Where to recycle bottles and cans? (Duane: closing, law, shop)

[FelixJ]

Where do you take bottles and cans to get them recycled? I know I SHOULD be able to take them to any store that I bought them from but I usually get a lot of attitude along with "We don't do that here".

I did find a Duane Reade to take them back but the clerk then put the bottles in the trash!

I don't so much care about the extra $.05 but I do like knowing that I'm recycling.

[Carbro]

Good for you, Felix!

My Food Emporium is pretty good about refunding and recycling bottles and cans.

Get Your Money Back - NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation

Whoops! I take that back about Food Emporium. They are a 24-hr. store, but they stop accepting returns at 9:00 pm. The webpage says only stores with closing hours are allowed to refuse returns for the first half hour after they open and the last half hour before they close.

If you continue to hit brick walls, I'd suggest calling your Assemblymember or State Senator.

[UpstaterInBklyn]

A lot of stores in NYC refuse to take bottles back. There seems to be no real enforcement of the law and no penalty for ignoring them.

If you want to make sure the bottles are recycled, just put them in with the rest of the recyclables.

Also, I have found that, on garbage nights, if I just place my empty five cent bottles at the curb in a separate clear bag, they always get picked up by someone willing to redeem them for the nickels.

Personal Footnote: the NYS "Bottle Bill" is completely nonsensical because it applies only to carbonated beverages (soda and beer). Water and juice bottles, which now outnumber soda and beer bottles, are not subject to the deposit and thus, create a lot of litter and take up space in landfills. Apparently beverage distributors are politically powerful enough have made sure the corrupt NYS legislature keeps it that way.

[joe moving]

Can I return bottles that say NY 5c on them in NY if they were actually bought in NJ?

[Viralmd]

Originally Posted by joe moving

Can I return bottles that say NY 5c on them in NY if they were actually bought in NJ?

Nope, you're not supposed to do that. That's call 'STEALING,' because there's no deposit in NJ. Some stores ask for the receipt showing you bought the product at THAT specific store.

[joe moving]

OK. But what about the vending machines that do it?

And don't we send boy scouts on trips to Michigan to return bottles for 10/each?

[merillo5]

Any big supermarket will take them. Shoprite,Pathmark etc.. If a can says NY5 I will return it no matter where it was purchased.

[joe moving]

But is this really illegal? Is this "fraud" - is that what we are instilling in our boyscouts?

My thought was to help pay towards gas for a nice weekend day into NY.

[yasky]

Please, does anyone know a place in Manhattan, Brooklyn or Queens that has those vending machines so you can get money back for the cans?

[NooYowkur81]

Originally Posted by yasky

Please, does anyone know a place in Manhattan, Brooklyn or Queens that has those vending machines so you can get money back for the cans?

I've seen some of the big markets with lots in the outer boroughs have those machines.