Author Topic: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins  (Read 3714 times)

Eucalyptus

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Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« on: December 21, 2017, 03:19:15 PM »
So I've been meaning to do this for a while, but put it off with the excuse that I need to finish my daughter's bedroom so that I can then sort out my under stair storage area with space to put bottles and cans. Its a pitiful excuse really.

Here in South Australia we are world leaders in recycling, having had a bottle and can deposit system since the 1960s. It used to be 5c (100cents in the Australia dollar) per bottle/can, but a few years ago it upped to 10c and also includes most cardboard drink containers eg milk containers. My parents always retain their ones at home in Dad's shed and recycle them a couple of times a year. When I was a kid in Scouts I spent years collecting bottles and cans in order to pay my way mostly to a Jamboree.

So I started last night. My neighbours here are all tenants except for one other guy and myself, and they are all atrocious at recycling! We actually have seperate recycling and green waste bins, but they never use them properly. They just leave everything mixed together and put them in either the waste or recycling bins (thankfully they leave the green waste bins alone). Some of them drink a lot, a carton a week or more it seems. Plenty of soft drink cans and bottles too.

Last night I pilfered the top parts of these bins. I didn't dig deep. I didn't count, but I think I got at least 50 bottles/cans out. Some of it was disgusting as it was in their food waste, cigarette trash, etc. But that's at least $5 worth. If I'm more regular and do it a couple of times a week at least it will be much easier and cleaner (we are coming towards the end of our bin fortnight), and I won't miss much.

I suspect that I should at a minimum be able to get $5 per week out of these bins. I could also raid once a fortnight neighbours bins off the street to get more. I live in a rich suburb (my unit is not expensive though...but surrounded by massive mansions), so I dare suspect that my rich neighbours don't bother collecting container deposits.

Totally flexing my Moustachian muscles here.

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2017, 03:33:15 PM »
Do you have a way to communicate with your neighbors (like a nextdoor or facebook site?)  I'd just post "if anyone doesn't want to bother redeeming your cans, I'd be happy to take them to the recycling for you."

I see that all the time from my neighbors. Usually for kids saving for someone, but plenty of people are willing to give their cans away because they are a giant pain in the ass to redeem.

soccerluvof4

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #2 on: December 22, 2017, 06:55:30 AM »
Is it worth the 5$ and or is the more important thing to you the helping of environment. Both can be good obviously so I can see that side of it but the time part of it , only if its worth it.

Rosy

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2017, 06:53:22 PM »
Well, I wouldn't be crazy about digging in the trash especially if it is icky but if it produces $5 within about 15 minutes or so - I might start thinking strategy, like getting a doohickey of some sort to grab onto the cans and bottles as well as offering a free disposal service to my neighbors.
I would wear gloves, but I wouldn't go all in with my hands for fear of rats or other vermin and contamination.

Maybe they just need a nudge to hand over their bottles if they can't deal with a proper recycling bin - perhaps they will be happy to save the planet as long as "they" don't have to do anything for it.

If you can do $5 a week in your immediate neighborhood, maybe you can do another $5 a week close by? $10 a week is $50 a month or $600 a year - so yeah, go for it.

Hats off for doing something good for the environment and making a bit of money, but like I said I'd want to develop a strategy to make it worth my while.

Nate79

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2017, 08:02:19 PM »
Well, I wouldn't be crazy about digging in the trash especially if it is icky but if it produces $5 within about 15 minutes or so - I might start thinking strategy, like getting a doohickey of some sort to grab onto the cans and bottles as well as offering a free disposal service to my neighbors.
I would wear gloves, but I wouldn't go all in with my hands for fear of rats or other vermin and contamination.

Maybe they just need a nudge to hand over their bottles if they can't deal with a proper recycling bin - perhaps they will be happy to save the planet as long as "they" don't have to do anything for it.

If you can do $5 a week in your immediate neighborhood, maybe you can do another $5 a week close by? $10 a week is $50 a month or $600 a year - so yeah, go for it.

Hats off for doing something good for the environment and making a bit of money, but like I said I'd want to develop a strategy to make it worth my while.
Sounds like a hepatitis Christmas.

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nora

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #5 on: December 22, 2017, 11:49:49 PM »
In reality, getting hepatitis of any kind from going through someone's rubbish is exceedingly unlikely.  Perhaps a well placed carton next to the bins with 'Bottles here' or something might help.

I had a friend who was collecting bottles for us to use for brewing. She put her ordinary rubbish amongst them which included dirty nappies! Needless to say, I waited for some fresher ones straight from the house.


marty998

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #6 on: December 23, 2017, 02:27:13 AM »
NSW have just reintroduced the scheme that had in place decades ago (10c refund)

I've started collecting them too, but I don't go out of my way for it. It's just bonus pocket money at this point.

