Fantastic journalism, Will, about the redemption center and the lag of fees. Was the world simpler then, when we cared about litter and conservation and solutions? Sigh.
I'll post this on a couple other blogs I subscribe to. This information should be publicized! I was thinking about plastic bags this morning - so grocery stores can no longer use "single use" bags! What good does that do when there are sandwich/storage/garbage PLASTIC bags sold IN the grocery store - exactly where do these "legislators" here and in DC think THOSE bags go after a SINGLE use?
So yes the legislators need to get off their butts and actually do something - as I said, here AND DC!
This article is more about the Container deposit law that significantly decreased the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills and natural environments. By incentivizing the return of containers, these laws helped prevent littering and reduce pollution in natural habitats, and waterways, while incentivizing people and creating jobs.
Happy Holidays Will....thanks for posting the mural...I've missed it, so I have to make a point to drive over and take a look. I wonder if there's a "coffee table" collection of the "Glens Falls Murals" in our future...I'd buy it.
Politics politics politics...I'm soo disappointed with the Democrats in Albany...for once, can't they just DO something for the benefit of their constituents...No wonder the MAGA's inthis state have such a strong foothold!!!
If democrats don’t step the heck up, I fear it’s only going to get worse. People are HURTING. I have moms fly into my parking lot in a panic because they need to return $10 worth of containers to get gas in their tank or buy their kids school lunch. Even us business owners are hurting. My 19 year old employee just bought a new car, meanwhile I’m driving a car that smokes because I can no longer afford an payment and wonder how much longer I’ll be able to pay my mortgage.
I'm so glad every time I see someone talking about this!
Some of us have made several calls and written in support of Jade but get nowhere.
She works extremely hard and also serves her community in several ways.
She's been on the streets protesting literally to save herself.
I want to know why no one is actually doing anything about this! Where does that money go ... like our lottery money that's supposed to help fund education....why are teachers still buying supplies for their class out of their own pockets?!
I hope everyone here reaches out, calls their representatives, and lobbies for an increase in handling fees and make more bottles recyclable.
Our communities need to help support each other. Especially now in these strange times.
We forget the powers we have when we act as a collective.
What’s with all the cans people return? I just toss them in the recycle bin. It’s maybe 50 cents a week, I guess, but how much is gas to take them to a facility? I’m supposed to hang on to these cans for, what, a few months until I have enough to make it worthwhile? Meh, this lady should move on. No offense.
Respectfully disagree, Charlie. I keep a “clink” box in my garage lined with a garbage bag. Whenever a beer or ginger ale or seltzer water bottle is emptied it gets rinsed and tossed into the clink. It takes months for it to fill up. That’s okay. It’s not bothering me. When it is full I add a stop at the redemption center to my errands list. Easy peasy. This 1)reduces the landfill crisis, 2) puts people to work 3)supports small business and so much more. And they even give me back my garbage bag to reuse!
Here in Syracuse, we now have 96-gallon trash and recycling carts, so I now put all my rinsed empty cans (I don't do glass) in my original trash can lined with a garbage bag. When I see one of the guys bicycling to Tops Market with the huge bags full of cans, I flag him down and he's more than happy to relieve me of mine. Otherwise, I donate them to a local bottle drive such as the Boy Scouts.
Charlie - how fortunate you are to have a redemption center! She should "move on"? So just shut down a small business that is doing something for the community and the planet
Not every business is viable. Why not still have video stores and print newspapers? Like I said, people still recycle. They just don’t need the nickel.
People don't watch videos anymore and not too many buy print papers. But millions buy hundreds of millions of beverages in bottles and cans. The business is viable, with a fair handling fee, and it is valuable to the local community (the SGF Boy Scout troop raises $20,000 a year with returnables) and to the larger community, which benefits from a reduction in solid waste. It's one of the few businesses I know of with no obvious downside -- not only not producing pollution but reducing pollution while creating jobs and benefitting customers.
Thanks for sharing the information Will. I drive by Queensbury all the time when going to my place in Hampton. Will save my recycling now instead of the dump!
But people DO recycle. Then there are the thick plastic bags people keep these recyclables in to bring to the store. Those don’t recycle. Plus the gas to bring them there. The more responsible thing would be to simply buy bigger containers of soft drinks and beer so less containers are needed.
Not in states where there are no bottle laws. The places I visit in the south think recycling is silly. It is an education process and the bottle deposits are part of the process.
