I imagined a clean recycling center with a friendly staff that would take your cans, count them out and hand you a wad of cash at the end. This is SO not the case.
The first few times I shopped here I didn’t even notice the extra $1.20 that was tacked on to the end of my receipt for each 12 pack. What a sad day when I realized you actually pay an extra 10 cents, and only if you choose to collect sticky old cans that cannot be crushed, stand in line in the back room of a grocery store with all the homeless people trying to make a buck, and feed your cans individually into a machine do you get your money back.
So we had a brilliant idea…while we’re home for the summer we’ll collect all of our cans from our family and we’ll drive back to MI with tons of cans that we didn’t pay the deposit on and actually make some money. I have a thing about needing a picture for my posts, so I was googling, and found this…
DETROIT -- Authorities said they arrested 10 people and seized more than $500,000 in cash after breaking up a smuggling ring that collected millions of beverage containers in other states and cashed them in for 10 cents apiece in Michigan. The 10 people were arraigned on charges ranging from false pretense, a possible 5-year felony to running a criminal enterprise, a possible 20-year sentence. The scheme defrauded the Michigan Bottle Deposit Fund, whose proceeds are used to pay for environmental cleanup efforts.
CT, MA, ME, NY, VT, HI, IA, and OR have the same situation, only its 5 cents. I would have to think long and hard before I moved to one of these states!
9 comments:
This is so funny because it is what my brother and his wife did when they first moved to Michigan. They didn't have enough room in a moving truck for a couch, but they found room for all their bags full of cans. Only to realize once moving them all that you can't do it out of state.
That was such a funny post! I was thinking the same thing until I kept reading:) I've really enjoied reading your posts and Holly's. The last one cracked me up, I think I've read it 5 times!
just another reason environmentalists suck!
I kept picturing that Seinfeld episode where Kramer and Newman fill Newman's mail truck with cans to take them to MI and bank out on them. Ha ha.... I'm with Holly on this one.
RU serious?! How is that just a crime? RIDICULOUS. I thought you had a great idea. I always recycle...I wish we reaped a 10 cent benefit on each can. Bum Deal...we need to move to MI. When I was a kid in CA I'd collect cans from all my family members (esp. my Grandma, she was good about saving them for me) and cash them in and think I was loaded. ha ha!!
That's so funny. Hey, we do live pretty close, don't we? We'll have to figure out a time to meet up somewhere. You guys are always welcome out here if you feel like hopping in the car and driving out to see what glorious times await you in Lexingon, Kentucky. :) I love checking your blog, it's awesome.
Phew! Glad you found that article. Try to keep yourself out of jail, k? :o)
That is a riot! I look so forward to your blog. Keep it coming!
I love Teisha's comment-It's true- we totally brought all our CRUSHED cans (they have to be not crushed in MI) & talked the guy at the grocery store into letting us get the deposits for them... & then months later I read in my torts book that it is a misdemeanor. Oops!
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