

@@thubprint Heck I even saved them when I was living in apartments. A Studio apartment even. I just had a trash bag under the sink. I would never ever through them away or just put them out for free in the recycling. No way. It is something I just can't understand. Money is money.

[@DeeElleUU]

When I lived in BC and Alberta going to university bottles helped pay my bills. When I was strapped for cash I’d take them in. Good little savings account.

[@thubprint]

I feel that!

[@wnytrashtrucks]

The states are for the most part pretty simple. I might make a video on it.

[@thubprint]

Do iiiiit 😎

[@yardmine]

Would love to see that

[@wnytrashtrucks]

@@thubprint i will sometime this week

[@shelleylarden159]

I love you! Lol I’ve been a trash panda since before you made it cool, well maybe not I’ve always collected things for my art and things I can clean and donate to shelters but in the last year I’ve been collecting bottles to pay for our gas money, which lately has been a life saver. You rock, from one Calabrian to another

[@thubprint]

I don’t think I’m responsible for making it cool, it’s always been cool! Just not as many people knew it was cool, haha. I’ve been finding treasures in garbage for a long time before I started making videos about it, never knew there were so many people just as into it! Great work on being resourceful 🤙

[@donnaleecriss5023]

here on Vancouver we have a Food Bank and they have recyling containers, FOOD 4U, I can return my bags of returnables and they get the profit towards the food bank. I enjoy this method

[@jonglewongle3438]

I just got back from doing a container deposit run in New South Wales, Australia. Although I've been sitting on my backside for an hour or more in the meantime before I bothered to post. $ 40.20, including a few dollars worth picked up on the way out by raiding an apartment block yellow recycling bin. Its .10c per each container regardless of size, PET, HDPE, glass bottle, aluminium can. All the same. Beer bottles, yes, but no liquor bottles except those which are clear colored and in the smaller range.

[@111kenni]

Here in the UK we had a deposit system on a variety of glass drinks bottles up until the early 80s, They were affectionately called *Glass cheques*. These bottles were not recycled but better still they were reused, When buying a drink you might get a shiny new bottle but often they had rings that resembled beach glass where they bounced and rubbed together on their jouurney through the bottle filling machines back at the drinks manufacturer. Sadly this was phased out as plastic bottles got phased in.

[@thubprint]

I love that! I think it’s just the manufacturing chains now, it’s cheaper to ship the used ones overseas and ship shiny new ones back. Ridiculous to think about though lol

[@brianspencer6955]

Best video on the recycling deposit scheme! Here in Texas, "returnables" haven't been a thing since the 1970s or 80s. It's quite sad really. So much plastic ends up on the roadside, trash, and the water ways. Another thing you might want to add in your next video is that these commodities (plastic, glass, aluminum) are worth substaintially more when they are source-separated by the bottle depots. The end-users for these materials get a much cleaner product and it makes everyone well aware of the waste they make. I see it as a win!

[@thubprint]

Texas used to have them? That’s such a shame they did away with it! I’ve wondered about the back-end profitability of these containers for the depots, I’ve got a friend who runs one who would be happy to sit down with me for an interview but I’m just not sure how many people would be interested.

[@brianspencer6955]

@@thubprint I would be!

[@ziggystardog]

I recall when I was younger deposits were common in more states in the US and it created an income stream for kids as there was no age restrictions on that sort of work. Newspaper delivery is now done by adults as well as most yard work, so babysitting is the sole youth job widely available.

[@gravitybear]

Only because the containers were reused so the manufacturer incentivized their return. There were no state deposit programs, I think.

[@ziggystardog]

@@gravitybear that makes sense. I remember it was only bottles and cans were steel at the time. When things started to change there started to be more diversified sizes and materials. My guess is it was still regional regardless of whether it was the manufacturers or States calling the shots. I recall what seemed to be lobbying or PR campaigns saying how great it was not to have to take bottles back and how return bottling was unsanitary, but I was young at the time. I think it was just a big hassle to all involved, and it got shoved aside when clean air and water was a bigger concern.

[@thubprint]

I’m not super knowledgeable about the politics but that definitely sounds like a bunch of made up reasons! I didn’t mention the income for the youth but now that you mention it, that’s definitely why I liked it so much. I didn’t get allowance so it was the only money I had.

[@jerryjennyc5352]

Great video thub guy the science guy

[@beanz199]

i knew...and i still watched lol !! in New York i remember when they started the 5cent deposit.....its only on carbonated and water bottles...and there are people that have routes on recycling day to collect before the trucks come..my dad used to save his for a lady every week...leaving it better than he found it !!

