Attention Massachusetts Residents: Hang on to Those Empty Cans, They Could be Worth More Than 5 Cents Down the Road

I never understood why some people just throw away their cans and bottles. I suppose they figure the monetary return isn't worth it or maybe they feel it's too much of a hassle to gather up their cans and bottles and make the trek to the redemption center/grocery store. One thing is for sure, bottle deposits in Massachusetts are currently five cents per container and it's been that way for 40 years.

My family was the other extreme. When I was growing up in North Adams, my dad would have stacks upon stacks of cans (in those cardboard trays) in our basement along with barrels of plastic bottles. He would save them up and when the time came to return them, he would sometimes get $100. I would help him organize the cans and bottles as this was quite the Saturday morning project. It was worth it though as he would split the cash with me. My dad would call his bottle redemption money his "vacation money." It was actually a fun project when we did this and as a youngster, $50 was a very nice chunk of change.

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If you are someone who just tosses your cans and bottles into the trash you may end up changing this habit as there is a bill that was filed on Jan. 20 known as the "Bottle Bill." If this bill passes the deposit amount of cans and bottles in Massachusetts would increase from five cents to 10 cents. I wish it was 10 cents back when my dad and I were making those big redemption center trips in North Adams.

According to various internet sources, part of the proposal of this bill would not only increase the bottle deposit to 10 cents but it would also expand the types of beverages covered by the program including wine and water bottles. In addition, this change may help combat the plastic waste environmental issues that Massachusetts is currently facing. I really hope this bill passes. I'm still returning my bottles and cans to this day and I truly don't mind making double the money. How about you? You can read more about the Massachusetts 'Bottle Bill" by going here.