Bottle recycling

[TomcoPDR]

SUCKS!!!!!

I work on the road a lot, usually I just leave my bottles with the restaurant/bar/hotel/recycle bin, etc...

Just got back from my yearly bottle recycling locally, didn't realize what a suck ass of an experience this balla activity can be. The line up was out the door, people were slow (both customers and can-counters), whole place smelt and sticky, you feel like a bum more than Al Gore trying to save the planet; not to mention the money SUCKS!

I went in with 2 full garbage bags, 2 multi-printer size boxes, handful of 4L orange/water/soymilk jugs, 2 water cooler jugs ($4.99 deposit original)... Total came out to $9.45 (or something; think they screwed me on the 2 watercooler jugs)

This ain't a rant, I'm not bitching/crying, etc... But I'm sure this issue effects everyone, just seeing how others feel about this topic (not worth the time, matter of saving planet/ethics, money is money, etc...) Also seeing how a lot of New-Calgary or young ppl who don't live with their parents are probably in condos and smaller apartment spaces; do you guys bother keeping these bottles around??? Or just not worth your space?

As for me, I already ate my yearly bottle dividends @ Subway, footlong sweet onion chicken $8.43

[AyNaku]

I DO FOR THE EXTRA CASH. IT'S OKAY. YOU HAVE TO PICK THE RIGHT TIME TO GO. ANYWAYS I RECYCLE OUR COMPANY CANS AND BOTTLES AND I GET LIKE 130 BUCKS. NOT BAD.....

[brucebanner]

I do it just to do it, its pretty well driven into my head from years past.

Theres been times when I drove by the bottle depot with the intentions of collecting the little money from it, but just dropped the bottles off outside instead of waiting forever to do it..

[blownz]

I always give mine away to the local charities/schools/girl scouts/whoever shows up to my door asking.

I find that usually every month to two months someone comes to the door looking for bottles so I gladly give them away. I probably collect maybe 10 bucks a month worth of bottles and it isn't worth the gas/time or trouble getting my hands/trunk dirty for that imo.

Also being in Edmonton the city has been picking up bottles every garbage day to recycle for about the past 15 years which is also good if you aren't interested in taking them in.

[topmade]

You have to do it on a weekday. Weekends will ALWAYS be busy. We do it about once a year and get like $50-$60, but just this saturday some kids knocked on my door and I handed them 5 HUGE garbage bags full of cans and bottles and the their mom couldn't fit it in the liberty

[infamous]

Originally posted by TomcoPDR
This ain't a rant, I'm not bitching/crying, etc... But I'm sure this issue effects everyone, just seeing how others feel about this topic (not worth the time, matter of saving planet/ethics, money is money, etc...) Also seeing how a lot of New-Calgary or young ppl who don't live with their parents are probably in condos and smaller apartment spaces; do you guys bother keeping these bottles around??? Or just not worth your space?

honestly, if your in calgary, and you don't want to get ripped off, the only bottle depot that is even decent is the one on 10 ave se and 6 st downtown. my gf used to work there, so i've learned lots about how depots work and stuff. see, most aren't busy enough, so they short every customer a few bottles, and then it makes them more profit when they sell the bottles back to abcrc. think if in a week they shorted 10 people a day, for 50 cents. thats 35 bucks a week that they don't have to pay out. now if it's a busy bottle depot, multiply those 10 people by about 10. trust me, it's a wicked way to make money if you own a bottle depot.

[rc2002]

^ That makes a lot of sense. I've called them out on miscounting before. I always keep a mental tally in my head as I fill the trays.

Doing it once a year makes sense, otherwise it's not worth the trip down there. I do it because it's good for the environment and it pays well - For an hours work, you can net about $50 and all it costs you is storage.

[SOAB]

shit, me and the wife collected ours for about 7-8 months and loaded up the truck with all the empties. in total, we got back just under $100!!!

[590221010]

My parent's recycle bottles from their work and they got like $115 last time they went (saturday) but they save up like months at a time.

[5hift]

I live alone so collecting bottles in bags and making a trip to a bottle depot to get 7 bucks isnt high up on my list of things to do.

Usually I just leave them in a shopping cart behind my building for the same bum that comes by daily.

[Tik-Tok]

I hate recycling, it's a pain, and the one I go to (beside heritage c-train) is always a minimum 30 min. line-up. However, I hate the government taking my deposit money even more, so i do it.

Ummm, I mean I do it for the environment... yeah.

[Ajay]

I usually go to the bottle depot in Crowfoot twice a year (before winter and before summer). Usually walk out with about $20-30 in cash when it's all said and done.

It's good for the environment and provides you with a little extra fun money.

[bigboom]

Originally posted by richardchan2002
^ That makes a lot of sense. I've called them out on miscounting before. I always keep a mental tally in my head as I fill the trays.

Doing it once a year makes sense, otherwise it's not worth the trip down there. I do it because it's good for the environment and it pays well - For an hours work, you can net about $50 and all it costs you is storage.

errr its money that you already paid and you are just getting it back.

[rc2002]

It's still money that you otherwise wouldn't have if you tossed the bottles/cans or gave them away.

[Crymson]

I remember kids used to have to do bottle drivers for scouts/hockey/baseball. WE moved into a new neighbourhood and have been in 2 years now, and now one kid has come by. I can't be bothered to do the recycling. My GF is hounding me to do it, so i think i'm just going to toss them in front of a bum and hit the ATM on the way home.

[TomcoPDR]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok
I hate the government taking my deposit money even more, so i do it.

Ummm, I mean I do it for the environment... yeah.

I really think they ripped me off today. (a ton of crap came out to only $9) Never going to that Fish Creek depot again(by Southgate Chevy), let's just say they got new owners, I think recycling is just their store front for an immigrantion operation.