Only issue is there are not enough collection points. Businesses are pulling out because (a) they can't store all the cans and bottles and (b) they don't get paid for profit for it so they prefer to spend precious time on paying customers

gaja

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #7 on: December 23, 2017, 02:58:52 AM »
I agree that some sort of box or bag for bottles, easily accessible next to the other garbage, should solve part of the problem. But you might have people who feel they are making a donation, and want to know what the money is for. Probably not these people, as it sounds like they don't care at all.

In Norway, we are at 92-95% return rate for bottles and cans. Hopefully, this will increase when the tariffs go up to .2 and .3 next year. Returning bottles and cans are super easy, since you are obligated to accept them back if you sell them (regulated by the pollution law).Most shops have an automated system, but in some smaller shops and kiosks they will count manually. The system doesn't include milk cartons, but there is a separate lottery for those.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #8 on: December 24, 2017, 03:39:43 AM »
NSW have just reintroduced the scheme that had in place decades ago (10c refund)

I've started collecting them too, but I don't go out of my way for it. It's just bonus pocket money at this point.

Only issue is there are not enough collection points. Businesses are pulling out because (a) they can't store all the cans and bottles and (b) they don't get paid for profit for it so they prefer to spend precious time on paying customers

I'm staying with family for Christmas.

On my first day here they went to dump some bottles in the recycling bin.

Me: No, no, I'll take them, I'll deposit them when I get back to Sydney.
Them: How about we put them in the recycling bin and you can just take what you want when you go?
Me: (picturing the old school black tub recycling bins) Ok!

Me, a day later after volunteering to drop bottles in the recycling bin: ... when did you you guys change to an Otto bin for recycling??? I'm going to be head-first in it retrieving bottles!

I'm with @marty998. I won't go out of my way to drop off bottles, but I am going one step further to collect them (bringing a couple of bottles home from work, picking up the odd empty water bottle my neighbours leave in the garage, etc) to make those trips worth my while.

And I understand the scheme has had 10 million bottles returned since it started on December 1 so, for all the drawbacks, people are getting involved.

JAYSLOL

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #9 on: December 24, 2017, 11:11:27 AM »
I'm due to return a bunch of bags full of cans and bottles.  I do landscape maintenance, so between what I find on sites and what our crews bring back/find I can usually bank on $50-$100 a year without going very far out of my way. 

Knapptyme

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #10 on: December 24, 2017, 12:21:04 PM »
The value of recycling isn't as lucrative in Florida as it was when I lived in Michigan (inconvenient metal recycling facility for 40 cents per pound of aluminum vs. 10 cents per can). While I don't go through neighbors' bins, the thought has crossed my mind.

What I do now is simply pick up metal trash I see while on walks with my kids/dogs for the threefold good of reducing litter in my everyday surroundings, recycling obvious recyclables, and a couple pennies. The environment and my walking paths are of enough return value so if my neighbors are recycling, I leave it at that.

That being said, when I lived in Michigan, and I was much poorer, I definitely looked for cans to pick up. A round of disc golf at the local course was free, and for me digging through small metal mesh trash cans at each hole, it paid about $2/round. I say go for it.

Fresh Bread

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #11 on: December 24, 2017, 01:25:03 PM »
In NSW, you only get the money if the bottle is in perfect condition with the barcode still readable. Is this the case in SA? I've heard not, which would be loads better. It might just be a teething problem here, bit at the moment there is no point in people retrieving old rubbish from the creeks etc that's a bit scuffed as they'll get zero $.

I've got hundreds of bottles retained as I wait for large centres to come online. It would seem too weird to take beer bottles to our local convenience store. I have so many of our own that I can't store the neighbours' but I'm sure they'd have loads!

Seeing the volume has encouraged us to reduce our container use so it's had an environmental benefit there. We've bought a refillable growler for beer.

Car Jack

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #12 on: December 25, 2017, 07:40:11 AM »
While I don't sort through neighbors' trash (suburban street, would be pretty concerning to neighbors), I do pay attention at the supermarket recycling machines.  I returned bottles and cans this weekend and there was a big bag of bottles on the floor.  I've seen this many times before.  A machine is full or otherwise not working and people just leave their bag and go on their way.  Sure, I'll put in another 50 cents worth.  :D

Eucalyptus

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #13 on: December 25, 2017, 07:05:41 PM »
Great replies people!

For those worried about my health, I'm fully vaccinated and wash my hands very carefully afterwards; I'm not concerned about hepititis or otherwise (particularly as Hepititis is pretty low rate in Australia, particularly in wealthier demographics, which is my neighbourhood that I'm surrounded by). I avoided a few cans that looked covered in filth. Next time I'll grab a stout stick to help me move stuff around.

Going to hit the bins when I get home this afternoon to see what people have dumped post-christmas.

