"‘It’s honest dollars,’ says one canner, but it’s not easy work – canners plan meticulous routes and often work long hours"

"“It’s good for the environment,” says Anthony Pemberton, arranging the recyclable empty bottles and cans in his shopping cart. “And I’m a conservationist. You do also get five cents per can, which is a motivator.”

It is a cold Sunday morning, and a small crowd of people are beginning to gather outside a redemption center in south-west Brooklyn. It’s starting to drizzle; the smell of stale beer hangs in the air.

A woman in a puffy coat and plastic arm protectors only identifies herself as being 50 years old and originally from Guangdong province, China. She says she works in a bar, where the owner allows her to take the recyclable containers every week. She offloads 12 milk crates full of beer cans from a broken Home Depot shopping cart, personalized with added handles for enhanced maneuverability. With her week’s haul, she estimates she can net between $20 and $30. When asked if she would like to be interviewed in English, she laughs."

Cecilia Watt reports for the Guardian March 1, 2019. [2]

SEE ALSO:

"Meet The Street Nun Helping People Make A Living From New York's Cans" (Guardian) [3]