Counting cans one by one... really?
By Michelle
@infatuatedbby (94909)
United States
April 9, 2017 2:19am CST
My fiancé & I went to Walmart to do a price adjustment. Upon entering the store you can smell the reek of cans/bottles, and carts lined up at the entrance of the store - very unattractive..
I don't often go to this Walmart, but I had no clue why or what these bottles, cans were doing.
While in line the woman ahead of me, told the cashier she had 1,000 bottles/cans total, so she should get $50 (given they're 5 cents each from CRV).
The employee said okay, we will meet you at the entrance to count. My fiancé & I turn at each out.. and blurted count?
We were next & since our price adjustment required a manager, we waited. In the mean time, I asked about the whole counting cans/bottles? Don't they have a scale? She said no. They have to hand count manually.
That is crazy.. She also mentioned if someone looks honest - they don't have to count. Only if they're suspicious and they need to count and verify. That sure is time consuming!
13 people like this
16 responses
@Happy2BeMe (99353)
• Canada
9 Apr 17
Her you get 5 cents for a can and 10 cents for a bottle. Everything is hand counted one by one at the redemption centers.
3 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
9 Apr 17
Wow! I'm glad I wrote this. I read a couple of responses and they also hand count.
I've never seen a redemption center that hand counts. Here it's all weighed (which isn't accurate)
2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
9 Apr 17
@sharon6345 Maybe they get someone to count for them?
My redemption centers do not count by hand, they go by weight.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
10 Apr 17
@sharon6345 I'm sure the one that is counter for one by one is! By weight there isn't a formula that would pay properly
2 people like this
@moffittjc (128829)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Apr 17
In Florida there is no value to turning in cans or bottles, as there are no refunds amounts like in some other states. But in most communities here recycling is mandatory, so you can't just throw your recyclables away. In my city, we have a goal of reaching 75% on the amount of materials we recycle, but I think we're currently only at about 60%, so we still have a ways to go. But we're getting better.
Years ago, when I was a teenager, you could still turn in cans/bottles for cash. I remember my first job working at a grocery store, part of my duties was to count all the bottles when people brought them in.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
9 Apr 17
I don't know if it's a So Cal thing but never seen anyone physically count cans and bottles. Very new and I went home to tell my parents, they chuckled 
I guess counting one by one is common in other areas though (based on the responses).
So in Florida do you still have to pay CRV?
I guess counting one by one is common in other areas though (based on the responses).
So in Florida do you still have to pay CRV?2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
10 Apr 17
@moffittjc water we have to pay additional crv tax , 5 cents per bottle
Here it's California Refund Value but other states also have it and looks like Australia too! But I suppose it's called differently
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128829)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Apr 17
@infatuatedbby What does CRV mean? I'm pretty sure since I don't know what it means that we probably don't pay it! lol
1 person likes this
I think even if the woman herself can't make sure they are exactly 1000 cans.@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
9 Apr 17
There were 3 people who needed counting 
knowing me I'd count to 925.. then oops I forgot what number I was on 
knowing me I'd count to 925.. then oops I forgot what number I was on 2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
9 Apr 17
@HAPPSINGH Hha I don't think they offer it
2 people like this
@minx267 (15526)
• Hartford, Connecticut
10 Apr 17
We have machines here that we insert our bottles and cans in and it counts and crushes them at the same time. When you have completed inserting all your cans. you push a button it gives you a receipt that you take up to the cash registers to redeem for cash... we have had these machines here in the northeast for decades!
1 person likes this
@minx267 (15526)
• Hartford, Connecticut
10 Apr 17
@infatuatedbby here's a video of what some look like
I haven't done a short recycling video here at the Shaw's on North Main Street, in the Water Tower Plaza (Leominster, Massachusetts), so I finally remembered...
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
10 Apr 17
@minx267 Wow that is so cool. It looks like there are some areas that may have the machine but its not on the way but looks like some grocery stores do hand count nearby though! I will pass the info to my parents'! We were not aware such stores actually hand count!
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
10 Apr 17
We don't have that here! I have never seen it - if we do!
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
10 Apr 17
well, that's business my friend. One has to make sure , so they do the manual counting. Maybe the trick is to have a box of softdrinks which is for 24 bottles. Then, you can easily gauge how many if they fill in the box like for 2 boxes it would be 48 bottles already.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
10 Apr 17
All the recycling centers where I go to are by weight so this was shocking of someone to count manually for cans.
1 person likes this
@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
10 Apr 17
@infatuatedbby Maybe it is cheaper to buy those by counting manually.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
10 Apr 17
@SIMPLYD they'd make better money by weight and profit
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
9 Apr 17
Oh yes
Seems like ... it's actually common to count one by one according to some other responses I received.
This was a shock to me. At the recycling centers they go by weight!