[@thubprint]

Ohhh I’ve been there haha! That was very kind of him for sure 👌

[@KarmaHoax]

Well put Thub. As you have saved most of your life, so have I. Spent a few years in Alberta and saved over $600 in one year. Saving the resources from hitting the landfill and making some nice change to boot. I believe everyone should save them (And rinse them. Be kind and just do it) Even if they don't return them for the deposit then give them to a family member, friend, or someone in need. It makes the world of difference to someone that don't have the ability to earn a proper wage or may not have a revenue stream. So leave it better then you found it and keep doin' the thing!

[@zolledz]

Hi, One thing you missed is the effect on the physical environment. I am from South Australia where we have had deposits for decades and what I see when travelling interstate is the amount of recyclables littering the environment that due to our deposit program does not exist.

[@thubprint]

Ahh, that’s an important point. I sort of glossed over it at the beginning but yeah, I’ve noticed that when I visit places that don’t have deposits. Bottles just pile up everywhere 😞

[@mehowshorts]

Awesome video 👍👍 Some larger scrap yards in Ontario tack pop-cans and give you money as a aluminum

[@thubprint]

Makes sense! I think it’s similar to copper wire that’s too fine, they can’t grade it high because the material is so thin that a lot is lost when melted down. But something is better than nothing!

[@josinora]

Saw videos people melting alu cans in bars and take those to the scrabyard because the scrabyard did not take the cans but they had tons of cans.

[@dovem9601]

Always informative, like your Videos, great job !!!! I wish we had it here in OH.

[@thubprint]

Thank you! Hopefully you will someday!

[@TheUltimateRecycler]

Great report Thub - nicely presented! 👏 Back in the 1990s I used to take large loads across the border from Victoria to South Australia - about $1000 a trip!! Until they changed the rules and printed on the containers "deposit if purchased in SA". Victoria still hasn't got a deposit scheme all these years later!

[@thubprint]

Wow, that’s a great scheme!! Good while it lasted lol

[@tellivision]

I'm in Oregon US. And we have to put them in giant machines that constanly break down. We need a bottle depot. All of ours are worth 0.10 cents but there is only deposit on soda, water, beer. No big bottles have deposit, and no cardboard has deposit. (That I know of). Thanks for the video Thub, I've always been interested in you deposit prices!

[@thubprint]

It’s so different everywhere... I’m glad I don’t have to fight with the machines to get paid!

[@al9929]

Hi Thub. Great channel. Q: Have you tested for accuracy/honesty of auto machines and/or just leaving a filled bag behind? Really curious about that. Hate to think some are dishonest, but hey, I do have a bit of life experience. I live in Ontario and do $150 - $200 per month on liqour empties. I pick al cans for the 3 or 4 cents scrap value. But I really wish Ontario would go whole hog on deposits. Then I may yet still become a millionaire. LOL.

[@marilynward7681]

Great information I wish Ontario recycled more

[@MrChunkydunk]

Yeah. Wish we had that here in sc. I used to carry tons of bottles and cans when I knew I had runs up north. Paid for my groceries while I was up there. But I remember collecting coke bottles in the 70s and buying my first bicycle from them. My parents would take me to the bottling plant to sell them.

[@noob_gaming1491]

Wow, this video was a very good set-up! I think the big glass bottles should be 5 bucks because I hate to carry them around! And the big plastic bottles got reduced to 10 cents, so when I go out bottle picking next Tuesday and Wednesday, I probably won't grab any.

[@thubprint]

Oh it’s always a bummer when the values go down 😞 hopefully you don’t have to trudge through much snow!

[@dukctape]

whoa, i could watch that automated sorting machine for hours. cool stuff! i wish my state had a container return. scrap prices for cans are brutally low

[@thubprint]

I was blown away when I saw it, it’s so fast!

[@tiawrigley3079]

I'm on the coast in B.C. and we have a bottle depot close to us that's kind of a mix between the automated sorter where you just dump your bottles on to the belt and the reverse vending machine style. It making returning your stuff fun!!!!

[@mancamera]

hi In Israel, we have a payment plan for returning bottles and cans. On cans. Bottles of small. Glass bottles of wine and alcohol get about 10 cents. And there are 500-gallon beer bottles getting 44 cents US. And for the coming year, 1.5 and 2-liter bottles will be added to the program and we will get about 10 cents for it.

[@thubprint]

That’s awesome! I can’t believe I missed that, I thought I was so thorough with my research lol.

[@therecyclingguy256]

You explained this 100 times better than i could.

