If you\u2019re looking for a really easy way to make extra money without investment<\/a> or experience, you could be just a few inexpensive recycling bins, some trash bags, and part of your free time away from a good option.<\/p>\n Recycling is a huge industry. According to the\u00a0Recycling Economic Information (REI) Report<\/a> by the EPA, recycling and reuse activities in the United States accounted for more than $37 billion in wages and over $5 billion in tax revenues.<\/p>\n But you don\u2019t have to have a recycling center to make some extra cash.\u00a0 In this post, I\u2019ll show you a simple way to start a can recycling side hustle, cover how much money you can make, how it works, and places that\u2019ll pay you for your unwanted cans.<\/p>\n Short answer:<\/strong> Yes, places like recycling centers and scrap yards<\/a> pay you for your aluminum cans, usually per pound. Generally, they pay around half the market price for aluminum.<\/p>\n If you happen to live in a state with bottle deposit laws, you get paid per can. This can significantly increase the amount of money you\u2019ll earn for recycling aluminum cans.<\/p>\n Below, you\u2019ll find a step-by-step guide on selling aluminum cans.<\/p>\n You can recycle the cans your household uses, such as soda and beer cans. If you are looking to increase your income though, you will want to source cans from multiple places.<\/p>\n If you are interested in collecting extra cans from places outside of your home, then make sure you always carry a garbage bag with you because you never know when you\u2019ll come across litter that you can make money from.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re wondering \u201cWhere can I find aluminum cans to recycle<\/em>?, then try these places:<\/p>\n You don\u2019t even have to step outside your front door to start collecting cans. You can do it in your own home!<\/p>\n Families go through a lot of soft drinks and beer, so you can easily get cans.<\/p>\n If you aren\u2019t collecting your cans already, make sure you start now! Set aside a trash can to hold all your empty cans and let the rest of your household know about your new can collection project. If you live in a state with a bottle bill, this is so important. Otherwise, you\u2019re throwing away money!<\/p>\n One of the easiest ways to get some extra cans is to ask your friends and neighbors.<\/p>\n Most people aren\u2019t bothered about what happens to their recyclables, so they\u2019d be willing to hand them over to you. Many people are happy to have someone else handle their unwanted cans for them.<\/p>\n Many people aren\u2019t bothered about you taking their aluminum cans, so ask your neighbors! Chances are that you have neighbors who don\u2019t recycle their cans and would be happy to give these unwanted cans to you.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t search through your neighbor\u2019s trash without their permission though. Doing so is illegal in many states, and it\u2019s just not good etiquette either.<\/p>\n Make sure you always get permission from your neighbors before you collect their cans.<\/p>\n If you are looking to get aluminum cans in bulk, then it\u2019s a good idea to offer to pick up empties from bars and restaurants. These places have a lot of cans, and other recyclables, like bottles, that you can cash in.<\/p>\n Just contact local restaurants and bars and ask if you can collect the empties to recycle them. Some places may be willing to partner with you. Offer the owner convenient times for pickup.<\/p>\n You could also consider putting a post on Craigslist as well asking if any local bars or restaurants need someone to collect empties.<\/p>\n The bar or restaurant gets rid of their unwanted containers, and you make money, so it\u2019s a win-win.<\/p>\n Another place you may be able to find aluminum cans to recycle is at outdoor concerts and festivals. Sometimes, concertgoers leave cans on the floor or tables. So, you could collect these cans and turn them in for cash.<\/p>\n If you are attending an event, then look out for cans. Or, look out for events\/concerts\/festivals near you, and get in touch to ask if you could collect the cans after.<\/p>\n Many workplaces have a soft drink vending machine. If your workplace does, ask your company\u2019s management if you can collect the discarded cans.<\/p>\n Profitable vending machines<\/a> generate numerous empty aluminum cans every day.<\/p>\n Most places will be happy to agree since you\u2019re helping them to recycle. Once you have permission to collect the cans, you could set up a separate bin with a note that says, \u201caluminum cans only.\u201d Check the bin daily, either during lunch or after work each day.<\/p>\n Also, it\u2019s important to let the cleaning staff know that you\u2019re collecting the cans, so they don\u2019t accidentally throw the cans away.<\/p>\n Be sure to stay on top of your can collection. Don\u2019t let the cans pile up and keep the area clean. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to set a daily collection time. This way, you keep your workplace neat, and management happy, and you get to continue to collect extra cans.