Flattened Cans

Two bread bags full of flattened soda and beer cans ready to go to the recycle shop. Bags from full 800 gram loafs, the cans make a bit over 600 each. Which, at €2,30 per kilo will pay me €2,80 or close to that. All collected in about six weeks, just picking them up from street litter while being on the way to or from work or groceries.

Deposit cans unfortunately loose their value when flattened by cars or by being trampled by feet. Though I think that's unfair I'm happy to get at least some money. It may not be much but if you think this is really considered trash by most people (even the homeless deposit collectors leave them) and the little effort it takes it's worth it. And on top some cans are non deposit anyway because from abroad or sold in multi packs so the producers can avoid the rules of charging it.

I do the same with plastic packaging an non deposit bottles, but there we talk about different volumes and prices and I'll dedicate another post to that.

Plastic Waste For Cash

This is real trash, plastic packaging. Milk packs of our own, accepted because of the plastic lining. Why collect and separate to cash it in for very little? In the past the only way to get rid of my own was the big grey bag. Then special containers came, not obliged but citizens were requested to drop the stuff there. No compensation. Being eco of course it did it. Just like for the glass jars and bottles that I've been used to since my earliest childhood. Then the city announced new machines in trash processing would do the job for the plastics and the containers disappeared. 

But not that long after the recycle shop opened and bringing the waste of my own plus what I find rewarded me in the beginning with €15 cents a kilo, now even 20.

The lot here is about 800 grams, good for about €17 cents. But I'll add another large bread bag full tomorrow afternoon or after tomorrow and will claim at least the 1 kilo at €20 cents or more. Is it worth the trouble for such petty cash? Definitely. I did the separating for nothing before. For dropping it off in the container I had to make a small detour on the way to groceries anyway. Now I make the detour to the recycle center instead, it only takes a couple of minutes extra for the administration to get my reward.

Plus sometimes I combine with other things like e-waste, flattened cans or textiles and shoes. Thus I have weekly additions of tiny amounts in my account that add up to once in a while help me through that one difficult day before the big pay comes.