The thrill of the hunt! Walking to work one day, the two of us wondered whether those humble trash pickers are really laughing their way back to McMansions in Jersey. So we decided to find out for ourselves. Armed with the only granny cart we could find, a handful of empty trash bags and a few hours to kill, we hit the streets of Boerum Hill at 11 a. The first few buildings on our block alone suggested a fruitful harvest, despite the disgusted leers from neighbors and passersby who seemed to be, judging by their faces, slightly reviled.

Or maybe it was just their concern that trash picking had become the latest breaking trend among the young white males of Brooklyn, right up there with Dumpster diving and boat shoes.

Three blocks down, the easy access to trash cans in the front yards of the Boerum Hill brownstones and apartment buildings was proving to be a boon: Our cart was filling up quickly. Boerum Hill had a lot of Bud Light on this particular day, and a lot of wine bottles, which were no good to us see the full list of redeemables and other official info. Turning up toward Gowanus, we hit a mineral reserve of malt beverage bottles and scooped them into the cart.

Bottles start to look like scattered nickels in the trash, making the whole thing like collecting coins in a Super Mario game: But I want it. The only direct competition we encountered came from an elderly lady on Bergen St. As we kept moving down the block, it became clear she had beaten us to the punch on this side of the street. We spilled hot, stale beer on ourselves, handled wet cigarette butts, and touched ancient mold and mysterious foodstuffs.

We touched goo of every consistency. Some of the pros we saw had gloves, but more were barehanded. A few pros were truly helpful, pointing us in the direction of more grocery stores when it was clear the machines at one store were busted, and informing us why some of our bottles were rejected they have to be from New York and the labels have to be intact so the machine can scan them.

Sorting through the trash involves a great deal of patience. By the time we were at Court St. It had been just under an hour and we already had an overflowing cart. Redemption So what can you earn? But trying to cash them in? That, using the technical term, is the bitch of it. The aluminum and plastic machines worked fine and printed our ticket after accepting most of our bottles. But the glass machines—at this Key Food and then at three more stores within a two-mile range we dragged our booty to—were broken, or had gotten filled up quick.

Take Met Food in Prospect Heights. We had been waiting for about 20 minutes, along with two other guys with bags of bottles, for a clearly-full bottle machine to be emptied.

Finally out onto the sidewalk walks a young guy, who pulls on his work gloves and proceeds to tell us… the machine is full. When should we come back? With an early start, we got a jump on the machines, so we arrived at the Fifth Ave. Key Food as soon as they opened the machines at 9 a. This involves knowing which products belong to which store, and sorting through the sticky mess of bottles before going into the store—all actions that lower your return on investment.

One big dude carting around two black bags nearly as large as he was said he had arrangements with different building supers to save him bags of bottles and cans. Ronald, a regular at the Fifth Ave. Key Food wearing a Mountain Dew fleece, told us he makes three or four hauls to cash in bottles and cans a week. One morning this week, Ronald, who lives in the nearby Gowanus projects, had six large yard-waste bags full of recycling in two carts. Ronald used to be more vigorous, collecting six days a week.

We also saw some great ingenuity: One impressive feat of engineering was an all-in-one bike-cart contraption picturedcomplete with baskets, bags, a place to store a trash grabber stick and even a water-bottle holder a reusable bottle, mind you.

Like it or not, these folks have become an important part of the New York ecosystem: New York state alone chugs through 2. So the bottle collectors are the only thing preventing those one-use plastic containers from eternal landfill damnation which is the fate of about about 30 million single-use containers every day.

If you find yourself in a rough patch where those extra nickels will make a big difference, two tips: While Brooklyn is big and thirsty enough that it produces enough bottles for everyone, getting to the stores or the redemption machines early will give you a jump on the window of time before the machines break or get filled up for the day.

Their yards provide easy access to trash cans you can pick through without trespassing too much.

A comparison shop of organic milk prices in Ditmas Park reveals prices are all over the place: What we discovered when we tried to work our way through the supermarket coffee aisles in search of the best brews you can buy in a can. For my rather limited money, the best trick for beating back the rising cost of groceries is maxing out on curiously affordable, endlessly versatile beans and grains from Goya. I just saw an ad by, I think, the Clean Air Council that says the plastic bottles used by Americans in one week would circle the globe times if laid end-to-end.

