local waste company sucks!

So I'm due to bottle three batches (10 gallon and two five gallon) in the coming weeks and have no spare bottles as they are all full in my closet it is a very bittersweet problem. I called the local waste company's recycling number and inquired about buying a lot of bottles. they said no. I tried to explain to the manager on the phone that reusing is actually more "green" than recycling. He didn't seem to understand what i was getting at. Where have you (read: ya'll) found low to no cost bottles?

Too bad you did not live near me as I have a neighbor with several cases of bottles that are just sitting there looking for a good home.

Go to a bar or club they may be willing to let you look at the bottles.

Check with local bars.

Put up an ad in CL and offer to pay a nickel each for pop tops.

Drink more beer.

Odds are the guy working at the recycling plant, even as the manager, probably is more interested in doing his job (which is making his company profitable) than helping out some homebrewer get some empty bottles. Waste companies recycle not because of some higher calling to save the earth but because it's part of their business model. Get paid to haul the trash and then sort and sell the recyclables as a commodity then use the recycling as a marketing win by talking about how green they are.

I guess what I'm saying is that a waste company is the wrong approach.

Personally, I find that the best cappable bottles are returnables. Go to your local liquor store, order a case of beer in returnables. Drink the beer. Fail to return the bottles. And they come in an awesome, sturdy case.

Here in Michigan, I can go to any good beer store and buy the empties for a dime apiece. The store doesn't care, because they would get paid the same amount anyway. Plus, they are very willing to make their potential customers happy.

Since I started kegging, my desire for bottles has diminished, but I still look for cool ones. I have enough in the garage to fill any need I currently have, and some plain brown bottles for a few competitions.

Here, there are no returnables, so that isn't an option.
I posted on the local freecycle group (it is a yahoo group)
And within a couple of days had 3 cases from old brewers who were on a hiatus from brewing.

Drink good beer and start keeping the bottles and reuse them. I know that wont help you today but that is how I got my bottle collection going. Ask you buddies at work to save there bottle for you if they are crown type.

I've given everyone I know an earful about saving bottles. I get a sixer here and there, but with 20 gallons to bottle soon (2 weeks) I'm looking at somewhere between 8-9 cases needed. I would need everyone to really step up their consumption to pull it off this way.

bhatchable said:

I've given everyone I know an earful about saving bottles. I get a sixer here and there, but with 20 gallons to bottle soon (2 weeks) I'm looking at somewhere between 8-9 cases needed. I would need everyone to really step up their consumption to pull it off this way.

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Time for a party! All invitees must bring a 6-pack of micro.



The Fool

Poor planning? Why did you brew 20g not knowing where you were going to get like 200 bottles at?

jgln said:

Poor planning? Why did you brew 20g not knowing where you were going to get like 200 bottles at?

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+1

You can BUY bottles online.....Or go buy beer and start drinking. Or buy some kegs.

Yous said Waste Management company. Have you tried your local recyler?
I can get brown glass for 10 cents a piece.

bikefoolery said:

Time for a party! All invitees must bring a 6-pack of micro.



The Fool

Click to expand...

+1 with a small change:

require everyone to bring either: any beverage of their choice in a brown, non-twist off bottle.

A couple ideas. All require footwork.

Official policy (over the phone) versus reality are often different. It's possible that if you just showed up you'd be able to score some bottles.

You might try swinging by your local recycling center and peeking in the glass bin. You just might find a bunch of bottles for free.

If you have a store (stores) that have self service bottle return machines you could hang out there for a bit. Someone will swing by shortly with a couple cases of beer - which you promptly offer them $2 a case, $1 for a short case. You get bottles, they don't have to put em in the machine. 200 bottles is a lot of bottles, but for a couple hours of being the creepy guy hanging at the store you'd have em.

Craigslist and freecycle work wonders too...

jgln said:

Poor planning? Why did you brew 20g not knowing where you were going to get like 200 bottles at?

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when I started these batches i knew i had time. still have another two weeks or so. I can afford to buy them if i must, just trying to get them on the cheap. I think tommorrow I'm going to hit up the local recycler

EDIT: so i just called the local recycling company, and they said yes. A nickel a bottle and I have to pick out my own. it is going to be quite a de-labeling project

update. hit up american recycling and picked up 8 cases of brown glass at $.05 a bottle. soaking them in oxyclean before a scrub then star san soak. only came to $9.60 for two cases... i'm making up for it in work though, time to roll up the sleeves. cheers

Check in with your local watering holes as well... I'm averaging a case of 12 bombers of Fat Tire empties a week from two different places. They are places I frequent, so they don't mind doing me a solid in this area... just takes up room in their trash anyway. NBB sends their FTA bombers in cases of 12, they just empty them and throw them back into the box, and give me a call when it's full.

Also I have a tentative agreement with a local beer bar to set a special waste basket out for a busy Friday night for empties that I agree to haul away when full... restaurant managers are surprisingly cool about stuff like this if you let them know you'll drop by with a sample of the product.