[@82gamerprincess31]

This is not in the state I live now but when I was in college in another state it was. I lived in a richer neighborhood with my aunt and uncle and no one wanted to run the containers though the machine. I’d stand in the booth cleaning it of all the bags people tossed in there, as well as collecting from neighbors and recycling bins, and made a small fortune.

[@thubprint]

That’s rad! Sometimes when I’m at the depot and there’s a big line people just give me the few bags they brought. It makes sense honestly, it’s often not worth the time it takes for a few bottles.

[@vaginnoir]

i looove your mentality.. (how you think).. hello from Quebec

[@thubprint]

Hi!

[@DumpsterMarcus]

Good video!! I hope PA starts the bottle trend!!

[@thubprint]

Oh it’s so good! Always great to see you Marcus 😉👌 if they start one it’ll be a huge help to all sorts of people!

[@helfarkmar5043]

Very interesting, i always wondered what stopped people just crossing the border and selling in a state that payed more.

[@thubprint]

So did I! So I tried it lol. Nope.

[@saini1976]

Hey! I just found your KZbin channel yesterday. I collect cans in Michigan (10¢ deposit on pop and beer containers since 1978). Michigan was the first state to have a 10¢ deposit and the first to implement a bottle deposit law in response to a citizens’ petition initiative (required the state to place the issue on the ballot in November 1976). Unfortunately, the 10¢ has never been updated for inflation. If it were, it would be 45¢ per container today! The popularity of uncarbonated beverages like bottled water, Arizona Iced Tea, Starbucks cold brew coffee, Veryfine juice, etc. was never envisioned by the advocates of the law in the mid-1970s so as the law was written, it only applies to carbonated beverages-pop, beer, malt liquor, White Claw Hard Seltzer, kombucha, etc. We don’t have “bottle depots” in Michigan (I didn’t know they were a thing!) so we have to take them back to the grocery stores, where they are only refundable if it is an item they sell! If the store sells White Claw, but not that particular size or flavor, no refund. Michiganders would LOVE it if they could just go to a bottle depot and be guaranteed that each and every container would be redeemed for 10¢. A lot of Michiganders just throw them out with their recycling because 10¢ is not what it used to be back in 1978 and because it’s too cumbersome to keep track of what was purchased where, especially with the recent boom in popularity of obscure craft beers. Oregon’s deposit was not raised from 5¢ to 10¢ until 2017 when a provision of a 2011 law automatically triggered the increase in response to 2 consecutive years of container return rates below 80%.

[@ecoscrapper3501]

Awesome video. Didn't know about Iceland doing a scheme in the UK. Will look into it. Brilliant info, thanks 🐼

[@simplyme8753]

Great video... here in Indiana in the states we used to have a bottle tax when I was growing up on colas like Coke Pepsi, etc but we dont now.... wish we did

[@thubprint]

Well hopefully it’ll come back!

[@Ghostinthedark100]

in Ontario you can take aluminum cans to the scrap yard the one I've been to was .46 cents per pound

[@thubprint]

That seems alright really, at least you can still get paid for them

[@jorojinnomad549]

awesome information thub . thank you

[@TheTorkerman]

Awesome, super informative Mr Thubprint

[@johnchristie1423]

Manitoba charges 3 cents now, and then the GST is added on to that. Interesting about being busted by the bar code cross boarder shipper, or was it the car licence plate give-a-way. Good information.

[@thubprint]

I thought I had it MADE haha! I went too big, had about a thousand milk cartons flattened out and tied. Should have drip-fed them in with the rest of my bags haha

[@jonglewongle3438]

I'll go again. Relative dropped by, so try for another offload of my remaining deposit containers, but no go as both the vending machines and the bulk sort place both out of operation just momentarily. Then a drive on to the MRF type of thing to offload some other stuff, did that, and someone just behind us to offload a pile of beer bottles which they were unable to cash in, and I had the presence of mind experience to ask for them and they were ' for sure '. Won't know until tomorrow what that load shall pay in deposit but I offered them two TOMRA dockets of about $ 28.00 in compensation but they were good and wanted me to keep those.

[@thubprint]

Gotta love those days!!! Just the right place at the right time huh? Shame abt the out of order machines but bit of a silver lining there 👌

[@soerenbode]

In Hamburg, Germany we have a campaign to please put bottles next to thrash bins - not in the bin. So people who collect them don't have to dig. Some city bins even have a small bottle-rack attached to them. That's pretty neat! But our deposit system is not as universal as in Canada - f.e. wine bottles or milk containers have no deposit. They somehow excluded all milk and juice and most alcohol from deposit rules. There was a lot of political infighting back in the late 90s about this. Austria is also gearing up to get a deposit system, I believe. Great video! Thanks

[@laurabennettyoutube]

In California also, many city bins have a side container for aluminum cans, so people who collect them don't have to dig.

