Ever wonder about the coercive recycling practices in New York, California, and other coastal enclaves? These state and municipal governments simply know what the neighborhood vagrant has been telling you for years: those discarded bottles are worth their weight in gold! Or nickels.
Nineteen states, including New York, California, Maryland, and Massachusetts currently pay top dollar for returned bottles and cans, the former netting the savvy alley collector five cents per. While this may not sound like much (pocket change!), as many readers are likely learning, every little bit counts, particularly with the price of microbrewed beer holding steady at $10 a six pack. So put those empties to use.
Don't live in a state that boasts bottle bills or their equivalent? Try your hand at the Kramer method: simply pool your resources with the area "guy with a van" (or mail truck) and make a run for the border--the Michigan border. The Wolverine State is the promised land of cross border recycling raids, with its ample collection facilities, generous ten cent refund rate, and proximity to a handful of populous and recycling-retardant midwestern cities. A note of caution: some jurisdictions are catching on to these guerilla tactics, so strike while the iron is hot!
For the more ambitious, consider the industrial route: copper wiring and piping, discarded sheet metal, and abandoned radiators fetch a premium, as does platinum wiring from catalytic converters. These materials should be abundant as waterfront condo developments and fuel-intensive autos are left derelict in the months ahead. And while these methods were popularized by local shopping cart men and lovable ne'er-do-wells like the Wire's Bubbles, NP sees no reason that they should not go mainstream in the very near future.
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