Getting "Rid Of" your Aluminum Cans

[goeduck]

This includes what they call CRV [ Ca. redemption value] that you have to pay when you buy the stuff. If you don't recycle they just keep the money and throw it away on some goofy program. If you take in cans not stamped C.R.V. then the price is reduced to whatever scrap aluminum is which is closer to what you get.

Does that mean you cannot crush your cans? How do they check for CRV stamps?

 

[beowulf]

Does that mean you cannot crush your cans? How do they check for CRV stamps?

We crush ours - they just dump them in a bin and weigh them - never check for any CRVs - I suppose they assume most are in that category.

 

[Oaktree]

We crush ours - they just dump them in a bin and weigh them - never check for any CRVs - I suppose they assume most are in that category.

Do you have to separate deposit cans/bottles from other aluminum or plastic that isn't deposit (like sardine cans, foil, pie pans or bleach bottles, salad dressing bottles, etc.)? What does the CRV law cover?

 

[beowulf]

Do you have to separate deposit cans/bottles from other aluminum or plastic that isn't deposit (like sardine cans, foil, pie pans or bleach bottles, salad dressing bottles, etc.)? What does the CRV law cover?

Oaktree, you are making me think about this. We do 'recycle' aluminum and plastic items other than the usual cans and bottles, e.g. sardine cans, foil, and such but that goes in a separate recycling trash bin which is picked up by the trash collectors and not taken in by us with the aluminum cans and plastic bottles for which we are paid. We have three separate trash cans sitting next to our regular trash cans labeled aluminum cans, plastic bottles and glass. So, I guess the answer is that we have sort of mostly sorted things ourselves and likely only take CRV items in for payment. And I suppose that when they dump our bags into their weighing bins they can somewhat check to see if there are things that should not be in there.

I recall once that a lady just ahead of us being told that they would have to pay her less for her cans because they contained liquid. I don't know how they determined that other than sight, but she took her cans and left. He then dumped our cans into his bin and said, 'yours are dry'. I suppose they do this often enough to discern that.

Regarding what the CRV law covers, I found this link:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Update: Wife tells me that when they dumped the plastic out into their bins there was a coffee creamer bottle which they took out before weighing. . .so I guess they look a bit for non-qualifying items.

 

[Oaktree]

OK, that makes a lot more sense...they just go by weight and don't need to count every individual item in your state. We don't have a deposit law here in N.H., but in neighboring Vermont they do and every redemption center I've been to had people whose job was to count and sort (apparently, the beverage distributors are responsible for handling and refunding the deposit money so they had to sort which cans/bottles went back to who). Sure not a job I'd want.

 

[Ford850]

I sold close to 100 lbs of aluminum cans Saturday at the largest recycling facility in my area. The price had just jumped 3 cents, to $0.40 now.

 

[goeduck]

I sold close to 100 lbs of aluminum cans Saturday at the largest recycling facility in my area. The price had just jumped 3 cents, to $0.40 now.

Trying to wrap my head around how much space 100 lb of aluminum cans would take up. Crushed I assume. Do you use dumpsters to haul? What size?

 

[Oaktree]

Trying to wrap my head around how much space 100 lb of aluminum cans would take up. Crushed I assume. Do you use dumpsters to haul? What size?

100lb crushed doesn't take up much space, 3 or 4 contractor-size trash bags. I've cashed in twice that some years and fit it all in the back of a pickup.

 

[bigtiller]

Math is fun.
There are 34 twelve oz. cans to a pound.
A hundred pounds would be 3400 cans, if they were all 12 oz. cans.
In Iowa, each can has a redemption value of 5 cents.
That's $170... nice payday.

How long does it take to collect 100 pounds of cans?

 

[two_bit_score]

Math is fun.
There are 34 twelve oz. cans to a pound.
A hundred pounds would be 3400 cans, if they were all 12 oz. cans.
In Iowa, each can has a redemption value of 5 cents.
That's $170... nice payday.

How long does it take to collect 100 pounds of cans?

Can you still get the 5 cents a can if they are crushed cans?