Recycling picks up as the payout increases
I remember when recycling machines first made their appearance in front of grocery stores. I was still a kid, and one day there were three new machines about the size of soda vending machines in front of our Smith’s (wow, that was a long time ago). You could recycle your 2 liter soda bottles, aluminum cans, and small glass bottles there, and for every two plastic bottles, you got a nickel. My sister and I would divvy up the money, and it was about the coolest thing ever. You could hear the machine grinding up your recyclables, and we loved hearing the glass break the best. The machines didn’t seem to last long, and soon the city forced you to participate in their own recycling deal. We had a big red trash bin with DART written on the side — Downey At-Home Recycling Team. We didn’t get paid anymore and it wasn’t nearly as fun, but we were able to recycle more, like newspapers and plastic bags.
Later on we discovered the recycling center nearby in Paramount, and we started making money again. Then I moved to San Francisco and wasn’t able to, especially because I didn’t have a car up there, and had to just watch other people pick through our garbage and steal our recycling. It irritated me and still does, but after today’s article in the LA Times about the increased payouts for recycling, I can see why. Every time you buy a six-pack or a bottle of wine, you pay a CRV. It may just be four or five extra cents on your bill, but that adds up quickly. Why not get that money back? A few years ago your month’s recycling could have paid for a tank of gas, before a gallon of gas cost more than a gallon of milk. (One of my economy teacher’s arguments that Americans gripe too much about gas was the fact that milk cost more than gas — now can I complain? I don’t even drink milk!) If you have kids and they’re always nagging you for more money, why not put them in charge of recycling and let them have the cash? It’ll teach them to be more conscientious about their trash and cleaning up after themselves, and they’re earning the money.
Leave a Reply