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
9 Apr 17
@sishy7 Here we have a scale. How about in Australia? Do you guys recycle?
1 person likes this
@sishy7 (27166)
• Australia
9 Apr 17
@infatuatedbby They must not have the scale machine or something... 
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
9 Apr 17
We have redemption centers that count our retunables.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
10 Apr 17
@infatuatedbby there are machines in the stores that count them for you. When they are not working, an employee counts them.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
10 Apr 17
@ElusiveButterfly We don't have them here. Or, not that I have seen of!
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
9 Apr 17
They hand count also? This is very new to me. All the places I know never hand counted.
1 person likes this
@Tina30219 (82978)
• Onaway, Michigan
13 Apr 17
The things people do for some money. But ying about it does not help at all just makes you look suspicious by doing it
1 person likes this
@Tina30219 (82978)
• Onaway, Michigan
14 Apr 17
@infatuatedbby Of course not the employees instincts we're right by counting them
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
14 Apr 17
@Tina30219 yea the person said they had 1000 but the employee did not trust.
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
13 Apr 17
Yeah... and turned out the person who claimed they had 1000 didn't.
@epiffanie (11325)
• Australia
13 Apr 17
That reminds me of the man who came to the bank with loads of bags full of coins in a shopping trolley and the two tellers counted them one by one... they said that it would take at least 4 hours.. Lucky that I was ahead of him.. I only had coins worth less that $200.. It took nearly 10 minutes to count .. Lol .. I can't believe that the bank din't have scale.. I reckon it would have taken them 8 hours to count all the coins in that shopping trolley...
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
16 Apr 17
@epiffanie Here they make you roll the coins up.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
13 Apr 17
I am surprised the bank did not have a scale or any method to make it easier. how would the bank benefit if they had to hand count everything? Glad you were ahead of him!!
1 person likes this
@epiffanie (11325)
• Australia
16 Apr 17
@infatuatedbby I know.. it was crazy! .. But I think it was only that branch of that particular bank that don't have scale .. But they gave away ziplocked bags for different coins so we can put actually separate them before going to the bank ...
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
9 Apr 17
I am a little confused, are these cans/bottles taken there for money? Why Walmart instead of a recycling center?
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
9 Apr 17
Yes! I was a little confused when I was standing in line at the return line to do a price adjust.
Turns out the Walmart does can / bottle recycling! At the entrance you leave your cart then stand in line at the return line also. When it's your turn, you walk them to your cart and they physically hand count each recycling item and do calculations for money.
Looks like that's common method (hand counting) .. based on other mylotters responses- that's the first I have seen ever! It's all scales here.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
9 Apr 17
@AbbyGreenhill Me neither! This was the first time I seen such thing!
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
9 Apr 17
@infatuatedbby I've never seen anything like that at any Walmart! How odd.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
12 Apr 17
That is easier! Here they charge CRV
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (67089)
• United States
9 Apr 17
They do that all the time here but at can and bottle return places bu liquor stores. We go to one. Its a job.
1 person likes this
@Courtlynn (67089)
• United States
9 Apr 17
@infatuatedbby yup they have them all over MA as far as i know. Gives people a job, and others money from returning.
2 people like this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
9 Apr 17
@Courtlynn That is wonderful! Here it is by weight for as long as I recycled as a child, I'd tag along. I haven't went recently, but I've passed by and they still do the weight thing.
When, I got home and told my parents' they thought it was silly at a Walmart and not do this at a recycling center! Because it's still by weight. I'd be more accurate if someone counted though!
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43567)
• Denver, Colorado
9 Apr 17
Don't most places in California have a machine that counts for them? I seem to remember that.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
10 Apr 17
@teamfreak16 That is very nice of you :)
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
10 Apr 17
I never seen any!
We have recycling stations that go by the weight.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43567)
• Denver, Colorado
10 Apr 17
@infatuatedbby - Maybe it was just bottles. I lived in Modesto for four months. I donated mine to a lady that fed the homeless on the weekend's.
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (68211)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
19 Apr 17
When I was growing up all the grocery stores where I grew up had machines,that counted the cans and gave you a slip that you turned in at the register for cash.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
19 Apr 17
That is awesome! But I hear you dont have to pay CRV in Florida?
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
9 Apr 17
That's how they do things here. Either there's a machine that counts them for you, and you put them in one at a time.. or you bring them to a redemption center and they count them one by one. I usually never take more than a garbage bag full, that's usually around 100 bottles and cans.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
9 Apr 17
Wow!! That's the first. I've never seen a place that counts one by one. It's all by the pound. I wouldn't mind using a machine or having someone count. But that's a lot of counting! However I think it'll be a better environment if it was at a redemption center and not the front entrance of Walmart.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
9 Apr 17
Easy but that would be annoying. They aren't making any money to do all that work.
