Re: Strange recycling people

In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Punch wrote:
>
>"shinypenny" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message
>news:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> In our town, every trash day people come by on foot pushing a little
>> cart and dig through our recycling bins. They pull out all the items
>> that have deposits, as well as glass bottles that can't be returned in
>> our state. Sometimes, when we've yet to get up and get the trash down
>> to the curb, they will even be brash enough to go up on to our porch
>> and pull out our bottles.
>>
>> My original thought was that these were poor people trying to make a
>> buck (if this is the case, I'd probably be a sucker and feel sorry
>> enough to leave them a few $ or something at xmas), but now I'm not so
>> sure. Seems like too much effort for minimal reward, and also what do
>> they do with all the glass? Transport it across state lines?
>>
>> My second wild thought was that they were actually employed by the
>> town to handle this type of recycling (it seems we have several
>> different types of trash services for each type of trash), but it just
>> seems odd that a relatively wealthy town would hire people on foot to
>> do this sort of thing.
>>
>> Just curious if this is a common occurence anywhere else, and if
>> anyone can shed any light on this practice.
>
>they sell the glass, and make money on it, where I live the big companies
>had to put locks on there recycled bins, peeps would come by and take the
>cardboard and sell it to the recycler.
>
>theres money in that garbage...

  Glass has scrap value of only a cent or two per pound.  Aluminum 
beverage cans get a lot more - I have cashed in such trash before at 
around 40 cents per pound.  Note - it takes about 20, maybe 24 beer cans 
to get a pound of aluminum!  Glass bottles with deposits get a nickel or a 
dime each.

 - Don Klipstein ([EMAIL PROTECTED])