[@thubprint]

Nice! And thank you 🙂. We have some bins with bottle holders on the side as well, and it’s really nice to see that little bit of consideration for people, just treating them as people. Even if it is only to prevent them from throwing trash around lol.

[@VelserHerrie]

Some extra info, for you Professor Thub! Belgium and Luxemburg also have a deposite system. The Netherlands will have a deposit on small plastic bottles by July 2021. If trash in the streets isn't reduced by 2022, there will be a deposit on cans as well. Not all glass beer bottles have a deposit. The crates also have a deposit. Some beer bottles bought in Germany for 8 cents deposit can be returned in the Netherlands for 10 cents deposit. (I like to try every beer once, so I shop a lot on holidays and bring beers home)

[@thubprint]

How did I miss those, I spent so long researching!! That’s great news though, the more stuff with deposits the better 👍

[@imAlico64]

What's up thub? I live in the Netherlands and we indeed have the reverse vending machine for plastic bottles, but that's basically it. Trash picking or street scrapping is not allowed, and unfortunately we've got nothing for cans, just for beer bottles (regular pilsener only) and soda bottles. The vending machines we have are only taking in proper bottles, so nothing crushed like I see you're doing in your videos. Is there no regulation for "full size" cans or can you crush everything regardless to save space?

[@thubprint]

I didn’t realize they were so limited! I guess the focus is on the “single use containers”. Here it doesn’t matter at all if they’re crushed, they’re sorted by humans so we’re free to flatten everything if we feel like it.

[@mocktheweekfan92]

i think there is one machine in Ireland that does it and i dont know if its running or not

[@ryantimmins9479]

Great video Thub! Very informative and I love the joke about the drawback of living in Saskatchewan! That made me laugh. I'm in Utah, USA and as you educated everyone we have no deposit which sucks!

[@thubprint]

Hopefully someday! I was ripping on most provinces I think, but it’s all in good fun 👌 sask is a beautiful place!

[@aaronstead2606]

I am looking in to starting up again used to do it a few years ago but in UK there is one place near me an you get 50p per kg an the small ist they will take is 10kg its not to bad but could be better

[@thubprint]

Well if things go as planned they should be worth a lot more soon! 😉

[@bobert4966]

You are a professsional. Thank you for your content!

[@thubprint]

Thank you for checking it out!

[@Penguinek]

4:00 we have it same (i live in czechia the 2. Most corona state in europe) and that is the reason why i just scrap e waste btw. We have better prices for copper but worse for aluminium they are very bad... (like 0.50 / kilo)

[@thubprint]

That is really bad for alu.. at least you get paid for ewaste!

[@randystone6781]

Hi Thub: Hey, very insightful and interesting video, my dude. In my state, Michigan, deposits are typical at 10¢ per container, except some fruit juices, teas and power drinks. Of these, the plastic ones are still waste. But the aluminum ones can be crushed and taken to the scrapyard (as we do). However, our scrap prices for aluminum cans are abysmally low...

[@thubprint]

That sounds like a weird thing to keep track of! You mean there aren’t deposits on the aluminium cans?

[@wilhathaway1987]

@@thubprint I live in Michigan, that guy made it sound weird and complicated. We have a 10 cent deposits on can, plastic bottles, and glass bottles. Not every can or bottle has a deposit. There isn’t a deposit on Gatorade, juice, milk ect. The deposit is on 99% of all soda and alcohol bottles and cans. There are some exceptions. Like Monster energy drinks have a deposit but there is no deposit for their Java drinks in Michigan. It really depends on the company. I agree Oregon is by far the best when it comes to recycling cans and bottles. I wish Michigan would do what Oregon does with the return centers and what they take back. I probably have around $1,000 in returnables in my back yard and I bring home around $20+ every week. Our covid restrictions made it a nightmare to take stuff back now and the shutdown of returning them was beyond ridiculous. So I have them piling up which is beyond irritating. Good vid man, been following for a minute and enjoy your work. Cool to see what our brothers to the north do when it comes to scrapping.

[@wilhathaway1987]

@@thubprint to add on, yes our scrap yards buy aluminum cans. So the ones that don’t have a deposit you can take there but at like 20 cents a pound it really isn’t worth the time or storage.

