Monetizing Cans — A Dutch Experiment \ stacker news ~econ

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725 sats \ 9 comments \ @bitcoingraffiti 18 Jun econ

The Dutch government recently implemented a new law regarding the recycling on tin cans that has monetized this form of trash. You can now hand in most coca cola, 7-up, or whatever brand tin at your local supermarket for 0.15 eurocent per piece.

This new incentive has people now opening up trashcans everywhere around the city and scavenging them for this monetary reward. Some guys are even using grapples and magnets to reach the hard to get cilinders. It appears that for some this has become their new job and they hand in full cart loads of this trash for the reward.

The receipts for this collection effort can only be exchanged for food, i.e. it is a discount on your grocery bill.

I wonder whether the best of them even exchange the receipts for a discount but to receive cash, as they've gone beyond their sustenance needs and require something more liquid. Or they might stack some kind of food item that maintains its value over time... who knows what this new economy is creating for interesting kinds of behavior.

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142 sats \ 3 replies \ @Scoresby 18 Jun

Bottle deposits (and the refunds you collect returning them) are awesome. I knew many people for whom this was a full time gig. They weren't making much, but for whatever reason it made sense for them.

I have a pretty vivid memory of making a train of ten or twelve shopping carts and roaring through the midnight streets of Vancouver collecting a major haul with one particularly industrious fellow. He made pretty good money.

67 sats \ 2 replies \ @Undisciplined 18 Jun

I collected cans with a friend when we were kids. It sounds like this is creating a bunch of extra mess though, as people rip open garbage bags looking for cans.

42 sats \ 1 reply \ @Scoresby 18 Jun

Once people are used to the idea, I think far fewer deposit cans end up in the trash and tearing it up isn't fruitful. It's at least better than single sort recycling.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined 18 Jun

I imagine so, but I always enjoy a little irony.

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @Signal312 18 Jun

When you say tin cans - do you mean aluminum drink cans? Or do you mean the cans that, for instance, tuna fish or canned vegetables come in?

For aluminum, that's been valuable to recycle for a long time now. As a matter of fact, I remember taking long walks along the road with the family as a kid, we could collect aluminum cans, crush them, and then when we had a bagful, take them to the metal scrap shop to sell.

THAT was true recycling. Most of what is called recycling today seems like an awful waste or resources.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @bitcoingraffiti OP 18 Jun

silly me, I mean aluminum drink cans; thank you for the correction

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Signal312 18 Jun

No problem. I'm actually surprised that it's taken that long, because like I said - aluminum is actually something that's worth it to recycle.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @rootmachine 18 Jun

I always applaud the fact that people are recycling. I am sad that it had to come to money incentives to do so. Maybe at some point they will drop the deposit on bottles/tins/etc and people will still keep the habit of recycling. Yet, I would appreciate if indeed they would not rip the trash bags everywhere... :)

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @bitcoingraffiti OP 18 Jun

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