# When aluminum can collectors sell their cans at the scrap dealer approx how much is each can worth? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 11, 2009, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-aluminum-can-collectors-sell-their-cans-at-the-scrap-dealer-approx-how-much-is-each-can-worth/506032 "2009-08-11T05:03:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Henrichek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5daacb/32.png) [@Henrichek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henrichek)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-aluminum-can-collectors-sell-their-cans-at-the-scrap-dealer-approx-how-much-is-each-can-worth/506032/21 "2009-08-12T10:02:06Z")
> [@gazpacho](#): > > I would be really interested to know what percentage of the deposits are redeemed. Here in Sweden, 85% of the can deposits are redeemed. I don’t know how large share of that is by the original depositor though. ---
**Author:** ![jharvey963](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/54ee81/32.png) [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-aluminum-can-collectors-sell-their-cans-at-the-scrap-dealer-approx-how-much-is-each-can-worth/506032/22 "2009-08-12T16:01:37Z")
Last time I recycled my cans here in California I got $1.74 per pound – which is about 6.2 cents per can. This is a little better than the CRV (California Redemption Value) of 5 cents a can. J. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-aluminum-can-collectors-sell-their-cans-at-the-scrap-dealer-approx-how-much-is-each-can-worth/506032/23 "2009-08-12T16:07:44Z")
Quick question: Here in Vermont, we also have deposit on liquor bottles (15 cents, and just hard liquor, not wine.) Does any other state do that? ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-aluminum-can-collectors-sell-their-cans-at-the-scrap-dealer-approx-how-much-is-each-can-worth/506032/24 "2009-08-12T16:35:14Z")
> [@Henrichek](#): > > Here in Sweden, 85% of the can deposits are redeemed. I don’t know how large share of that is by the original depositor though. California has similar numbers 83% of cans. However they don’t break things down as to curbside recycling or individuals bringing the cans into a redemption center. > **[California Department of Conservation](https://www.conservation.ca.gov)** > > With a team of scientists and other dedicated professionals, the Department of Conservation administers a variety of programs vital to California's public safety, environment and economy. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-aluminum-can-collectors-sell-their-cans-at-the-scrap-dealer-approx-how-much-is-each-can-worth/506032/25 "2009-08-12T16:42:06Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > [28 cans per pound.](http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_does_an_empty_aluminum_can_weigh) > > so around 1/4 American cent per can? The updated answer in this link says 32.5 cans per pound. The Ball corporation has been reducing the weight for years and says they get 34 per pound. [http://www.ballcorporate.com/page.jsp?page=173](http://www.ballcorporate.com/page.jsp?page=173) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-aluminum-can-collectors-sell-their-cans-at-the-scrap-dealer-approx-how-much-is-each-can-worth/506032/26 "2009-08-12T16:46:09Z")
> [@ghardester](#): > > You are paying for the deposit one way or another, if you wish to throw away $100-$200 per year why not just throw them out the window and let the bums profit from your largesse? > > It is only meant as an incentive not to throw them away. If you wish to throw them away go right ahead. By **gazpacho** “I just put them in my curbside recycling bin” he is actually reducing the cost of trash pick up. Of course he gets no direct benefit, but the value of whatever the city gets from recycling is used to subsidize pick-up. So, he’s not “throwing them away” by any means. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-aluminum-can-collectors-sell-their-cans-at-the-scrap-dealer-approx-how-much-is-each-can-worth/506032/27 "2009-08-19T00:21:29Z")
> [@ghardester](#): > > It is only meant as an incentive not to throw them away. If you wish to throw them away go right ahead. It’s also meant as an incentive to not litter them all over the place. It’s worked pretty well in that regard, at least in Michigan. If some cretin does throw a bottle/can on the ground, someone else will pick it up for the deposit. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-aluminum-can-collectors-sell-their-cans-at-the-scrap-dealer-approx-how-much-is-each-can-worth/506032/28 "2009-08-19T00:53:39Z")
> [@Henrichek](#): > > Ah, thanks. Here we have a national system where we pay a deposit for cans. Every grocery store has an automatic return station where you can reclaim the deposit. It’s so common here that I hadn’t considered that other countries do it differently. These automatic return stations are the work of Satan. Every third can gets rejected five times. You can’t crush the cans, so they take up a lot of space. In Oregon, you had to return the can to the specific store that sells the beverage. You have rotten beer dripping all over your hands as you bang on the machine that stalled and requires maintenance. I am much happier not getting any money for my cans. I can crush them, and just dump them in the bin with no hassle. ---
**Author:** ![Henrichek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5daacb/32.png) [@Henrichek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Henrichek)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-aluminum-can-collectors-sell-their-cans-at-the-scrap-dealer-approx-how-much-is-each-can-worth/506032/29 "2009-08-19T01:01:59Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > These automatic return stations are the work of Satan. Every third can gets rejected five times. You can’t crush the cans, so they take up a lot of space. In Oregon, you had to return the can to the specific store that sells the beverage. You have rotten beer dripping all over your hands as you bang on the machine that stalled and requires maintenance. > > I am much happier not getting any money for my cans. I can crush them, and just dump them in the bin with no hassle. Hehe. I haven’t had such problems here very often. We have a countrywide system here and you can return the cans at any grocery store. It usually works smoothly. Our machines read the barcode, and then down the rabbit hole it goes. Some foreign cans are rejected though. I agree with the other complaints. It is really a chore to align the barcode and wait for the machine to swallow each can when you have a plastic bag or two full of them. For those who have kids it’s usually not hard to delegate it to them, as long as they get to keep the profits. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-aluminum-can-collectors-sell-their-cans-at-the-scrap-dealer-approx-how-much-is-each-can-worth/506032/30 "2009-08-19T16:56:27Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > It’s also meant as an incentive to not litter them all over the place. It’s worked pretty well in that regard, at least in Michigan. If some cretin does throw a bottle/can on the ground, someone else will pick it up for the deposit. I remember when Michigan put their deposit system into place. Before that, I used to see beer cans all over the road side on the drives to visit my grandparents. Then one day, _POOF_, not a beer can to be seen. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-aluminum-can-collectors-sell-their-cans-at-the-scrap-dealer-approx-how-much-is-each-can-worth/506032/31 "2009-08-19T18:55:43Z")
Cans are wonderfully recyclable, but the real shame is that glass bottles are even more so, but very few places exist where you can do so. A bar I used to work for recycled all their bottles back in the 70s. They had bins for clear, green and brown and a service picked up all of them and recycled the glass using far less energy than it takes to turn an old can into a new one. Apparently either the garbage business figured out that it was more profitable to not recycle (a full dumpster is money) or the lawyers got involved and decided that bins of glass were too much of a liability. I’d love a glass recycling system for bars that would crunch all the bottles as they were deposited, reducing the volume required. Then the crunched bits would be picked up in a dedicated container and taken back to the recycling center where the bits would be washed to remove labels and sorted by color. It wouldn’t be that difficult a piece of engineering. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-aluminum-can-collectors-sell-their-cans-at-the-scrap-dealer-approx-how-much-is-each-can-worth/506032.md?page=1)