Half have disappeared since 2008. State-mandated fees haven’t risen since then.
By Rick Karlin, Times Union
QUEENSBURY — When Jade Eddy’s dad lost his job with the closure of the International Paper plant in Corinth 21 years ago, he needed something to do so he opened a bottle and can redemption center. To jump-start his business, he would drive around town looking for bottles and cans.
“I thought he had lost his mind,” Eddy said.
Requiring relatively little money but plenty of sweat equity, redemption centers take in recyclable cans and bottles, giving people a nickel for each container.
Her dad has since passed away and Eddy has continued at the center, MT Returnables, building it into a going business.
But in recent years, she’s been struggling to hold on and she’s seen more and more redemption centers fall by the wayside.
Consumers in New York like most states put down a nickel deposit on every can or bottle of beer, soda or water they buy. And they get that 5 cents back when they return it, either at the supermarket, the convenience store or at one of the 1,171 redemption centers across the state.
But the redemption centers only get 3.5 cents for accepting the cans and bottles, sorting them and having them shipped off for recycling. That amount hasn’t increased since 2008 and Eddy says the Legislature would need to approve any increase in the fee she receives since it is mandated in the law.
Eddy says she is barely staying in business and expects to be operating at a loss later this summer.
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