« The Busy-ness of Life | Main | Why Books Are Made of Paper, Not Squirrels »
October 14, 2004
The Wonders of Can and Bottle Recycling
Last Thursday, my wonderful friend Rachel introduced me to the act of "getting your depost BACK" by recycling cans and bottles at the supermarket. I asked her, "Why do you say 'back'? Aren't you just getting extra money by recycling them?" "Nooooo!!!" she says. "The supermarket adds the 'deposit' to your bill every time you purchase a deposit-laden item, and so if you don't return the bottles/cans, you are actually losing money!" *
So, when we arrived at Meijer, we proceeded to the rear of the store, to the Cans/Bottles area. Sure enough, they have these fancy machines with LCD screens and a circular shoot chute, into which you stick your bottle/can. Having quite the large bag of cans, i started loading up the shoot chute... Immediately the screen started flashing, telling me i had too many cans in there, and i have to insert them one at a time. ??!!?? Why in the world would a bottle/can crusher need them inserted singly? So i did, and suddenly i found my answer. These fancy machines are SO fancy that they actually scan each bottle/can that is inserted, so that they know the bottle/can was indeed purchased in a state that collects deposits. And it does this scanning by rotating the bottle/can until it finds what it is looking for (the barcode?). Only then does it suck in the bottle/can (cans get pushed one way, and bottles get pushed the opposite way in the crusher [different mechanisms i guess] ). After all that, a little $0.10 appeared on the screen, and the machine was happily waiting for another bottle/can. Encouraged, i inserted another, the smile widening on my face as i watched the bottle/cans spin magically and get scanned and crushed. The machine can even do 2-liter bottles! So, after much enjoyment, Rachel finished with her bags of bottle/cans and i did mine, and we ended up with quite a tidy little bit of money, to spend as we wished at Meijer :) Pretty cool, if i do say so myself :)
The grand state of Pennsylvania, my home, does not do this, by the way... Thanks Rachel, for suggesting this topic!
* not exact words but that's the gist of what she said ;)
Posted by MaTT at October 14, 2004 12:42 AM
Comments
This post is so beautiful and full of wide-eyed enthusiasm PLUS environmental friendliness. PLUS not losing money. PLUS I suck.
Posted by: srah at October 14, 2004 06:08 PM
Yay for blog-worthy life-happenings! :)
Posted by: MaTT at October 14, 2004 10:30 PM
PLUS it's a "chute." Nitpicky Spelling Girl to the rescue once again!
Posted by: srah at October 15, 2004 05:41 PM
Even if it wasn't a 'deposit' I'm not sure why you wouldn't want to get paid for recycling. :)
Here is a report about the Michigan Bottle Bill. It's not altogether that interesting, but I skimmed it and found it informative concerning the theory and history that I mentioned to you at the time:
http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3313_3677_3699-60932--,00.html
Glad I could help you find something blogworthy in your otherwise boring and painfully unexciting life in Ann Arbor, where you never go to fun parties, weddings, Big10 football games, or hang out with your wonderfully brilliant friends... ;)
Posted by: Rachel at October 16, 2004 12:23 PM
Thank you Nitpicky Spelling Girl... And yes Rachel, i do have alot of things exciting things happening in my life - i guess i don't like blogging that much - just when i find a particularly quirky or unusual thing. And i write so much that i can't post a tiny blurb without telling everyone the backstory :(
Posted by: MaTT at October 16, 2004 01:13 PM
Awww, no frownies! I jest! I like your verbosity *and* your blogging it. Someday maybe I'll have more than a duck that doesn't swim on my web(bed)page and you can jest with me right back...
Posted by: Rachel at October 18, 2004 03:09 PM
:) You need a blog too, so i can jest with you there...
Posted by: MaTT at October 18, 2004 04:47 PM
Indeed! Blog blog blog blog blog!
Posted by: srah at October 19, 2004 09:48 PM
Ahhh, the wonderful, surprising adventures of life! You never cease to amaze me! Wish we had this here in beautiful Pennsylvania!
Posted by: Mom at October 27, 2004 10:43 PM
Oh Mr. Matt!! You also paid a 5 cent deposit on all bottles and cans in your once and future resting place, I mean, home of New York. Michigan is a little more, shall I say, draconian (or environmentally-friendly--pssh) than NY.
Posted by: Kyle at December 7, 2004 04:18 PM