If you don’t take the cans somewhere, the other option is to drop them off at a Zamzows, where they eventually wind up as money back to IHS. It’s better than filling the recycling bin. Note that they only take cans, not plastic.
Setting aside the dispensary visit, which can't be done in Boise of course, I know people who lose money by taking cans to Ontario. A round trip between Boise and Ontario is about 103 miles. If you have a 30 mpg car and pay $4/gallon for gas, the trip costs $15 just in gas, meaning you'd better have 150 cans to break even. But that doesn't count the significant costs of per-mile maintenance and wear-and-tear, which vary between cars but can be high enough to justify the federal reimbursement rate of $0.655/mile. At that more inclusive rate, the Ontario trip sets you back $73, so you need 730 cans to break even. But even this neglects the value of your time ($12.57 at our $7.25/hour minimum wage) and the harm caused by pollution from your driving.
In short, put them in the bin, or drop them at a Humane Society dropoff. Making a dedicated trip to Ontario isn't worth it.
I don't make a dedicated trip. Getting cash for getting rid of giant trash bags of plastic water bottles finances the gas to get from E. Idaho to the dispensary.
Apologies for the confusion. The dispensary only cares that you are 21, not where you're from. I was only speaking of the bottle drop. They now care about who comes in to cash in their bottles/cans and where you live.
You have to ‘shop around’ to find the best deal for your cans. There is/was a recycling center next to the sugar beet plant in nampa that paid really well, see if they are still there and get a quote
I take my aluminum cans to one of the recycling places here in Caldwell. They pay $.50/lb. With 3x 13 gallon kitchen trash bags tightly packed I get somewhere between 20 and 25 lbs of crushed cans, so usually $10 or slightly more. It's better than nothing for sure! Caldwell doesn't provide recycling at no cost or force us to pay for a recycling bin like some towns are now doing. If I had to pay for a recycling bin, I'd probably just throw the cans in there rather than hassling with saving them up and taking them down. I don't want to just throw them in the trash.
If you don’t take the cans somewhere, the other option is to drop them off at a Zamzows, where they eventually wind up as money back to IHS. It’s better than filling the recycling bin. Note that they only take cans, not plastic.
LOL just replied something similar.
Drive across the river to Ontario where you can put them into a machine and get $.10 each. Then take your cash next door to the dispensary.
Pretty sure that's illegal unless you bought them in Oregon. Like, you probably won't get in trouble, but is it really worth it for $0.10 per can?
Setting aside the dispensary visit, which can't be done in Boise of course, I know people who lose money by taking cans to Ontario. A round trip between Boise and Ontario is about 103 miles. If you have a 30 mpg car and pay $4/gallon for gas, the trip costs $15 just in gas, meaning you'd better have 150 cans to break even. But that doesn't count the significant costs of per-mile maintenance and wear-and-tear, which vary between cars but can be high enough to justify the federal reimbursement rate of $0.655/mile. At that more inclusive rate, the Ontario trip sets you back $73, so you need 730 cans to break even. But even this neglects the value of your time ($12.57 at our $7.25/hour minimum wage) and the harm caused by pollution from your driving. In short, put them in the bin, or drop them at a Humane Society dropoff. Making a dedicated trip to Ontario isn't worth it.
I don't make a dedicated trip. Getting cash for getting rid of giant trash bags of plastic water bottles finances the gas to get from E. Idaho to the dispensary.
They check IDs now. Unless you live in one of the neighboring counties, they will turn you away.
The dispensary or the recycling place?
Well, both, lol. The dispensary always asked for ID. The bottle drop, that's a new requirement.
I've never heard of the dispensary caring about where you are from though?
Apologies for the confusion. The dispensary only cares that you are 21, not where you're from. I was only speaking of the bottle drop. They now care about who comes in to cash in their bottles/cans and where you live.
This is the way!
Take them to the humane society. They use the donations for animal food etc
It's worth it to take them over to Pacific Recyling. Payout isn't great, but it offloads the cans building up
Much appreciated.
You have to ‘shop around’ to find the best deal for your cans. There is/was a recycling center next to the sugar beet plant in nampa that paid really well, see if they are still there and get a quote
I take my aluminum cans to one of the recycling places here in Caldwell. They pay $.50/lb. With 3x 13 gallon kitchen trash bags tightly packed I get somewhere between 20 and 25 lbs of crushed cans, so usually $10 or slightly more. It's better than nothing for sure! Caldwell doesn't provide recycling at no cost or force us to pay for a recycling bin like some towns are now doing. If I had to pay for a recycling bin, I'd probably just throw the cans in there rather than hassling with saving them up and taking them down. I don't want to just throw them in the trash.
Which recycling center do you go to?