[@StevesMachines]

Well I've just learnt something about my own country (UK) lol When I was a kid some 35 years ago some companies had their own deposit scheme, we'd love it when we found one chucked away. :D

[@jadrewscrapper8081]

I live and grew up in Sacramento, California. When a kid in the 80s I would take my glass soda bottles straight to the neighborhood store and buy candy with them! But I've always recycled my "CRV" and was surprised when I found out other states/countries don't do it. now I scrap and bottle pic and have fun finding things. Keep up the videos Thub. 👍

[@thubprint]

Will do!

[@thubprint]

I never got over that lost bottle euphoria apparently lol

[@r.livingston7745]

Ok, so what is the rationale for some of these places NOT giving a rebate for milk bottles. Plastic milk-containers are so bulky they, especially, need to be taken out of the waste stream. In U. S. states that do not give a rebate for aluminum cans, one can only get scrap metal value, which is a huge amount of work for nearly nothing. Good point about rebates reducing crime! Also, such would ultimately benefit the economy since it would easily lead to the financial literacy of young people, and we really really need that!

[@thubprint]

I can’t believe I left out the value for young people! I’ll touch on that in pt.2. The milk jugs definitely ought to be, they’re super easy material to recycle too. It might be because they don’t want to have to lump in the waxed paper cartons, I don’t imagine those are easy to recycle.

[@jackpotdigger834]

great research love it keep doing the thing

[@wilcovanderben1236]

Hi thub, in the Netherlands you hardly get any money for cans. The aluminum cans can be handed in to a limited number of scrap iron traders! You don't get anything for drink bottles except beer bottles. only the soft drink bottles live up to 0.25 cents and the beer bottles 0.10 cents. Keep it up! super cool channel. Greetings Wilco

[@thubprint]

Ohhh, I didn’t realize! I guess they’re focusing on deposits for single-use containers.

[@arseniojrmauricio5794]

Similarly a snow slowing me collecting bottles and cans, bad for oldies...

[@MissAmazanda]

I wish I lived in Canada instead of Ohio here in the U.S. , I just turned in roughly 12,300 beer and pop cans and only made $186 because they are 47 cents a pound....but I still gather them all the time anyways because money is money....

[@theselfproclaimedretrogame9383]

Here In Massachusetts you would’ve made 615$ if all were soda/ beer/ seltzer/ malt beverage cans

[@mountdesertrock]

Here in Maine we have a pretty decent .05 per bottle/can, .15 large glass bottles redemption. Either take them to a redemption center and receive cash, or some grocery stores let you return bottles and cans and use it towards your grocery bill. We are able to return everything be sides Milk, dairy-derived products, Maine-produced apple cider and blueberry juice, Seafood, meat or vegetable broths or soups, Instant drink powders Products designed to be consumed in a frozen state, Liquid syrups, concentrates or extracts.

[@raymondfrazier2436]

i save mine for a friend .

[@tomfedarick7042]

New Jersey - USA

[@Shanethe_trashkid]

Also I live on Vancouver Island and there are 2 ways to sort them one which I did for a while using flimsy crappy cardboard trays or sort them in pop cans beer cans plastic a litre and under cartons under litre except juice boxes and plastic over a litre and the rest I use the trays juice boxes plastic alcohol bottles and anything else returnable I don’t get much of or glass

[@Shanethe_trashkid]

Oops did u mention that everything besides glass and stuff I don’t get much of goes in big clear bags once I saw people doing that I was like screw these cardboard trays and if your wondering where I get these bottles I go dumpster diving/ bottle picking on recycling day and I also have some people who separate them and I pick them up every 2 weeks I also collect scrap metal aswell everything except steel I do collect lead battery’s aswell as ballasts too holy crap these are big comments

[@Shanethe_trashkid]

I*

[@thubprint]

😂 I’ve seen some ridiculously long comments, you’re alright! When I did a bottle run in Whistler it was the same way, had to sort it myself in trays. They had the bags for cans as well and allegedly the bags held a certain amount, but I had one half filled and then emptied it out and counted them by hand.. I think the bottle depot is way ahead on the average numbers in those bags. Sounds like you and I are keeping ourselves going in pretty similar ways! All the best to you brother 👌

[@noob_gaming1491]

I love in Surrey bc, and l also go on recycling day with my dad. We often make between $100-$150 a night for about 4 hours, but we don't take the milk jugs (there are thousands of them literally). If I had a small box truck with lots of room and collected the milk jugs, you can make easily $500 a night. Obviously, you need to know which areas are good, as there are few places were people go

[@ansehorste5974]

whooop whoop, high five for germany, its good to have this system, keeos most ppl away from littering and streets cleaner. also good to have a bag or two at the end of the month :-)

[@thubprint]

Someday I’ll do picking in Germany! 😎

[@ansehorste5974]

@@thubprint if Im still living here, am definetly gonna have a couch with your name on it, am saying if, caus me planning to move to the states

[@volfanatic100]

Wonder why more US states aren’t participating in the bottle deposit return system

[@thubprint]

Cuz corporations are paying them to not do it!

