Scenes From NYC: Can Caravan

Caravan of cans/bottles - pulled around NYC by one man (not the truck)

New York’s “Bottle Bill” requires that all retailers charge a 5-cent deposit on many beverage containers – especially soda cans/bottles. In addition, they must also PAY BACK this 5-cent deposit when someone returns/redeems cans to their store.

However, while the stores are quick to charge their customers, they often try to get out of paying the deposits back. Especially since many of the people that return these cans/bottles are homeless and/or have mental health and/or substance abuse issues. Not to mention that walking around the hot city and reaching into garbage cans all day doesn’t exactly leave you with a nice odor - which tends to upset store shoppers.

I took this picture (above) a little while ago, around the corner from my job. This gentleman (not pictured) had taken his caravan of shopping carts, loaded with bags of cans and bottles, to Gristedes supermarket for redemption. The Gristedes Manager, of course, wasn’t thrilled. I’m not sure exactly what happened, but it seemed as if Can Guy was planning on keeping his caravan parked out front until Gristedes gave him his money. This would make it extremely difficult for the store to receive deliveries (notice the traffic cones which were placed out front – that’s NOT for the Can Guy, that's for delivery trucks). And the store can’t call the police, because by law they’re required to give Mr. Cans his money.

Looks like Can Guy has a small fortune coming to him.

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