A couple of my neighbours I think I know well enough to suggest they put their cans aside for me. The others, not so sure. I'm trying to build "Community" in our block of ten units (which is hard as people come and go from rentals) as best I can, so its a balancing act of not freaking people out or demanding too much of others.

I've made a line in my goodbudget that will only be a positive line, to keep track of my deposit income :-)

Imma

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #14 on: December 26, 2017, 01:50:09 AM »
We have this deposit scheme in my country too, but it seems most people do return their bottles to the shop.

I remember as a kid I'd go for a walk in the woods with my grandma and there was this open space where teenagers would hang out at night. We'd collect the empty beer bottles (0,10/each) and return them to the store and buy ice cream with the money.

As a student, I lived in a house with a lot of roommates and they'd all dump their beer crates filled with empty bottles in the shared hall and shared garden. After I'd talked to them about the mess several times, I'd take them back to the store myself. Sometimes that would earn me €50 or more (24 empty bottles + crate is €3,90).

marty998

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #15 on: December 30, 2017, 07:49:44 PM »
I was hoping to find a few today putting the bins out for my unit block. A little disappointed that there were none to be easily had (maybe hiding at the bottom of the bin where I do not want to fish them out).

Eucalyptus

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #16 on: December 31, 2017, 06:34:58 PM »
Yeah I got about a dollar's worth yesterday. I think most of the tenants here went away for xmas. About to be interesting post New Years Eve...I'm looking forward to bin wednesday, I'll go around checking out bins in the neighbourhood, haha.

Mum is bringing me some empty chicken feed bags tonight so that I have something to store them/collect them in apart from plastic shopping bags.

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #17 on: January 01, 2018, 12:36:18 PM »
I changed the route of my run yesterday and saw so many stray bottles.

Need to add a walk to my running routine so I can pick them up.

Eucalyptus

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #18 on: January 01, 2018, 03:39:43 PM »
I changed the route of my run yesterday and saw so many stray bottles.

Need to add a walk to my running routine so I can pick them up.

I don't see many discarded on the ground on my walks normally, Adelaide is a pretty clean place. But I passed one on my commuting walk today, I'm sure it will be there when I'm heading home tonight. 10c woo!

Dicey

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #19 on: January 04, 2018, 01:09:27 PM »
<-------- I live in Northern CA. We have weekly curbside recycling. All bottles with redemption value are recycled by the waste pick-up company. The proceeds are then funneled back into the community in the form of recycled products (think benches made of recycled material being placed in public areas) or in ways that promote recycling (think cool solar-powered macerating trash/rubbish bins throughout the CBD).

Removing recyclables from other's cans/bins is some sort of minor offense, but I don't think anyone much cares. Except maybe the guy who yells at everyone to get off his lawn and pick up after their dogs, lol!

MrZZFreedom

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #20 on: January 06, 2018, 08:52:22 AM »
MrZZFreedom's can/bottle collection strategy:
-My coworkers all know I collect bottles/cans, so they save them for me. I round their offices 2 times a week (I also take their non-deposit items and place them in my recycling bin at home)
-If I see a can on top of garbage in a can, I use the inverted bag technique to grab it
-In my kitchen I have two bins (old laundry baskets). 1 for cans and 1 for bottles. When full I toss them in reused bags and bring them to my garage. Cans go in paper bags or boxes to absorb whatever drips out
-When walking I make sure to visit the garbage cans in the parks. Again, inverted bag technique.
-When going to the super market I always visit the bottle/can return area and take all of the c/bs that the machines reject
-I keep plastic bags from the super market in my trunk of my car and always have 1 or 2 bags in my coat pocket. I try to reuse these a few times, then use them as bathroom garbage bags and garage garbage bags.
-When arriving at any store or appointment, I get there early and "walk the lot". I look for c/bs that people have tossed or left there. The wind generally pushes them to one side of the parking lot.
-I fill up my car at night with the bags of c/bs. On my way home from work I stop at the redemption center. It usually takes me two trips from car to building
-I make about $30 a car load and in the past 18 months I have made $309.85 (I did not record how much I made before this...)
*Double super bonus: The walking is good for me!

Anyone else have any ideas? What am I missing?

Eucalyptus

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #21 on: January 09, 2018, 06:47:52 PM »
Look's great MrZZFreedom!

Inverted bag technique is not a bad one. I might employ it, though in South Aus we don't have many supermarket bags any more as we have been going away from plastic for a long time.

I realised on Monday night while I was out for a run that a section of my suburb close to home had their recycling bins out for Tues morning collection. It was gangbusters! I filled up three chook food bags very easily, then I ran out of bags so packed it in for the night. Need more bags! I didn't bother digging in bins as there are so many on the streets, especially from blocks of units. I'd just look at the top and if I couldn't see anything I would move to the next one. Thankfully it seems like its more a couple of people in my block of units that's hopeless at putting rubbish into recycling bins, these were all REALLY clean.

