# I Need Info From Someone In Michigan About Aluminum Cans



## Anonymous (Feb 3, 2013)

Hello members,

Does anyone in Michigan know the facts about the aluminum cans and payouts per can? The reason I'm asking is that on a 12 pack of sodas my wife and I purchased yesterday, it says on the side of the can the payout for the cans. Michigan, according to all the States mentioned, pay the most, which says $0.10 per can. Other States like IA, CT, MA, NY, VT are paying $0.05 per can.

My questions are:
*1)* is it really $0.10 or even $0,05 PER can?
*2)* is there a minimum weight to get that amount?
*3)* do they pay the same amount or more for aluminum cans that are larger? 
*4)* do the cans have to be crushed or uncrushed?
*5)* can they be any brand beverage can or just the cans that have the payout listing?

If this is really the way I'm thinking, I'll sell all my cans to anyone and pay for the shipping whereas that person can turn them in and still make a profit. Most places that I know of only pay per pound. 

Any info will help.

Kevin


----------



## jonn (Feb 3, 2013)

Not only is that unethical, it's VERY illegal. Be careful.


----------



## TomVader (Feb 3, 2013)

I guess your from Tennessee and they don't have a container deposit law there. I'm guessing that containers sold in states without a deposit law are distinguishable from those sold in states with a deposit law, in that case, bringing them to a redemption center would not get you a refund.
The deposit only has to do with accountability, not the scrap value of the cans. The deposit provides an incentive for consumers to return containers (and not fling them out of car windows), and maintains a steady supply of easily recycled aluminum, glass or plastic. The cans or bottles have to be intact in order for the UPC's to be read, crushing them would make that impossible. I think that without crushing the cans, the cost of shipping them any distance would outweigh the amount you could get for the deposit.
I live in NY state and I remember when there was no deposit law here. The streets of Buffalo were littered with broken glass and crushed cans and all manner of garbage. Shortly after the deposit law went into effect the streets started to look a lot better. I didn't mean to give you a personal history, I'm just in a talkative mood. I hope I answered your question.


----------



## macfixer01 (Feb 3, 2013)

testerman said:


> Hello members,
> 
> Does anyone in Michigan know the facts about the aluminum cans and payouts per can? The reason I'm asking is that on a 12 pack of sodas my wife and I purchased yesterday, it says on the side of the can the payout for the cans. Michigan, according to all the States mentioned, pay the most, which says $0.10 per can. Other States like IA, CT, MA, NY, VT are paying $0.05 per can.
> 
> ...




I'm either missing something in your post, or maybe you're a little confused? You do realize that 10 cents per container is the amount of the "Deposit", correct? Whenever you buy your soda pop or beer in Michigan you pay the store 10 cents per can or bottle on top of the actual beverage cost. When you return the empty containers to the store you get your 10 cents apiece back. They aren't buying them for the aluminum or plastic value which I'm sure would be next to nothing anyway. The deposit is just to give the empty container enough value so people won't throw them away. It serves to encourage recycling and to reduce bottles being thrown out on the roadside from passing cars. There is no deposit on non-carbonated beverages like juice. Why I don't know, it's just the way the law was written.

That being said... A former employer of mine also had an office in Toledo and they used to buy cases of pop there in Ohio to fill the vending machine in the Michigan office more cheaply. The cans all have exactly the same bar code though. I know of some people who returned them in the automated can-accepting machines at the grocery stores, and made themselves 10 cents per can. That is illegal btw.


----------



## butcher (Feb 3, 2013)

Sunday’s newspaper front page:
Man arrested for driving across state lines with a soda pop can: He paid deposit in one state and transported the said can across state lines to receive deposit his in the next state over, this criminal said he was unaware of the law. He shall be sentenced next week, and persecuted to the full extent of the law. :lol: 

I do not Know the law or if there is one of carrying pop cans across state lines,a long time ago I one made a trip back to Kentucky, and brought back home a truck load of coke bottles, back then they were two cents if sold in Kentucky and 5 cents if sold in Texas, I had an empty truck bed, was making the trip anyway, and got the pop bottles for free, they did not need them any longer to hold up the tobacco nets, I never did think I was a criminal, darn I am glad some state trooper did not pull me over, I would hate to be labeled a criminal who sold a few pop bottles. 

Here you pay 5 cents deposit on the can, the cans have to be UN-crushed when returned, if damaged you do not get back the deposit, they give you 5 cents back on deposit, so you loose money on the damaged cans (or bottles that bar code cannot be read, also the stores will usually only take the brands they sell, so if you buy off brands or take them back the other store may not pay for them.
Here many people just smash those bad cans and sell them to the scrap yard as aluminum or haul them across the border into California (who buys crushed cans I assume by the pound).

They did this to try to get people to stop throwing their can out onto the side of the road, I guess it has helped to slow that down some, but the whole thing has become one big mess in other ways, people (who drink a lot of these kind of drinks losing money on deposits, everybody having problems dealing with cans Un-crushed (which are just melted back down for aluminum), think how much more cans an 18 wheeler tractor trailer truck could haul if the cans could be crushed. 

I suppose most every state is different some recycle the cans by the pound crushed.
I do not see where you could profit much shipping or transporting cans across the county, even if it was or was not lawful.
With all of the stupid laws that have been written and passed, I would not doubt it was some state or federal crime to transport a coke can across state lines.


----------



## Anonymous (Feb 3, 2013)

Thanks for all the replies.

I just was curious and wanting to verify if that was true or not and get a better understanding of how it works. I do live here in Tennessee, but I'm from New Jersey. I have been saving cans for years, and then after awhile (especially when they're paying more for them) then I turn them in crushed.

I do remember years ago here in TN they would give $0.05 deposit when you would bring back the glass Coke bottles. The store is still there, but I'm not sure if they still do it.

Since the cans would need to be uncrushed anyway, I wouldn't ship them because I wouldn't make any money.


Kevin


----------



## joem (Feb 4, 2013)

I just bring my cans into the scrap yard, A garbage size bag full gives me 4 bucks (it's not my regular thing but I will bring them when I have them)
But 2 liter plastic pop bottles are taken back in Quebec ( I'm on the border between Ontario and Quebec) you just feed them into a crusher machine and when your done they spit out a cash voucher you cash in or spend in the store where the machine is at. It's not my thing but I have met scrappers picking bottles out of the recycler bins. The law is not enforced much about it.


----------



## Smack (Feb 4, 2013)

10 cents here in Michigan for deposit. I guess it's been 5 or 6 yrs. ago now but some people got busted bringing cans back here in semi trailers, they got caught with over 200k in returnables.


----------



## kkmonte (Feb 15, 2013)

There was a Seinfeld episode where Krammer and Newman filled the mail truck with soda cans to return to a different state! Great stuff!


----------



## ryanlee (Jul 29, 2014)

Here is the latest news about it. I hope it could help you. Recycling is great for the earth and good for industry, as it means supplies could be used again and again. However, those states which motivate recycling through container deposit redemption, such as a dime for every beer bottle one turns in, are getting punished for their good deeds.

This moron just bought a one way ticket off the board. So this makes sense, his link was removed. 

We don't permit spam.

Harold


----------



## Irons (Jul 29, 2014)

It's much more profitable to hire inmates out to a private contractor than having them pick up cans on the side of the road. There are people who depend on slobs to discard their empties on the roadside, rather than being caught with an open container by the Police. Make a Law, Make a business. 8)


----------

