California CRV bottles and cans question

[hobo finds]

Went on a trip with the family to California, I knew that they had a bottle bill. $.05 each on cans/bottles under 24 oz. $.10 each for 24 oz. or larger. I thought I could just return my empties at the store when I went out and bought more water, beer, soda. Nope, have to go to a Calif Recycling Center. And I am unsure if I could have even cashed them in as I live in AZ. They pay by the pound or you can turn in 50 or less at face value. I left ours for the person who cleaned our room

[currencydebasement]

Many stores have "centers" in the parking lot outside. Really just a couple automated readers that take your containers and spit you out a receipt that can be cashed in at the store or the option to have them weighed. There is no container limit for the self-serve container by container method. There is a limit if you want the guy to count them by hand. Also, the state you reside in doesn't really matter, all that matters is that you paid the crv. It is still a PITA.

[HoardCopperByTheTon]

The high CRV is to encourage folks to recycle their bottles and cans. Even if they don't do it, the amount that they can be cashed in for often enougages others to pick ehm up. I am not aware of any limit on requesting a single count but it will genereally not be to your advantage unless you are doing a lot of water bottles which tend to be thinner and lighter. The DOC (Deparment of Conservation) actually does an annual survey at several recyling centers where they physically select several containers of each type and weigh them. The consolidated this data to to detemine the average # of containers per pound for each type of material. The weight to count ratio is pretty accurate. The other reason you would generally prefer selling them to the recycler by weight is that they often pay a premium over the minimum required by the DOC to compete with other recyclers for your business. The DOC sets the minimum that a legal recycling center can pay per pound for each type of material. The business can pay more than that, but they are never allowed to pay less. For example, currently the recylers are required to pay 1.57 per pound for alumimum cans. This would be 31.4 cans at a nickel each. My main center pays 1.95 per pound. The cans are baled up in half ton bales and sent out on a truck to a broker who pays us scrap value for the alumimum and the CRV. There are some folks who make pretty good money cleaning up after parties or cashing in all the containers they get from their janitorial business.

There is no way a store can properly process and store the various types of containers ecomically. It works much better when you do it by the ton.

[hobo finds]

So would I be able to get the CRV deposit back if I bought the cans / bottles in Calif and I live in AZ?

[barrytrot]

So would I be able to get the CRV deposit back if I bought the cans / bottles in Calif and I live in AZ?

Watch Seinfeld to see the results of that type of en devour

[hobo finds]

I paid the deposit when I was there! Just wanted my money back!!

[Thogey]

The high CRV is to encourage folks to recycle their bottles and cans. Even if they don't do it, the amount that they can be cashed in for often enougages others to pick ehm up. I am not aware of any limit on requesting a single count but it will genereally not be to your advantage unless you are doing a lot of water bottles which tend to be thinner and lighter. The DOC (Deparment of Conservation) actually does an annual survey at several recyling centers where they physically select several containers of each type and weigh them. The consolidated this data to to detemine the average # of containers per pound for each type of material. The weight to count ratio is pretty accurate. The other reason you would generally prefer selling them to the recycler by weight is that they often pay a premium over the minimum required by the DOC to compete with other recyclers for your business. The DOC sets the minimum that a legal recycling center can pay per pound for each type of material. The business can pay more than that, but they are never allowed to pay less. For example, currently the recylers are required to pay 1.57 per pound for alumimum cans. This would be 31.4 cans at a nickel each. My main center pays 1.95 per pound. The cans are baled up in half ton bales and sent out on a truck to a broker who pays us scrap value for the alumimum and the CRV. There are some folks who make pretty good money cleaning up after parties or cashing in all the containers they get from their janitorial business.

There is no way a store can properly process and store the various types of containers ecomically. It works much better when you do it by the ton.

California is awsome!

The Department of Conservation?

I wish more folks would see the wisdom and beauty of California and see the priviledge of paying an extra 5 cents per beer.

Maybe if they raised it to 10 cents, California would be even cleaner and become more of a paradise and they would stay put...in California.

[HoardCopperByTheTon]

California is awsome!

The Department of Conservation?

I wish more folks would see the wisdom and beauty of California and see the priviledge of paying an extra 5 cents per beer.

Maybe if they raised it to 10 cents, California would be even cleaner and become more of a paradise and they would stay put...in California.

Staying put.. don't want to have to move the hoard.

You are not paying an extra nickel for that beer.. you are only paying the nickel to rent the bottle. And you get a 100% return of your rental fee if you aren't too lazy to turn your bottles in. Otherwise your nickel is just a convenience fee.

[HoardCopperByTheTon]

So would I be able to get the CRV deposit back if I bought the cans / bottles in Calif and I live in AZ?

For small quantities you will probably be ok.. even with an AZ ID. If you have a truckload like the Seinfeld episode, you are going to have problems. Plus recycle transactions over $100 must be paid by check.. thanks to the copper thieves.

[Robarons]

In Michigan we get .10 per UNCRUSHED can that can be accepted by machine. Your bottle or can crushed or unreadable? Sorry Joe you lost your 10 cents deposit. So at 31.4 cans a pound you get $3.14 a pound of cans here for uncrushed cans bought in the sate of Michigan

In the bottle return area it says bringing out of state bottles will net you up to 90 days in jail or a $500 fine. The machines tend to kick back the out of state cans anyways.

[creshka46]

In Michigan we get .10 per UNCRUSHED can that can be accepted by machine. Your bottle or can crushed or unreadable? Sorry Joe you lost your 10 cents deposit. So at 31.4 cans a pound you get $3.14 a pound of cans here for uncrushed cans bought in the sate of Michigan

In the bottle return area it says bringing out of state bottles will net you up to 90 days in jail or a $500 fine. The machines tend to kick back the out of state cans anyways.

Yeah, I grew up in Michigan. I remember as a kid going camping with the family and I would scavange for cans and bottles under the boardwalk and around the dumpsters in order to buy candy. I thought it was hard work, but in hindsight, it was actually a pretty lucrative operation for a kid with nothing but time on his hands.

[hobo finds]

"You are not paying an extra nickel for that beer.. you are only paying the nickel to rent the bottle. And you get a 100% return of your rental fee if you aren't too lazy to turn your bottles in. Otherwise your nickel is just a convenience fee."

I see it as a loan of 5 cents to California, with the person who loaned it to be responsible to get the money back!

[henrysmedford]

So would I be able to get the CRV deposit back if I bought the cans / bottles in Calif and I live in AZ?

Watch Seinfeld to see the results of that type of en devour

[hobo finds]

I bought a 30 pack of beer
2 cases of btl water
and a 12 pack of soda while I was there!

So California owed me $4.50!!!

[OtusLotus]

As far as I can remember, the only ones that make out in this whole process are the can producers!