In my visits to other cities - and this is totally anecdotal - states that do not have bottle laws have much more litter and garbage in the streets. That 5 cent deposit is often the impetus for people picking up those cans and bottles for the money they can make. I say make the deposit 10 cents or even more. It is worth it.
True. Just I don’t think we need these independent businesses to collect them. By law, any store that sells the beverages is obligated to take the returns.
States without a container recycling system hit a 20% recycling rate at most. While those with them reach at least 65% or better. Unfortunately, people need to be incentivized to recycle. And having a monetary value does just that. States with more properly maintained bottle bills reach over 90%. Like to point out quick that what comes through our system produces the most reusable material (as testified by the DEC in two hearings last year) because we provide clean and separated materials. Single stream waste services contaminate the material, mostly with broken glass, which results in far less usable material.
As for you thinking my business is not viable or needed, it hasn’t always been like this. The state has taken a very successful system and has broken it with their greed.
Yes, stores are legally mandated to accept the containers that they sell. But that is all they have to accept. And most of them have a $12 limit. Stores all over New York are breaking that mandate law as we speak, because the closing of redemption centers is funneling too much volume in their direction. They aren’t equipped to take in millions of containers as I do. And now, many of our convenience stores require the involvement of the health department because they prepare and sell cooked food. They can’t risk losing that license and the significant money it generates, due to infestation problems created by dirty bottles and cans piling up in their back rooms. I’ve spoken to these stores and the former president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores and they are very much in a panic over this crisis.
As are my account holders. The Boy Scout troop mentioned brings back a multitude of brands because they are donated from residents all over the area, who drink all sorts of different things. I did the math on how my closure would effect them. Recently, they dropped over 18,540 containers off over the course of 4 days. The gentleman I deal with drops off truckloads at a time. We call him a VIP customer and he even has access to my building after hours. Now, he just dropped off the containers and took the money from his previous drop off each time. We did all the counting and sorting. And he was able to bring all brands to one location. But, due to the limitations of stores-both volume and brand wise-that same amount would result in him having to make at least 78 trips to stores. He also would have to do the work of pumping those containers into machines, one by one. Quite frankly, he’d have to quit his day job to do this. Which is why he and other accounts have stated that if I close, they will stop fundraising altogether. Because they just can’t replace the ease of a redemption center account with a store process. Plain and simple.
The result here would be that the state takes the money from these organizations. You can very well put your containers in a recycling container, the end result is still that the state gets that money. If consumers don’t claim that deposit money…the state gets to keep it point blank. Yes, my business is in a wretched position. But it is not unviable. It is being destroyed in the name of greed and corruption. And while it may not be in my best interest, I fight for my customers because what is happening as a whole is just plain wrong.
Very thorough response but it basically is should the state get the nickels? Are they purposely profiting off of people’s unwillingness to bring their returnables back? They likely are but so what? The state also scams people through Lotto — say it’s for the schools. I’m sure the gaming commish execs drive nice cars, too. One can make the environmental argument but you don’t collect regular cans and wine and liquor bottles. Those are just going into regular recycle bins. You have a lot of energy it seems — sometimes it’s OK to give up. Collecting cans can’t be a passion. Your energy could make you more money elsewhere. The Cub Scouts will figure things out. Before you waste more years of your life.
Thanks for this article, Will. I wish all the best for people that are in these businesses even tho I get kind of a buggy whip feel about them. If Carrie Woerner and our local Republicans can agree it seems like some action should be possible.
Since I only drink tap water and coffee I don’t know if I’m part of the solution. Hope so.
You did make me think about an acquaintance, Lawrence Millington, who met a sad end a few years back. Lawrence picked up and returned cans and bottles and could tell you how many he had done in his career at it. Over a million.
Even as you encourage your readers to demand change at the state level, you support small business owners in the community and help your neighbors learn how they can pitch in. That’s some powerful local journalism.
The situation and absurdity of the current bottle redemption process is ALL on Gov. Hochul and the distributors IMO. I've talked with Carrie and Matt about this and totally agree with the way they voted. NYS should NOT be making money on this nor should it be skimming money for other budget lines. This really exposes the underbelly of Albany and politics and lobbying gone awry. The answer is simple and common sense and logic should prevail. Raise the deposit to 10 cents/btl., double the 3.5 cents to 7 cents for the redemption centers, and create a reserve fund with the other 3 cents (nothing for state or return to $$ distributors) to do significant recycling education and marketing to get people to return ALL bottles. I think it could also be used to research and develop new additional recycling capacity. Why isn't NYS paying 15 cents per bottle for my empty Gordon's Gin plastic bottle (or other liquor bottles/wines)? Maine and Vermont are paying 15 cents, Iowa is only 5 cents)? There is a potential for a money making, job producing business here but NYS is screwing it up. It's time for government at the state level to pave the way not get in the middle and block logical options. And I'm tired of hearing how additional deposit money will decrease beverage sales? If you return the bottles, it doesn't cost you anything. That's my 2 cents worth!!!