<\/p>\n Sadly, many people litter. This means that you\u2019ll often find cans just scattered in outdoor areas. So, if you\u2019re looking for extra cans, look out for litter in outdoor areas.<\/p>\n You can often find cans in the following areas:<\/p>\n After events like a street fair or marathon and other sports events, there\u2019s usually even more litter.<\/p>\n By picking up litter, you\u2019re not only putting more money in your pocket, but you also improve the appearance of your neighborhood and town. Plus, you\u2019re helping the environment too.<\/p>\n Collecting cans from your own home or family members is pretty easy. You can just bag them up and take them to the store or center to recycle them for cash.<\/p>\n If you are collecting extra bottles from places like events or outdoor spaces, you will need to take some safety precautions.<\/p>\n Sadly, things like syringes and other hazardous materials are also tossed on the floor, so you never know what you\u2019re going to come across when looking through litter.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why you should always wear gloves. These will keep your hands protected. You should always wear long-sleeved clothing as well, and suitable footwear like boots. Avoid sandals or anything open-toed. You want to be safe when picking up cans.<\/p>\n Also, be careful in places like parking lots. Always be aware of traffic and never collect litter in the dark. So, avoid searching for cans at nighttime and instead look in the daytime when it\u2019s light out.<\/p>\n Before you take your cans to recycle them for cash, you should definitely check to see if your state has a bottle bill. Many do, and if you are lucky enough to live in one of these states, you can increase the amount of money you earn from recycling your cans by quite a lot!<\/p>\n Not all states have a bottle bill. Currently, there are ten states that do. I have listed these states below, along with which beverages and containers are covered.<\/p>\n If you live in one of these states, you can get paid not only for aluminum cans but also for other containers like glass bottles and plastic bottles. So, if your family consumes a lot of wine<\/a> and water, and you have bottles from those, then take them with you along with the aluminum cans to earn even more!<\/p>\n Currently, there are ten states that have bottle redemption laws: <\/strong><\/p>\n Now that you have your cans, you can recycle them for money. There are quite a lot of places that\u2019ll pay you for them.<\/p>\n If you want to know where to sell aluminum cans, try these places:<\/p>\n If you live in a state with a bottle bill, then your local grocery store or supermarket may have machines for aluminum cans, and other recyclables, such as plastic bottles and glass bottles<\/a>.<\/p>\n These machines can usually be found behind the store or in the store\u2019s parking lot.<\/p>\n Ask your local store whether they have a machine for recyclables. Most stores give you a slip of paper once you\u2019ve loaded all of your recyclables into the machine, and you can redeem this with a cashier.<\/p>\n Another place to take your cans for cash, again, if you live in a state that has bottle deposit laws, is your local gas station\/convenience store. Some gas stations and convenience stores allow you to return cans and bottles for cash. Simply ask at your nearby gas station\/convenience store to see if it offers bottle redemption<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t live in a bottle bill state, you can instead take your cans to your local recycling center where you can get paid for them per pound, based on current market values.<\/p>\n You can find local recycling centers near you by going to Google, or whatever search engine you use, and entering the term \u201crecycling center near me.\u201d You\u2019ll get a list of any nearby places, and can view details such as the address, opening hours, and phone number.<\/p>\n Also, you can use Earth911.com<\/a> search for recycling centers near you. You can search for the type of item you want to recycle, so aluminum cans, and enter your zip code to find recycling centers near you.<\/p>\n You can also take your cans to scrap metal centers. You\u2019ll get paid per pound. You can find local scrap metal centers by going to Google, or whatever search engine it is that you use, and entering the term \u201cscrap metal center near me.\u201d You will get a list of any recycling centers near you.<\/p>\n If you live in a state with bottle deposit laws, then you can return cans, bottles, and other beverage containers for cash at redemption centers.<\/p>\n Simply open up Google, or whichever search engine you use, and enter the phrase, \u201cbottle redemption center near me.\u201d You\u2019ll get a list of nearby centers where you can get cash for bottles, cans, and other containers.<\/p>\n How much money you make from recycling cans will depend on a few factors, such as:<\/p>\n If you live in a bottle bill state, you will typically get more cash for your cans.