A canner participates in canning, the collection and redemption of deposit-marked beverage containers for recycling. Canning is an activity undertaken by individuals or small teams, typically to earn an income. Canning is only possible in nations, states, or municipalities which have enacted

container-deposit legislation Container-deposit legislation (also known as a container-deposit scheme, deposit-refund system or scheme, deposit-return system, or bottle bill) is any law that requires the collection of a monetary deposit on beverage containers (refillable or ...

Container deposits

The primary aim of container-deposit legislation is mitigation of the

environmental impact Environmental issues are effects of human activity on the biophysical environment, most often of which are harmful effects that cause environmental degradation. Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment on t ...

of materials used in the creation of the containers, especially

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...

. Another purpose is to facilitate the

recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the p ...

of container materials such as

glass Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...

and

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...

, as well as plastic. As there is a wide variety across different political entities which operate container-deposit programs, in terms of infrastructural support and deposit amount, the economic viability of canning as an income-generating activity varies from municipality to municipality. In some places, container-deposit programs have resulted in drastic reductions in street

litter Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. Litter can also be used as a verb; to litter means to drop and leave objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups, ...

and increases in recycling. In 2012, the German Federal Environment Agency reported that 96% of deposit-market containers were returned via their program.

Sociology

Canners, or those who collect and redeem deposit-marked beverage containers, are a familiar sight in many cities, whether combing areas following major events, searching through trash containers, or transporting their collected bottles and cans to redemption sites. Sociologists have made several observations about canning. In a 2014 dissertation, Sebastian J. Moser stated that it is not poverty that unites the "otherwise very heterogeneous group of bottle collectors, but the longing for a fixed daily structure and a task that is reminiscent of work." Canning activity can also be a source of community in a group often characterized by solitary experiences and disconnection. Income from canning varies widely between individuals. In New York City, where as many as 8,000 people support themselves this way, canning can often bring in over 100 to 200 dollars a day for the canner. In Germany, canners earn an average of 100 to 150 euros each month. Another study indicated German canners earn around 3 to 10 euros each day. In addition to income, canners have stated that the activity can be a hobby, for pleasure or productivity, as well as done for the purpose of improving the environment. The sociologist Stefan Sell sees lack of

income Income is the consumption and saving opportunity gained by an entity within a specified timeframe, which is generally expressed in monetary terms. Income is difficult to define conceptually and the definition may be different across fields. For ...

as the primary motivation for canning. In particular, he notes the sharp rise in low-wage jobs, the fall in collective bargaining in many industries and the devaluation of the

welfare state A welfare state is a form of government in which the state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equitabl ...

model since the early 1990s as causes for the emergence of this employment. In Germany, canners have become symbols of an increasingly poor society. According to the social scientists Catterfeld and Knecht, it is not only expected yields in terms of income which give insight into the phenomenon of canning. Another factor is availability of materials, or the readiness of consumers to leave bottles and cans in places accessible by canners. In Germany, shifts in public perception over time resulted in more material being offered by consumers specifically to canners, and a shift in perceived social stigma of canning as an occupation. These shifts have been attributed to shifts in legislation, as well as the cultural impact of increased canner visibility during the 2006 World Cup.

Demographic of canners

In New York City, canners are an ethnically diverse community, with the vast majority of them living below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

. Among canners at Sure We Can, a redemption center in Brooklyn, around 25 percent of the canners are over the age of 60, 7 percent are physically disabled, and 5 percent experience chronic homelessness. In Brooklyn, the canners are largely immigrants. About 75 percent of canners at Sure We Can were born outside the United States, with 54 percent of all the canners identifying as Latinx/Hispanic. In Germany, 80-85% of canners are male, and a majority are over the age of 65. The second largest group is young immigrants. Many experience poverty, but homelessness is relatively uncommon.

Canning in the United States

New York City

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

is a hotbed of canning activity largely due to the city's high population density mixed with New York state's current deposit laws. Canning remains a contentious issue in NYC with the canners often facing pushback from the city government, the

New York City Department of Sanitation The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) is the department of the government of New York City responsible for garbage collection, recycling collection, street cleaning, and snow removal. The DSNY motto "New York's Strongest" was coined ...

, and other recycling collection companies. Sure We Can, a redemption center co-founded by nun Ana Martinez de Luco, is the only canner friendly redemption center in the city, providing lockers and communal space for the canners to sort their collections of redeemables.

Images of canning

File:USMC-100428-M-2360J-008.jpg File:GIs volunteer and recycle cans at Guantanamo.jpg File:THE ALAMEDA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COLLECTED 8,000 POUNDS OF TIN CANS TO RAISE MONEY TO SEND 8TH GRADERS TO WASHINGTON, D.C - NARA - 545136.jpg File:A man caring used plastic bottle ,ready to sell to recycling company.jpg File:14 06 29 Recycle Location Sign Dunedin FL 01.jpg File:Sure We Can redemption center - Bushwick, Brooklyn - Bottles & Cans.jpg File:Pfandring in Köln-1037.jpg File:資源回収 (8181406846).jpg File:Bottles and cans (4540275628).jpg File:Nusa-Dua Bali Indonesia Plastic-collector-01.jpg File:Searching bottles in trash bin.jpg File:Looking in bin.jpg File:Guy sadly dumpster diving outside my window.jpg File:Bottles to recycle.jpg File:Compressed aluminium cans.jpg

References

{{reflist Cleaning and maintenance occupations