Big news in California is 5 cent refund on bottles and cans. Was half that till a couple years ago, when they finally raised it up to 4 cents. Is this a Republican or a Democratic initiative? I think its Republican. It’s a way for poor people to help themselves instead of relying on a direct government handout. Poor people can work for a living, walking from gas station to convenience store, reaching into the garbage out front and grabbing any drink container where the neck is smaller than the body. That’s it! Non-discriminatory, (for people able to walk). And walking is good excercise.
I dedicated this month to raising 300 dollars from recycling. I want a bass guitar amp. If we figure this month to have 30 days, which it doesn’t, then I need to collect 6,000 bottles and cans. That works out to 200 a day. Every day. That might seem like a lot. I could ask a hundred people to give me two. Every day. But that would take a lot of time as well.
Curbside recycling seems the best way. Most families probably throw out 50 bottles a week that are worth a nickel each. The best part is, bottles and cans over 24 ounces are worth ten cents. The worst part is that milk, wine and spirits bottles are not included in the refund. I never drink milk, but the other two are awfully important to me.
At that rate rummaging through four peoples recycling bin once a week will take care of that daily 200. But I could get all 1,400 bottles I need every week if I went through 28 families recycling bins every Monday morning. I’d have to drive my truck. It’d take some time.
Doing all this math makes me think I should have a second goal, if I don’t get enough dough for the amp. Maybe a thirty dollar palm sander. I want to make some shelves. Thirty bucks for a sander would take only ten percent of the time to get compared to that 300 dollar amp. Maybe once I have the sander, I can make shelves and sell them. Take that money and buy an amp.
Math is so hopeful.
It really is amazing that you still stand like that and kinda move like that now.
On recycling, if you drank a 12 pack each night, and then had sixteen other people do the same thing, that should cover your amp costs. Or the other option is to find a local bar that would just give you their empties. But then you would be dealing with bottles and they weigh a lot.
Well, we wish you good luck.
Comment by Al — February 4, 2007 @ 7:58 am