<\/p>\n The determining factor is going to be the amount you can get for each can which varies from week to week and is different for different states.<\/p>\n For instance, aluminum is purchased for $0.30 per pound in the state I live in (MO), but in other states (namely California and Michigan) the rate is set by legislation at $0.10 per can, making recycling in these places worth the effort.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve done the math you\u2019ll find that in my state, cans typically go for $0.013 per can rather than $0.10 like they do in some other states. These states would increase your hourly rate from a humble $3.90 per hour to a whopping $30 per hour<\/strong>.<\/p>\n With such a drastic difference it\u2019s not surprising that some have tried taking their cans to these more profitable states instead of staying close to home.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at earning potential in a little more detail.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t live in a state with bottle deposit laws, you will need to take your cans to your local recycling center or scrap metal center. These places pay you per pound for your aluminum cans.<\/p>\n The price of aluminum is constantly changing based on market supply and demand. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to check it at the time you come to cash in your cans. You can find the current price for aluminum cans and other scrap metal prices at iScrap App<\/a>.<\/p>\n The current scrap metal price for aluminum cans is $0.64 per lb. <\/strong><\/p>\n Knowing the current market price of aluminum cans can help you to decide whether the price you\u2019re quoted by the recycling center or scrap metal center is fair.<\/p>\n Typically, recycling centers and scrap metal centers offer to pay you about half the market price for aluminum, give or take a couple of cents.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t accept lowball offers. You can negotiate to try to get a few cents per pound more for the cans and boost your income. Again, that\u2019s why knowing the market price for recycling aluminum cans is important. It can help you in your negotiations for a better price.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also important to note that if you aren\u2019t getting paid on the spot for the cans you bring to the center, you should make sure you get the price you\u2019re offered in writing before you leave the center.<\/p>\n Since the price of aluminum often changes, you\u2019ll want to get your quote in writing from the center. They sometimes don\u2019t pay you right away, so having a written agreement can give you the peace of mind that you will get paid the price originally quoted by the center, even if you\u2019re not paid on the spot.<\/p>\n The current scrap metal price for aluminum cans is $0.64 per pound. It takes approximately 31 empty aluminum cans to equal 1 pound. One empty aluminum can weighs approximately 14.9 grams.<\/p>\n Basically, you need a lot of cans to make decent money here.<\/p>\n If you wanted to make $10 from recycling cans, you would need to have approximately 15.625 pounds of aluminum, which works out to around 485 (484.375 specifically) cans.<\/p>\n As I mentioned earlier, there are 10 states that have beverage container laws. If you live in one of these states, you will get paid per can. This can result in much higher earnings.<\/p>\n The amount of money you\u2019ll get per can will depend on the state you live in.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how much you can earn for beverage containers in each bottle bill state:<\/p>\n To make it easier to get the most important details, I made this table of states with bottle deposit laws and how much they pay.<\/p>\n
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\n\n<\/div>\nHow to Make Money Recycling Aluminum Cans (Beginner\u2019s Guide)<\/h2>\n
Step 1: Collect Aluminum Cans to Sell for Cash<\/h2>\n
Where to find aluminum cans to recycle<\/h3>\n
At home<\/h4>\n
Friends and family<\/h4>\n
Neighbors<\/h4>\n
Bars and restaurants<\/h4>\n
Events\/Concerts\/Festivals<\/h4>\n
Workplace<\/h4>\n
Outdoor spaces<\/h4>\n
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![\"Collecting](\"https:\/\/moneypantry.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/collecting-aluminum-cans.jpg\" "\\"Collecting")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nA note on collecting litter safely<\/h4>\n
Step Two: Check if Your State Has a Bottle Deposit Law<\/h2>\n
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Step Three: Recycle Your Cans for Cash<\/h2>\n
Where to sell aluminum cans for cash near you<\/h3>\n
Grocery stores<\/h4>\n
Gas stations and convenience stores<\/h4>\n
Recycling centers<\/h4>\n
Scrap metal centers<\/h4>\n
Bottle and can redemption centers<\/h4>\n
How Much Money Can You Make Recycling Aluminum Cans Per Pound?<\/h2>\n
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Prices offered at recycling centers and scrap yards<\/h3>\n
How much money can I earn at scrap yards and recycling centers?<\/h4>\n
Prices offered in bottle bill states<\/h3>\n
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