Have you noticed when you purchase beverage in recyclable bottles, there is a CRV deposit paid on sales ? I drink San Pellegrino sparkling water and I get mine from Costco. I believe there are 12 bottles per box so this comes up to $1.20 deduction for CRV. I wonder how much am I paying for CRV deposits each year. The recycling center is close to my home so I thought I will experiment for a year.
What I meant by experiment is collecting recyclable bottles and cans for a year. I wanted to know how much refund can I get by recycling. I placed two large recycled bags from Daiso in my pantry. I collected all the bottles and cans labeled with CA CRV for a year or more.
When I filled the two bags with recycled plastic water bottles and San Pellegrino bottles, I went to the recycling center. I stood in line, a long line. I recalled standing behind an old Chinese woman, she was giving me pointers on what to do: unscrew the bottle caps and flatten the bottles. I supposed I looked out of place. Clearly, I was new in the recycling business. For a moment, I remembered feeling proud of being a Chinese who embodied the virtue of being hardworking and frugal. She had many ginormous bags filled with meticulously flattened bottles and cans. She probably accumulated $100 with of refund. I had 2 small bags compared to hers. After queuing for at least 45 minutes, my refund was around $11 plus. I thought it was a good first attempt.
Did I mention a long line? There was a hispanic woman with a shopping chart filled with recycled bottles glass and plastics. There was also a scrawny looking man in his beat up bicycle. He cycled by with some recycling finds, took a spot in the line by planting his stash then swished off to seek for more recyclable bottles and cans in the neighborhood.
I just brought my house and therefore money was tight. For the first time in many years, I was watching my spending. I do not spend frivolously just free to spend without putting much thought. I did not shop for new clothes or new shoes for almost a year. I was deliberate in my spending. I also discovered a convenient place to get my refund with short lines. Now that I looked back, my circumstances at that point made it acceptable to wait in line to get a $11 dollar.
Fast forward a few months, I changed my job and my financial situation improved. I continued to collect recyclable bottles and cans. The regular place where I get my refund was closed permanently. I had to go to different spot, back to the place that I went for my first refund. The line was long and it was a hot sweltering afternoon. I was determined to off load the stuff so I stayed in line. I had wine bottles. Apparently, these bottles are not labeled CA CRV. But I really don't care however the people in the line seem distraught about my stash of non-CRV bottles. I was being told again and again by different people that those wine bottles won't get me much. This time round, the crowd was dominated by people that collect recyclable bottles and cans for their livelihood. I stood in line for almost an hour and received less than $6. I could have used my time more wisely than standing in line for $6.
I continued to collect recyclable bottles until yesterday. It was trash day. I don't know what got over me. I decided to put all the recyclable bottles into the recyclable trash bin. I felt like a load off my shoulders. I am officially ending my experiment. Now I know I put around $20 worth of recyclable bottles and cans into the trash bin.
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