Chump change to the real scammers operating in California since the program became law.
I have monitored my local official recycling site two or three times a year since the program began and in EVERY transaction the client was short-changed.*
I see only two explanations for this. First, the accuracy of their scales is NOT monitored by the Counties' department of weights and measures.
Or two, this particular recycler cheats on the tare weight.
No one knows what tolerance they are expected to meet (2% error? 29%?) So the error has remained consistent at 5-10% in the recycling company's favor.
I guess our elected criminals decided that so long as the amount is small, it's fine to cheat tens of millions of recyclers by just a bit.
But it adds up!
* I would make up bags containing 120 counted cans.
I always added one can in case I miscounted.
I never, once, got the full amount of $6.00!
The weights and measures folks should be able easily to calculate the odds of that happening.
But it is definitely grand larceny.
There’s the problem. In Michigan, the bottles are turned in at the store. Can are inserted into machines one at a time and are counted. The machine spits out a receipt and the cashier turns it into cash.
Maryland talked about instituting a similar per bottle recycling program, albeit at County recycling centers. Our county is huge and I’ sure the recycling place would not be convenient to me. For instance, it’s about a 45 mile round trip to the nearest emission test station.
Upon examination of the amount of pop (they call it soda around here but I just can’t do it) I drink, it would cost money for me to go once a year.
That said, I’m in favor of such a program if it’s run properly. In this bastion of environmental awareness, beer cans and bottles litter the roadways.
Meh, throw one full can of soda into the lot for each bag and you’ll probably draw even. 12oz x .5 oz per can = 24 cans EQUIVALENT x .5c = $1.20.