Where can I take my cans for cash?

Some states provide online listings of supermarkets, drugstores and other sites where you can return bottles and cans for money. Check to see if your state has such a listing. Other states require businesses that sell drinks in containers eligible for recycling accept them for recycling and pay consumers the deposit back. Visit the website for your state’s recycling program to see if that’s how it works where you live.

You may find that certain places are more efficient for recycling items. For instance, it might make sense to take bottles and cans to a store where you usually shop so that you can just add the bottle return process to your regular shopping itinerary. On the other hand, you might find that that store has a bottle return machine that is frequently out of order or that there’s often a long line of people waiting to return their bottles and cans for the deposit. In such a case, you might want to make another stop to return your items to save time or frustration overall.