You can recycle plastic bottles and aluminum cans for cash through the bottle bill program if you reside in one of the 11 participating states. The bill allows retailers to collect a small deposit when they sell anything in certain containers. The deposit is redeemable when the containers are returned to a recycling center. You could also earn some money selling aluminum cans to scrap metal dealers.
Instructions
1. Check for a recycling center close to you at websites such as Earth 911 and RecyclingCenters.org. Enter your zip code or address in the address field. Enter the materials in the keywords field. For instance, enter "aluminum cans" or "plastic bottles." Contact the center to see if it has specific rules for what it will accept.
2. Check the print on the container for its redeemable value. As of 2012, California pays 5 cents for containers under 24 ounces and 10 cents for larger items. Connecticut, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Massachusetts, Maine, New York and Vermont pay 5 cents. Oregon pays 2 cents for refillable containers, and 5 cents for other containers. Michigan pays 10 cents for anything.
3. Empty and rinse the containers. Separate the plastic bottles from the cans, and place each in a clear plastic bag or clearly labeled box. Remove the caps from the plastic bottles, but don't remove the labels.
4. Turn in the items at the recycling center. Refunds are based on the redeemable value or by total weight of each material. If there's an option, tell the attendant how you prefer to be paid.
Tags: pays cents, plastic bottles, recycling center, aluminum cans, redeemable value