In trying and failing to find this video online I found this article from ABC. Aftermarket stocks for tikka t3 lite caveat for all you would-be bottle collectors out there: As you noted in your Gothamist comment, you guys are not a class act.

What would be classy is if you went back to the neighborhoods where you collected the bottles and cans and gave the money to the people who normally work those streets. Of course, that would require some work on your part. Give the guys schwab options trading seminars break.

They just spent hours sorting through trash to highlight how the poor and homeless make some extra income, and they DID talk to some of these people to see what it was like for them. In fact, I just saw that exact bike contraption filled with bags of recyclables go by on my morning trading post newspaper dayton ohio at 6 this morning.

I was so impressed, especially since these people basically do what most New Yorkers are too lazy to do: And on one final note, in Germany where it is legal to how to make money collecting aluminum cans on the street, they make a point to leave their glass bottles on the curb for the homeless to pick up.

This is true in Belize as well, where all the options trading amibroker bottles are used over and over until the label is all but worn off. Shawn, for the record, neither of the writers of this story commented on Gothamist. We did an experiment, posted our results, and left it at that. I remember a very elderly Chinese lady who collected seven days a week in Sydney.

Rumour had it that she had put all her kids through university. True or not, she was in really great shape. And for all the haters who say that money should be given to the regulars, you are right… But wrong. A one day experiment is not a make or break issue.

Will say the best message of this is simple: Separate redeemables from non-redeemables to make the lives of collectors better. He pulled out his money to pay for his groceries and I told him he should just apply the bottle deposit towards his bill.

Love this piece, it made me laugh.

How to earn extra money while unemployed wondered what they made. Near me we have guys that work in pairs and have carts with bags hanging off of it like cotton candy venders. Maybe Ill start saving my cans…extra cash for rent. If anything the best is to collect a certain amount of aluminum enough to fill a small size dumpster. Then bring it simply to a scrap metal yard and they will weigh it instead of sitting for three hours in front of a machine at the supermarket that spews out 5 cents a can…The best recommendation for a scrap yard is go to the largest because typically the smaller yards sell to the larger one thus give you less of a payout.

If you have larger items call a scrapper Like the show they usually post earn money from genealogy craigslist typically you can give it to them for free or price so they have some money in return. Any non ferrous metals can be sold how to make money collecting aluminum cans a yard.

Its a major business…. Want to know more about what your money is going toward? The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation […].

How to Make Money Collecting Bottles and Cans - The New York Times

How bout a deeper dive into why they make it so hard for people to get their money back? On principle, I want my legit deposit back that I paid for and it peeves me to have to deal with nonsense when I come back for my deposit.

What do the New York bottle pickers do with the bottles they find which are only redeemable in other states such as Connecticut or Maine? Do they just leave them lying or is there also a place to redeem them here in New York? I had a lot of empties and was thinking forex funny pictures listing them on EBAY ofcourse pick-up only at half value to avoid the hassle of returning it but most of these people who collect the cans probably are not internet types.

Is it possible to sell all of these in newyork? Is anybody knows recyling center in newyork? Your response is highly appreciated.

I was baffled at how you were making twice what I make an hour, but saw that you use bicycles and carts. I collect on feet and carry everything by hand intentionally for physical activity.

I tend to find stock market part 1920s america lot of food as well.

Hell, I remember once finding a dumpster full of packages of expired snickers peanut butter squares. Made off with easily 15 packages and it was all I ate for about 2 weeks. Afer y parents are deceased,I plan to collect soda cans and bottles from garbage. Beacuse my parents wrote a will that in scarsdale ny My sister and …. I put option intrinsic value formula not be welcome in a group home so I have no choice.

It seems like the problems lies with the consumer yet it is an interesting way to make money. Government assistance is frowned upon boo hoo. Funny- I almost hate posting this message because I feel like im letting folks in on a secret. You read a piece like this not knocking it and you walk away smirking thinking your job at bk or mcdonalds is much better. I live in NJ.

How I Made $1, Collecting Soda Cans at Work

The current price of cans is about. Seems work from home ashby de la zouch to sell it by the pound when you can get much more with the system in NY right?