Thanks for the heads up, Will,, on an important issue. We all can do our small part to save and improve the environment. It all adds up. Thanks to people like Jade!
Likewise, have people checked out the collection of table and kitchen waste at the GF Farmers’ Market on Saturdays (at Aviation Mall during the winter)? Composting is another small act that adds up.
And people wonder why there’s so much frustration with government!? Of course the dysfunction in government is rampant in New York State, no matter which part is in power or has a super majority. It would be comical if it wasn’t so disgusting.
I was on the assembly floor opening day of the 2024 session. The big speech was boasting about how democrats were going to support small business, create jobs and save the environment. I sat there going “check, check, check” in my head. Noting that passing the bottle bill would accomplish ALL of those things. And instead, they catered to Pepsi’s wants.
Excellent journalism on a very sad situation. What a critical public service the redemption centers provide while the NY legislators indeed dither over such a common sense solution! We spent five short but very enjoyable years living back in my "Home Town" area and fully embraced the opportunity to contribute redeemable items to the Boy Scouts. What a shocking contrast it is after moving back to PA (yes grand kids again) where there is no bottle bill and our streets and roadsides are littered with drink containers. I have been bragging up New York's program to local folks and only hope that this dithering doesn't prove me wrong.
Fantastic journalism, Will, about the redemption center and the lag of fees. Was the world simpler then, when we cared about litter and conservation and solutions? Sigh.
I'll post this on a couple other blogs I subscribe to. This information should be publicized! I was thinking about plastic bags this morning - so grocery stores can no longer use "single use" bags! What good does that do when there are sandwich/storage/garbage PLASTIC bags sold IN the grocery store - exactly where do these "legislators" here and in DC think THOSE bags go after a SINGLE use?
So yes the legislators need to get off their butts and actually do something - as I said, here AND DC!
This article is more about the Container deposit law that significantly decreased the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills and natural environments. By incentivizing the return of containers, these laws helped prevent littering and reduce pollution in natural habitats, and waterways, while incentivizing people and creating jobs.
Happy Holidays Will....thanks for posting the mural...I've missed it, so I have to make a point to drive over and take a look. I wonder if there's a "coffee table" collection of the "Glens Falls Murals" in our future...I'd buy it.
Politics politics politics...I'm soo disappointed with the Democrats in Albany...for once, can't they just DO something for the benefit of their constituents...No wonder the MAGA's inthis state have such a strong foothold!!!
If democrats don’t step the heck up, I fear it’s only going to get worse. People are HURTING. I have moms fly into my parking lot in a panic because they need to return $10 worth of containers to get gas in their tank or buy their kids school lunch. Even us business owners are hurting. My 19 year old employee just bought a new car, meanwhile I’m driving a car that smokes because I can no longer afford an payment and wonder how much longer I’ll be able to pay my mortgage.
C'mon NYS legislators, get it together for small business! Look how much good can be done.
I'm so glad every time I see someone talking about this!
Some of us have made several calls and written in support of Jade but get nowhere.
She works extremely hard and also serves her community in several ways.
She's been on the streets protesting literally to save herself.
I want to know why no one is actually doing anything about this! Where does that money go ... like our lottery money that's supposed to help fund education....why are teachers still buying supplies for their class out of their own pockets?!
I hope everyone here reaches out, calls their representatives, and lobbies for an increase in handling fees and make more bottles recyclable.
Our communities need to help support each other. Especially now in these strange times.
We forget the powers we have when we act as a collective.
What’s with all the cans people return? I just toss them in the recycle bin. It’s maybe 50 cents a week, I guess, but how much is gas to take them to a facility? I’m supposed to hang on to these cans for, what, a few months until I have enough to make it worthwhile? Meh, this lady should move on. No offense.
Move on??!! And no offense?? Wow.
Merry Christmas Charlie.
You can use that energy for a better business endeavor. People will still recycle.