[@josinora]

Thanks for sharing the content of this informative video enjoyed watching it and left a like. In Germany the prices for bottles and cans are always the same and we use the refund machine. No scrabyard will take beverage containers. For cans like coke ect. you get 0,25 cent as well as for PET water bottles, 0,15 cent for most other bottle types , only 0,08 cent for beer bottles and beer cans. Beer bottles of glas with a "clip cap" 0,15 cents. Best places to find are at major events of all kind and only outside, because people like to drink and do not want to keep their containers . In trains in the small metalic trash bins and of course only in public trash bins, parks ect.. No bottle picking in private trash bins and dumster diving, unfortunately, this is illegal. Stay safe and blessings

[@thubprint]

That’s great info for my Europe trip 😁

[@josinora]

@@thubprint Europe trip? Do you have any detailed plans jet? Other european countries have other rules for dumster diving. In Germany you can get free food about foodsharing.de and Fairetailer. Couchsurfing.com offers meet and stay with locals mostlly for free ;-) and you can stay up to tree days.

[@offwithhishead2556]

I listened to a radio article on the Netherlands. In tourist spots recycling rates were low, so they were fitting wire racks on the outside of the bins in public places. Tourists put their cans etc on the racks and collectors can take them away. Simple solutions work best!

[@thubprint]

That’s great to hear! Now I’m inspired again to go travel and try it out 😉

[@ChineseDetective]

Amazing runthrough of bottle recycling worldwide! Thanks for mentioning Norway specifically too! We really do a lot of bottle recycling here, and ALL shops that sell bottles/cans have to accept them in return for cash or as store credit. Small bottles are now NOK 2,- (0,28 CAD cents) and large ones at NOK 3,- (0,42 CAD cents), so it REALLY makes sense to recycle. Families usually save up in shopping bags here and bring them with them every time they go shopping, and there's machines in every shop that will accept your bottles and give you a receipt. Take the recept to the cashier and get the money in cash, or simply deduct it from your grocery shopping. Still, Norwegians have a lot of money, so a lot of people will still leave their bottles and not care about bringing them to the shop, so we have some bottle pickers here too, but not like in other countries I've been to for sure. Anyhow, this is my first comment on any of your videos! Shout out from Norway! Keep on scrapping! :D

[@ChineseDetective]

Here's actually a video in English about bottle deposits in Norway! Very cool: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6rQamirdr1nirs

[@thubprint]

Thanks for sharing that, I’ll check it out 👍 but more importantly, thanks for saying hello! That is quite a bit more than we get here for sure… might have to do a ‘world tour’ of bottle picking soon 😁

[@ChineseDetective]

@@thubprint That would be so cool! One week in each country with the challenge to "live off of scrapping"! Would be a KZbin hit for sure! :D

[@mihaip1179]

I am one who quite IT to collect batt;lest. That's me and the video is for me :). Over $2 / our !!! This is Romania, baby! Living even in the monst expensive cities, without a worry.

[@geofft3214]

Interesting stuff. Canada definitely is on to it. Here in MA at 5 cents a bottle it is just not worth it except for your own consumption bottles. Which makes me wonder what is the critical deposit refund to make it worthwhile picking? Maybe 15c on average? Thanks Thub.

[@thubprint]

Oh I think they’re worth picking, they just often aren’t worth saving in your own house

[@kNeXuS_]

Hopefully you will see this. But when recycling plastic water bottles (the small ones) how many cents would i receive if i'm from Georgia. I'm guessing it would be 10 cents..

[@thubprint]

Oh I really don’t know! I feel like you’re more qualified than I am to answer that 😅

[@jenmayl1613]

My son's boy scout throop does most of their fundraising via bottle returns. Lots of not for profit organizations do that here in US.

[@thubprint]

They do it here too! Pretty great system, they usually do well and it saves the homeowners some trouble

[@olskooldave2252]

Dig’n the Dahmer vibe your throw’n off👍👍

[@thubprint]

Hey it’s not what I was goin for, but if you’re into it 😂

[@alanpranke3299]

So sad to watch this down here in the lower 48. Attitudes on trash, recycling and cradle to grave responsibility for manufacturers might be summed up as: you bought it, it's yours, you deal with it. Love your work, vids and 'Leave it Better than you found it - Keep doing the thing!'

