How to make money recycling aluminum cans and plastic bottles

Recycling materials is not only good for the environment, but it can also be great for your wallet, making you some extra cash. The easiest way to recycle is aluminum cans and plastic bottles: they can be taken to recycling centers, which usually pay by weight or quantity. Keep reading this article to learn how to recycle aluminum cans and plastic bottles to make money.

Method
one
Getting ready for recycling
Image titled Recycle Plastic Bottles Step 15
one
For example, in the United States, some states have bottle recycling laws. Oregon was the first state to pass a bottle-turning law in 1971, under the leadership of Governor Thomas Lawson McCall. The Bottle Handling Act sets the price for any beverage container; consumers pay this money when they buy a drink and can return an empty container to get their money back. In practice, however, many people throw away the containers, so by collecting them, you can return your money invested.
If you live in the US, you can check these sites  to find out which states currently have bottle recycling laws. (A state may not have such a law, but if a person lives on the border with a state that has such a law, he can collect aluminum cans and plastic bottles in his state and turn them in for money in a neighboring state.)
For information about other countries regarding bottle recycling laws, see

Image titled Recycle Plastic Bottles Step 17
2
Find out the location of the nearest storage and recycling center. Collection centers that can pay you for aluminum cans by weight are usually located on the first floors of scrap metal and waste paper recycling firms. (Those located in paper recycling centers can also refund your used paper.) Centers that can refund you for aluminum and plastic containers, based on their number, can be found in supermarkets and large beverage stores – either in the store or near it.
Most centers have limits on how many containers a person can donate per day. These limits vary from 48 to 500 pieces, in general, it will be 144-150 pieces.
Image titled Recycle Step 15
3
Find out what exactly you can donate to such centers. Most of these centers accept bottles of carbonated drinks (beer and soft drinks), but some may also accept containers of non-carbonated drinks such as wine, liquor or bottled water. In addition, most stores will refund you for bottles of the brand names they sell in their stores.
Recently, some collection and recycling centers require that certain beverage containers have a sign indicating the company that supplies this drink to stores.
Jars and bottles must be clean, empty, relatively undamaged, and must be level. It is possible to straighten an aluminum can by inserting a wooden or metal rod inside and leveling the walls from the inside. (However, do not press hard, so as not to break the walls of the jar). Plastic bottles can be flattened by inhaling air into them.
Image titled Recycle Step 5
4
Look for a label that indicates that the jar or bottle is returnable. On aluminum cans, you can find such markings on the top or bottom. If we talk about bottles, then they have markings on the neck or on the sides, and sometimes on the lid itself.
Due to the fact that cans and bottles are marked in this way directly at the factory, the marking indicates where such containers can be returned. A jar or bottle does not have to be donated at a specific location, it is quite possible to have a container that you cannot rent at your place of residence.
Remember that if a can or bottle is not labelled, you can still recycle it, such as taking it to a recycling center or taking advantage of your city’s container recycling program.

Method
2
Selling bottles and cans
Image titled Get Money for Recycling Step 4
one
Gather the right amount of jars and bottles. Turning in a kilo of aluminum cans or 6-12 soda bottles at a time won’t make you much money and will likely spend more on gas than you get. Try to collect as many cans as your collection center accepts and/or a few full bags of aluminum cans; you can also visit more than one center to turn everything in if necessary.
By collecting aluminum cans and plastic bottles, you can store them in your garage or basement during the winter, or in your yard when the weather is nice.