Respectfully disagree, Charlie. I keep a “clink” box in my garage lined with a garbage bag. Whenever a beer or ginger ale or seltzer water bottle is emptied it gets rinsed and tossed into the clink. It takes months for it to fill up. That’s okay. It’s not bothering me. When it is full I add a stop at the redemption center to my errands list. Easy peasy. This 1)reduces the landfill crisis, 2) puts people to work 3)supports small business and so much more. And they even give me back my garbage bag to reuse!
Here in Syracuse, we now have 96-gallon trash and recycling carts, so I now put all my rinsed empty cans (I don't do glass) in my original trash can lined with a garbage bag. When I see one of the guys bicycling to Tops Market with the huge bags full of cans, I flag him down and he's more than happy to relieve me of mine. Otherwise, I donate them to a local bottle drive such as the Boy Scouts.
Charlie - how fortunate you are to have a redemption center! She should "move on"? So just shut down a small business that is doing something for the community and the planet
Far-sighted!
Not every business is viable. Why not still have video stores and print newspapers? Like I said, people still recycle. They just don’t need the nickel.
People don't watch videos anymore and not too many buy print papers. But millions buy hundreds of millions of beverages in bottles and cans. The business is viable, with a fair handling fee, and it is valuable to the local community (the SGF Boy Scout troop raises $20,000 a year with returnables) and to the larger community, which benefits from a reduction in solid waste. It's one of the few businesses I know of with no obvious downside -- not only not producing pollution but reducing pollution while creating jobs and benefitting customers.
Thanks for sharing the information Will. I drive by Queensbury all the time when going to my place in Hampton. Will save my recycling now instead of the dump!
The point would be helping to save the planet! If even a few of us do that - it possibly might make a difference. Its not the nickel!
But people DO recycle. Then there are the thick plastic bags people keep these recyclables in to bring to the store. Those don’t recycle. Plus the gas to bring them there. The more responsible thing would be to simply buy bigger containers of soft drinks and beer so less containers are needed.
Not in states where there are no bottle laws. The places I visit in the south think recycling is silly. It is an education process and the bottle deposits are part of the process.
In my visits to other cities - and this is totally anecdotal - states that do not have bottle laws have much more litter and garbage in the streets. That 5 cent deposit is often the impetus for people picking up those cans and bottles for the money they can make. I say make the deposit 10 cents or even more. It is worth it.
True. Just I don’t think we need these independent businesses to collect them. By law, any store that sells the beverages is obligated to take the returns.
States without a container recycling system hit a 20% recycling rate at most. While those with them reach at least 65% or better. Unfortunately, people need to be incentivized to recycle. And having a monetary value does just that. States with more properly maintained bottle bills reach over 90%. Like to point out quick that what comes through our system produces the most reusable material (as testified by the DEC in two hearings last year) because we provide clean and separated materials. Single stream waste services contaminate the material, mostly with broken glass, which results in far less usable material.
As for you thinking my business is not viable or needed, it hasn’t always been like this. The state has taken a very successful system and has broken it with their greed.
Yes, stores are legally mandated to accept the containers that they sell. But that is all they have to accept. And most of them have a $12 limit. Stores all over New York are breaking that mandate law as we speak, because the closing of redemption centers is funneling too much volume in their direction. They aren’t equipped to take in millions of containers as I do. And now, many of our convenience stores require the involvement of the health department because they prepare and sell cooked food. They can’t risk losing that license and the significant money it generates, due to infestation problems created by dirty bottles and cans piling up in their back rooms. I’ve spoken to these stores and the former president of the New York Association of Convenience Stores and they are very much in a panic over this crisis.
As are my account holders. The Boy Scout troop mentioned brings back a multitude of brands because they are donated from residents all over the area, who drink all sorts of different things. I did the math on how my closure would effect them. Recently, they dropped over 18,540 containers off over the course of 4 days. The gentleman I deal with drops off truckloads at a time. We call him a VIP customer and he even has access to my building after hours. Now, he just dropped off the containers and took the money from his previous drop off each time. We did all the counting and sorting. And he was able to bring all brands to one location. But, due to the limitations of stores-both volume and brand wise-that same amount would result in him having to make at least 78 trips to stores. He also would have to do the work of pumping those containers into machines, one by one. Quite frankly, he’d have to quit his day job to do this. Which is why he and other accounts have stated that if I close, they will stop fundraising altogether. Because they just can’t replace the ease of a redemption center account with a store process. Plain and simple.