[@thubprint]

I will, and you too! I think more places will adopt stronger recycling programs over time, but it’s up to state legislation.

[@Arthixful]

Pretty sure quebec's 20c for larger containers only applies to beer containers. When I turn in a ton of 2L pop bottles I get almost nothing.. not really worth bothering for anything except large beer cans here.

[@thubprint]

Oh? That’s too bad 😕

[@teresawoodard2938]

Pepsi cans from Ontario are excepted in can Machine in Quebec. 240 cans at 5 cents give you 12 dollars

[@thubprint]

That’s so odd! Generally no on soda but yes on Pepsi?

[@jeffbrown4927]

In New York where I live, they don't scan bar codes so it WOULD be possible for people to import containers from other states.

[@thubprint]

Huh… I bet a couple people have taken advantage of that!

[@kellylarson3565]

One day my son and I were out picking in Saskatoon and my van was full. I came around a corner that was surrounded by apt. buildings and beside one bin was the mother load. We lived three minutes away and I raced home and got my truck. Well we returned ten minutes later and some lady driving a $150,000.00 BMW was loading her car I parked in a parking stall and my son jumped out and said to her we left those there or the boy scouts. Well my son helped her unloaded her car and she left. All he said was hurry lets load up.

[@thubprint]

😂 the bmw must have been a gift lol! Good day for you two though, glad you made off with the goods!

[@CameronInVancouver]

The depot is paid a handling fee for sorting and cleaning the empties

[@andreasnguyen2540]

In Norway you can get 0.25-0.35$ per bottle.

[@thubprint]

😮 that’s the highest I’ve heard of now!! Which ones are 0.35? Single use plastic?

[@jackpotdigger834]

quebec beer glass bottle 10cents

[@henryk1031]

A lot of people in the us save aluminum cans and take them to scrap yards for .50 cents a lb

[@gravitybear]

I wish I could get $.50 a lb. Been quoted more like $.20 recently, if they'll even take them, which many aren't where I live.

[@thubprint]

I’m not surprised, they’re very low-grade because of the amount lost when they melt them.

[@Vandal-Vlogs]

How the hell did I miss this video? And who's the well dressed looking and highly educated sounding dude with the glasses? 🤣

[@thubprint]

😂👌 just selecting topics I know stuff about lol

[@mollynakamori]

Uh oh. Now you have to explain the very bizarre concept of "lobbying" to the rest of the world. :) When I was a kid, it was 2 cents for smalls and 5 cents for the really huge ones, and I still get a bit of a rush when I see one of the old deposit-type bottles turn up here and there. 2 cents got us 4 pieces of candy! Of course, getting hold of unwanted bottles was rare.

[@thubprint]

I am NOT going down that rabbit hole hahah! Somebody else can do politics, I’m here for the trash 😄

[@ThaWhiteKnight777]

Bro you got the lighting on this one superb.

[@thubprint]

Thank you! I really like doing these style videos because I get to practice that stuff. I’ll do it again soon! 😄

[@silverado708]

I wish in my area there where a deposit on cans and bottles. I currently get .30 to .45 cents per lb depending on where I go. I do know Minnesota is kicking around the idea of deposits.

[@thubprint]

Well hopefully all the states put one in eventually! It makes such a huge difference, I bet there’s a gross amount of cans and bottles littered along the roads in your area

[@silverado708]

@@thubprint it's insane on the cans in this area. It's a college area.

[@ratdetecting4780]

Great vid Thub. In australia, most states have container recycling places, 10c for aluminium cans, bottles, plastic bottles & tetra packs. They added an extra 10c on price, so while it costs more, we get it back. Nice when people throw cans etc on roadside, as is easy money! KACHING!🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑🤑☺

[@thubprint]

Oh they’ve got the program going already? That’s great news!

[@slythdreams]

Even though this vid isn't for me, I'm watching anyway. =D Here where I live, we can't squish our cans or bottles, apparently. We get a nickel at the grocery stores, but 6 cents (6.5 cents if you get a coupon in the mail).

[@thubprint]

You get paid in the mail??? That’s so weird! Thanks for supporting my exploration of the platform, I’ll have more appealing vids real soon 😉

[@slythdreams]

@@thubprint No, sorry, I clearly lost part of what I was trying to say - if we take our cans and bottles to the grocery store we get a nickel for each can and bottle. If we take them into the can depot, we get six cents per can and bottle. Every so often, we get a coupon in the mail to use at the depot, that pays 6 1/2 cents for each can and bottle. I love all of your videos, thub! It's just like visiting with a friend. Thanks for that.