Tonight bins go out for the section close to me. I'm going to try and get a bit more, then on Saturday I'm going to deposit my stash made since starting this thread. I'll keep a running total for you all.

The excercise Monday night was fantastic. Plenty of walking, and, fantastic "Farmers Walk"ing with the big bags of bottles and cans. Once my Gym Membership expires in June I don't think I'll miss it for a while...Kettlebell and Chinups at home, plus at least two nights a fortnight of hard bottle collecting/farmers walks.

I might look up nearby councils to see what other suburbs I might hit up on other nights of the week when I don't have my daughter...

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #22 on: January 09, 2018, 07:53:35 PM »
Look's great MrZZFreedom!

Inverted bag technique is not a bad one. I might employ it, though in South Aus we don't have many supermarket bags any more as we have been going away from plastic for a long time.

I realised on Monday night while I was out for a run that a section of my suburb close to home had their recycling bins out for Tues morning collection. It was gangbusters! I filled up three chook food bags very easily, then I ran out of bags so packed it in for the night. Need more bags! I didn't bother digging in bins as there are so many on the streets, especially from blocks of units. I'd just look at the top and if I couldn't see anything I would move to the next one. Thankfully it seems like its more a couple of people in my block of units that's hopeless at putting rubbish into recycling bins, these were all REALLY clean.

Tonight bins go out for the section close to me. I'm going to try and get a bit more, then on Saturday I'm going to deposit my stash made since starting this thread. I'll keep a running total for you all.

The excercise Monday night was fantastic. Plenty of walking, and, fantastic "Farmers Walk"ing with the big bags of bottles and cans. Once my Gym Membership expires in June I don't think I'll miss it for a while...Kettlebell and Chinups at home, plus at least two nights a fortnight of hard bottle collecting/farmers walks.

I might look up nearby councils to see what other suburbs I might hit up on other nights of the week when I don't have my daughter...

Awesome!

I picked up 49 bottles on three walks around my suburb last week.

But now I have the problem... cannot unsee.

Driving a narrow, winding road south last week, all I could see were bottles along the shoulder, but there is nowhere safe to stop.

Fresh Bread

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #23 on: January 09, 2018, 08:14:10 PM »
Where are you going to take your sackfuls? Revesby is the only bulk place I can see in Sydney and that's $10 in tolls away. I feel a bit bad taking so many to my local milk Bar which is the nearest drop off point. I've only got two boxes worth (ie personal use for 2 months).

Serendip

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #24 on: January 09, 2018, 10:30:28 PM »
Great idea.
 I live in a strata which has a common recycling area and many tourists visit here. There are always loads of bottles and cans in the recycling..I might try to put a bag where people could place them so that I don't have to dig through the bins (my partner would be more bothered than the neighbors. ha!)

The other day when I visited the liquor store to return our personal bottles, the cashier actually thanked me TWICE for bothering to bring them in.
Apparently it is becoming quite rare for anyone to bother :(

mustachepungoeshere

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #25 on: January 09, 2018, 10:41:07 PM »
Where are you going to take your sackfuls? Revesby is the only bulk place I can see in Sydney and that's $10 in tolls away. I feel a bit bad taking so many to my local milk Bar which is the nearest drop off point. I've only got two boxes worth (ie personal use for 2 months).

I've cashed in more than 200 so far.

The majority have been at Revesby, though that machine is usually full, surrounded by ineligible bottles, empty beer cartons and plastic bags, and invariably has a queue of people with trolleys full of containers.

Last time we gave up on Revesby and went to the BP at Condell Park; no queue and it was spotless.

There is an over-the-counter drop-off site in my suburb but some of the bottles I've picked up have been dusty or damaged, and I don't want to subject anyone else to that.

Eucalyptus

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #26 on: January 10, 2018, 04:27:38 AM »
We have lots of good recycling centres here in SA as we've had deposit scheme for so long. I'll probably go to the nearest Scout Recycling Centre as the profits they make go back into Scouts SA.

okisok

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Re: Bottle/Can deposit....scabbing from my neighbours' bins
« Reply #27 on: March 20, 2018, 08:58:49 PM »
This thread inspired me to step up my 'picking up cans' game. In the past, I'd grab one that was in my path and toss it into the recycling bin. After reading these success stories, I've made more of an effort. When I walk the dog, I take two bags; one for her business, and one for my 'side gig'. At my local scrap metal dealer, it's $0.50/lb. Three months of paying attention and rarely going out of my way netted me $15.

I took some of the advice here. The 'inverted bag technique' to get a can that might be squidgy had been very helpful. I won't go after cans that are more than arm's length in a trashcan or that look like they've been used for chewing tobacco. My favorite ones are the cans that have been smashed in the street that are perfectly flat and dry.

I figure $60/year for walking my dog--I'll take it :)
But I *can't unsee* either!