The result here would be that the state takes the money from these organizations. You can very well put your containers in a recycling container, the end result is still that the state gets that money. If consumers don’t claim that deposit money…the state gets to keep it point blank. Yes, my business is in a wretched position. But it is not unviable. It is being destroyed in the name of greed and corruption. And while it may not be in my best interest, I fight for my customers because what is happening as a whole is just plain wrong.
Very thorough response but it basically is should the state get the nickels? Are they purposely profiting off of people’s unwillingness to bring their returnables back? They likely are but so what? The state also scams people through Lotto — say it’s for the schools. I’m sure the gaming commish execs drive nice cars, too. One can make the environmental argument but you don’t collect regular cans and wine and liquor bottles. Those are just going into regular recycle bins. You have a lot of energy it seems — sometimes it’s OK to give up. Collecting cans can’t be a passion. Your energy could make you more money elsewhere. The Cub Scouts will figure things out. Before you waste more years of your life.
I too was surprised by that stunning mural. Who could be grumpy when you come upon something that beautiful and uplifting.
The stat needs to get off its”duff” and pass this bottle law and up the price on returnables.
Jade has a very deep well of stubborn altruism.
She, and her business, are vital to our community.
Thanks for this article, Will. I wish all the best for people that are in these businesses even tho I get kind of a buggy whip feel about them. If Carrie Woerner and our local Republicans can agree it seems like some action should be possible.
Since I only drink tap water and coffee I don’t know if I’m part of the solution. Hope so.
You did make me think about an acquaintance, Lawrence Millington, who met a sad end a few years back. Lawrence picked up and returned cans and bottles and could tell you how many he had done in his career at it. Over a million.
Was he the big man with white hair?
Even as you encourage your readers to demand change at the state level, you support small business owners in the community and help your neighbors learn how they can pitch in. That’s some powerful local journalism.
...to be out and about in the gloaming is magical (and melancholy) and medicinal / [like the above photograph]...
Yes it is magical
The situation and absurdity of the current bottle redemption process is ALL on Gov. Hochul and the distributors IMO. I've talked with Carrie and Matt about this and totally agree with the way they voted. NYS should NOT be making money on this nor should it be skimming money for other budget lines. This really exposes the underbelly of Albany and politics and lobbying gone awry. The answer is simple and common sense and logic should prevail. Raise the deposit to 10 cents/btl., double the 3.5 cents to 7 cents for the redemption centers, and create a reserve fund with the other 3 cents (nothing for state or return to $$ distributors) to do significant recycling education and marketing to get people to return ALL bottles. I think it could also be used to research and develop new additional recycling capacity. Why isn't NYS paying 15 cents per bottle for my empty Gordon's Gin plastic bottle (or other liquor bottles/wines)? Maine and Vermont are paying 15 cents, Iowa is only 5 cents)? There is a potential for a money making, job producing business here but NYS is screwing it up. It's time for government at the state level to pave the way not get in the middle and block logical options. And I'm tired of hearing how additional deposit money will decrease beverage sales? If you return the bottles, it doesn't cost you anything. That's my 2 cents worth!!!
Simple common sense solution.
Thank you Will!
Thanks for the heads up, Will,, on an important issue. We all can do our small part to save and improve the environment. It all adds up. Thanks to people like Jade!
Likewise, have people checked out the collection of table and kitchen waste at the GF Farmers’ Market on Saturdays (at Aviation Mall during the winter)? Composting is another small act that adds up.
And people wonder why there’s so much frustration with government!? Of course the dysfunction in government is rampant in New York State, no matter which part is in power or has a super majority. It would be comical if it wasn’t so disgusting.
I was on the assembly floor opening day of the 2024 session. The big speech was boasting about how democrats were going to support small business, create jobs and save the environment. I sat there going “check, check, check” in my head. Noting that passing the bottle bill would accomplish ALL of those things. And instead, they catered to Pepsi’s wants.
🤬
Great reporting, and all too illuminating. Thanks again for another really useful column.
Excellent journalism on a very sad situation. What a critical public service the redemption centers provide while the NY legislators indeed dither over such a common sense solution! We spent five short but very enjoyable years living back in my "Home Town" area and fully embraced the opportunity to contribute redeemable items to the Boy Scouts. What a shocking contrast it is after moving back to PA (yes grand kids again) where there is no bottle bill and our streets and roadsides are littered with drink containers. I have been bragging up New York's program to local folks and only hope that this dithering doesn't prove me wrong.