Playing With the Big Boys

So a couple days ago I had my first experience with California and the CRV or Cash Redemption Value.  Several states has similar programs designed to encourage recycling by charging a deposit when purchasing glass or plastic bottles.

Not to waste the opportunity to recycle and make money (or really just collect my deposit back I'd already spent) I've collected all the beer, wine, pop, juice, water, whatever bottles and cans we've used over the last couple months.  Much to the chagrin of my almost wife, the volume grew to about three grocery sacks worth.  So a few days ago I decided to cash in my wares.  I loaded all the crap into a trash bag and drove it to the Berkeley recycling center. 

I realized when I pulled into the parking lot that I brought a knife to a nuclear war.  There were dudes there with bags and bags of recyclables.  Bottles and cans pouring out the back of their vehicles, or, as the standard hobo mode of hauling, bags hanging off shopping carts.  I suddenly felt waaaaaaaaayyyyy out of my league.  Like I just stepped into the majors after playing a couple seasons of Tee-ball, these guys are for real.  These are the same guys that cruise through the park and pick up anything left behind.  It's like a free, community recycling program.  More than once, I've laid an empty bottle down next to me at the park and had it disappear within five minutes.  can you imagine a bum fight over a giant pile of bottles and cans?  They play for keeps. 

But I persevered.  I popped the trunk and pulled out my measly single, half full, trash bag.  With a little direction from the recycling csar I separated all the bottles by color and plastic and aluminum.  I poured each into a big ass, metal container and the csar punched in the weight into the computer.  I then walked over to a window and picked up my check for $3.52.  Yep, three dollars and fifty-two cents, not much to get excited over for the big boys but it's laundry money now.  Ahhahaahaahhaaa.  And the next round of collecting commences with an empty fifth of tequila and a 22oz bottle of Rogue Dead Guy.  Unrabble-B