Stories
How Scrap Collection in America Works and Differs from India
- •In America, individuals who collect empty cans and bottles to earn money are known as canners.
- •New York applies a 5-cent deposit on beverage bottles and cans, which customers get back upon returning them.
- •Supermarkets feature reverse vending machines where users can deposit eligible bottles and receive a refund receipt.
- •Unlike India where junk dealers go door-to-door, the American bottle return system relies heavily on organized rules and machines.
Key Questions Answered
In some US states, people collect empty beverage cans and bottles and return them under a deposit system. For example, in New York, a 5-cent deposit applies to eligible bottles, which customers or canners can get refunded by returning them.
Reverse vending machines are installed at certain supermarkets and return centers where individuals can insert eligible empty bottles and cans. The machine identifies and accepts them, and then issues a receipt that can be redeemed for cash or a refund at a counter.
In India, traditional junk dealers go door-to-door on bicycles or vehicles buying old newspapers, iron, and plastic items. Conversely, in certain parts of America, the process relies heavily on structured rules like the bottle deposit system where people return empty containers to automated machines.
