When we think of people who collect cans, well we probably don’t think much of them. Most people are aware that the cans can be exchanged for money but many people don’t bother. Still, the people who collect up these cans are doing a good bit to help the amount of recyclables that actually get turned in proving that a little bit of incentive goes a long way.

The elephant in the room is that the people who collect cans from around NYC are people who really need the income. It’s exhausting a dirty work and the people who do it do so because they need to. Still, the outcome, as it turns out, actually increases the amount of recyclables that end up being returned.

Without the work of these folks, the amount of cans and bottles that end up in a landfill would likely be much higher. The entire culture is really fascinating and the full piece is worth a read. Check out the article for the full story.