Where to redeem cans/bottles?

[guxx.livejournal.com]

I think Kappy's in Medford/Everett has a redemption center, but are there any places closer to Davis/Teele?

Thanks.

Comments

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

For non-alchoholic stuff, the Star Market in Porter and the Market Basket near Union Square. For beer cans/bottles, there's Downtown Wine & Spirits in Davis kitty-corner from the Goodwill store.

[turil.livejournal.com]

By state law, the store where you bought the original products has to redeem your deposit. There is no law that says they have to be pleasant while doing it though. Which is why some people prefer to sell their redeemables to a redemption center (for a bit less than the full deposit). It's your choice.

[ah42.livejournal.com]

Redemption centers take it back at less than the full deposit? I don't think that's even legal. They're already making (I think) 2 cents profit on each bottle/can.

[turil.livejournal.com]

Huh?

From what I understand, when you bring a redeemable back to the redemption center (or the machines at grocery stores), you only get a percentage of the deposit back. In other words, if you give them a 5¢ bottle, they will give you maybe 4 cents back. They then turn around and redeem the bottle for 5¢ and keep the 1¢ for themselves. I suppose some redemption centers are also recycling centers (cutting out the middleman) in which case, they just use the bottles and cans as raw materials for making new stuff that they can sell.

[ah42.livejournal.com]

MGL actually requires bottlers to reimburse dealers with the original 5¢ deposit, plus a 2.25¢ handling fee, for each item. (at a glance (http://www.bottlebill.org/geography/usa_mass.htm))

MGL also requires dealers to give consumers "a refund value of not less than five cents"

If you process enough, that 2.25¢ can give you a nice small profit.

[turil.livejournal.com]

Yes, but the difference is that the redemption centers are neither dealers not bottlers. There is no law that says the consumer can't sell the redeemable containers to a third party and there is no law saying that that third party can't bring the returnables back for the full refund.

The redemption centers are really just middlemen types who are happy to sell consumers a service. That service is fairly lame in my opinion, but some people find it easier to take all their returnables back to one location insead of the various stores they got the things from, and so the middlemen-types who run the redemption centers/machines make enough money to stay in business.

[ron_newman]

I remember when a "redemption center" was where you spent your Top Value Stamps or S&H Green Stamps ...

[ah42.livejournal.com]

Does Kappy's deal well with bulk returns? Say I filled up my truck with cans, and didn't want to deal with feeding them into a machine...

Back home, we had a place that let you fill up a hopper, and it counted them with a light sensor as they went down a chute. Could easily process a thousand cans in a couple minutes.

[guxx.livejournal.com]

I wound up redeeming x bottles and cans (beer and soda) at Kappy's today. They have machines where you feed one at a time in, the machine scans the barcode and if sold in the store, then it's crushed and you get a nickel printed on a receipt which you can redeem at the cashier.

But if the bottle is not sold at Kappy's (and I had a few of those), the machine shoots it back at you.

Is there a place that accepts all bottles, whether they sell it or not, and gives you the full refund?

[xjustquietx.livejournal.com]

I recycle my bottles at the Porter Square Shaw's and they give me the 5¢ back. I've taken bottles I didn't buy there and they accepted them - but not alcoholic beverages.

[ron_newman]

The Star Market machines do not accept Fanta Orange soda bottles. I guess they don't sell that brand there.

[simonbillenness.livejournal.com]

I just leave all my redeemables in my recycling bin every Monday night.

By Tuesday morning someone has taken all the redeemables. I'm happy to donate my deposits to someone else who needs the money more than I do.

[laklare.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm with you. Unless you're homeless, poor, or retired, I don't see any reason to mess around redeeming bottles for only a couple bucks (for a recycling bin sized pile) when you can leave them on the street and let someone else do the work and take what is to them a worthwhile sum of $. Trash-picking is good work that does more good for society than I do every day at my job. And it's probably more enjoyable than panhandling. It just doesn't pay much, which is why I'd rather someone else do it...

neighborhood alert

[nodozer.livejournal.com]

Attention people of Somerville, Do not be alarmed, but it is recommended you avoid going outside without an armed escort. This is especially true for any and all persons who may stumble upon the Davis Square or Prospect Hill areas.

We at the state animal control office have received information that leads us to believe that the she-pup who is in reality a male dog, and who answers to name of Mrs. McCarthy may have dropped a few of her spawn off in the area of the square or the hill, further investigation will be needed.

Mrs. McCarthy is known to scavange around the area of the somerville news. Where is that? Being new to the 'ville I am still feeling my way around. This cyber town is difficult to maneuver.

Mrs. McCarthy is a wily little he-she-pup, (she has been successfully treated for the rabbies she previously carried) but it is rumored her spawn are even more so....wily. As with people, the apples don't fall far from the tree...so be very careful when approaching.

This he-she-pup and her youngin's are known to carry a myriad of dis-ease and can be quite viscious if riled...rabies and scabie and tics...oh my!