Welp, that my friends is the mistake folks in NJ make. As this piece mentioned, you have to deal with quite a few hassles dealing with the machines to secure your profits? If your lucky enough to get in with some resteraunts or apartments you can beat a lot of folks to the punch but still- the time spent redeeming them. Having problems posting it however. I spend a lot of time in the city- I have witnessed fist fights over Arizona ice tea cans. If your lucky enough to get in with some resteraunts or apartments you can beat a lot of folks to the punch but still- the time spent redeeming them- well, as they say, work smart….

You can make a small fortune. Today for example- I spent 3 hours and grabbed about 70lbs. I average about lbs a week. If the current spot price is. To top it off? I can easily walk 10 miles and if im bored? Ill go back out and hit another 5 miles of roads. I make more then I do in the other 9 months. Just like trading stocks looks easy?

Only ones that make easy money on wallstreet are the slime you see on tv who front run you and cheat. I should know- I traded stocks for over a decade, and collecting cans is much easier. I get the last laugh however. We Americans are slobs- and you find a road that borders woods? I prefer the scenic roads of northern nj. I have done this for years. I always keep a few thousand lbs in my shed. One thing that has changed in the last decade?

The weight on these is more then double the average can. You walk into the weeds and see dozens of dimes shining on the ground. I figured id get a chance to return that laughter. I always wondered who drives around with large bottles of scotch or vodka. Youd be afraid to get behind the wheel if you see what I see each day. Anyone interested in some tips- id be happy to share.

It gets lonely spending all day walking the roads while everyone else is behind a computer screen. One of the largest recycling centers in Brooklyn is the Thrifty Beverages recycling center on McDonald Avenue. I keep reading how everyone is bringing their bottles back to the supermarket and putting them in the machines one by one. If you go to Thrifty Beverages they take them by the case or bag. If you need more informtion try the Thrifty Beverages recycling page at http: I always spot these deadbeats in the alley.

I have been saving up a bunch of recyclables, i even wash them to store them indoors so no stench attracts bugs or roaches. At the end of each month i would return my items back at whichever redemption center i can find around mey area.

I probably am able to find about a dollar a day, just from one location, and thought about finding different places to find more and see if i get luckier,also i would go at night, since early in the morning, people are already doing this around 6 a.

It disgusts me and I feel it is a massive time suck of a solution for a problem that could be handled more efficiently. I generally have one bag of seltzer cans and to redeem them I have to wait near the smelly, perpetually broken machines while people with shopping carts full of cans try to ignore me. Is there any way that I would be able to find out how many bottles and cans are redeemed on a month to month or yearly basis in New York State?

If the state care for helping the poor people who truly depends on the water bottles please done away with these machine that dont work and let people count they bottles have propper sites for drop off is sat for people to spend a whole day trying to get something to eat or buy some food change that machine into counting you bottles help the people out they deserve it.

Superb article and I think you can make a lot of money by collecting cans but glass bottles can help you to make more money than cans, I want to appreciate you for sharing such interesting article and I will also try to collect some and make some cash. Get a second job because YOU probably can. Notify me of followup comments via e-mail. EVENTS BEER BOOKS BEST OF BROOKLYN RENTALS About. Services How much money can you make collecting cans and bottles?

We tried it to find out shares. This hard work will make it rain nickels. Darcy builds his empire Redemption So what can you earn? A bike contraption, for serious bottle collectors only Like it or not, these folks have become an important part of the New York ecosystem: Tags bottle deposit bottles C-Town cans collecting bottles and cans collecting cans and bottles dumpster-diving Key Food Met Food recycling redeeming bottles redeeming cans redeeming cans and bottles.

Cheap cooking tricks Mar 29, 0. Naomi, I think that only works if your car is powered by Mr. Fusion the whole way. Nice bit of Brokevestigative journalism. Not enough pieces of this genre. Like the chart too-good stuff!

Such a good article, thanks for investigating. If your lucky enough to get in with some resteraunts or apartments you can beat a lot of folks to the punch but still- the time spent redeeming them Arizone ice tea. I just came home from returning my bottles and cans.

How to Make Money Collecting Aluminum Cans « Entrepreneurism :: WonderHowTo

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