[@thubprint]

@@slythdreams ohhhh, now I understand! Lol, I feel kinda dumb, you wrote it just fine 😂

[@slythdreams]

@@thubprint No need to feel dumb. =D

[@byronvillatoro7111]

Check out I took this 28 oZ side Powerade to my recycle place. And they rejected. They say they are no recycle that type of bottles . Well if I pay 5 cents for a babble Should I get back that Money?

[@thubprint]

If you paid a deposit you definitely should, but it’s possible you were charged a recycling fee but not a deposit I suppose? That’s strange.

[@springsy6210]

i live in Minnesota.... i usually just collect cans, crush them and bring it to the scrap yard... usually a big bag of crushed cans will get 15-20 bucks. takes a long time to collect that many but oh well.

[@thubprint]

That’s actually worth more than I thought!

[@gravitybear]

I'm in MN also and do much the same. I crush them and collect in garbage bags. 15-20 bucks? That must be a HUGE bag. My kitchen size bags can hold roughly 10 lbs, best I've ever done is $.70 per lb, but more often around $.40-$.45 per. Lately I've been quoted $.20 per lb. :(

[@springsy6210]

@@gravitybear yeah i should have specified, the bags i use are the big heavy duty contractor bags and all my cans are crushed. Last time i brought them just south of st.paul and each bag was between 15-20 bucks... took forever to collect that many cans though! ha ha but at least it paid for gas that 1 week.

[@gravitybear]

@@springsy6210 Damn, man, what scrapyard you going to? My usual one isn't even taking cans right now and I need a place to unload the ones I've got.

[@springsy6210]

@@gravitybear so i was looking for receipts to prove my claim and havent found them yet and last time i did cans was well over a year ago because it really did take forever to completely fill my contractor bags. I always go to northern recycling in south st.paul. I think they are fair but now you guys got me second guessing my price. ha ha.... im almost positive they were both between 15-20 a bag... but yes, they were very big bags completely full of crushed cans.

[@Shanethe_trashkid]

In BC their bottle prices are all over the place it went from 5 cents for all soft drink stuff cans bottles a litre and under 10 cents for alcohol cans and glass bottles a litre and under and all over a litre 20 cents then it went to ten cents for everything except for over a litre that stayed the same now everything is 10 cents and me and my dad are still pissed and dairy bottles are worth nothing except for the glass Avalon milk bottle you take them to thrifty foods and get a dollar a bottle sorry for rambling on I just had to mention it I’m 12 by the way love your vids thub

[@thubprint]

I didn’t think you were so young! Stay safe out there buddy. We’ve got some fancy artisan juice companies that give $1 for each of their bottles, but it’s just store credit. Fine by me, it’s really good juice!

[@maxsaslt]

Cheers from Lithuania! The deposit is 0.1€ per can/plastic/glass bottle here. No milk cartons, wine, or champagne, though, I still wonder why, as it uses so much glass. By the way it's crazy to see you dumpster dive so efficiently, it seems people don't really like to recycle. :) You wouldn't find as many bottles it the trash in LT as the return rate is 92%.

[@thubprint]

That’s wild that the recycling rate is so high when the deposit isn’t particularly huge. Great job Lithuania! 😊

[@288theabe]

As an Ontarian, it's embarrassing how far behind we are in recycling. 🤦‍♂ Also, "compound interest" on those cans and bottles found on the streets.

[@finestblu]

Here in Finland we have quite high recycling rate for bottles and cans, almost 93% of them is recycled. Our recycle system is also quite large (all the bottles and cans must be made in Finland): Glass bottles: 0,10€ 0,3-0,75 litre refillabe alcoholbottles 0,10€ 0,15-2,0 litre recycled bottles 0,40€ over 1 litre refreshment bottles Plastic bottles: 0,10€ max 0,35 litre recycle bottles 0,20€ 0,5 and 0,75 litre refillable alcohol and refreshment bottles 0,20€ over 0,35 but less than 1,0 litre recycle bottles 0,40€ 1,0 and 1,5 litre refillable alcohol and refreshment bottles 0,40€ at least 1,5 litre recycle bottles Cans: 0,15€

[@thubprint]

That’s annoyingly varied! 😆 But that recycling rate is an achievement, so either the collection system is pretty efficient or there must be some kind of fine for improperly sorted household waste