Will Recycle for Beer and Chips

I recycle my newspapers, cans and bottles because I want to preserve the Earth’s natural resources. Who am I kidding? The real reason I recycle is because: (a) I’ve already paid for the darn bottles and cans through the CRV (California Redemption Value) tax and I want my money back, and, (b) because I need some “mental therapy money” to buy junk food and beer. (Nothing soothes a broke, irritated soul like beer and potato chips.)

This month I netted $8.61 from 2-month’s worth of recyclables. Was my time and effort worth a measly $8.61? You betcha.


First of all, it was virtually effortless to keep the cans/bottles separated from my trash. As for the newspapers, I just let it collect in the back corner of the room away from my line of sight. (What I can’t see won’t bother me.)

I am very fortunate to have several recycling centers from which I can choose. For my most recent adventures in recycling, I walked my bottles to the local supermarket that has a mobile center on-site. I was carrying almost 7 lbs, so this brisk 2 block (one-way) walk gave me some badly needed exercise.

Since the mobile recycling center doesn’t accept newspapers, I took my newspaper to another site that is approximately 3.5 miles away from my apartment. Since I’ve already calculated that my car burns $1 worth of gas for every 6 miles I drive, the cost involved to recycle my newspaper was only 60 cents or so. I also did this en route to work so I didn’t need to make an unnecessary trip.

One of my friends commented I shouldn’t bother since my time is worth so much more. Really? It only took me about 15-20 minutes at the recycling center to get my money. I don’t think sacrificing 15-20 minutes during my free time (that I would otherwise be spending watching TV) to earn $8.61 is worthless. The fact that I’m also doing something good for the environment is a great karmic bonus.

And I'm happy to say, I did buy a 6-pack of beer and 2 bags of junk food for only a buck, thanks to my recyclables.