Cool idea! In Norway we return our bottles for money…
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Did you pick up one of those ZipSnip tools for ripping down cardboard? That is supposed to work on clamshell packages too. Might help avoid Wrap Rage.
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ROFL! I had no idea there was such a thing as Wrap Rage, but apparently I suffer from it. 
(And I meant to get one of those ZipSnip things when it first came up and got side-tracked. Will revisit.)
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I just ordered one. My cardboard pile needs management.
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Oregon, here in the US, also has what we call a ‘bottle bill’. We pay a deposit on beverages, then return the bottle/containers for money. It can be a hassle doing that though, so since we personally don’t really need the money, we take ours to a place that uses the refund money to go toward our schools. A great thing, all the way around. 
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I ordered one too, thanks to that older post. I’ve used it several times already and love it.
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We were poor as I was growing up so I made money gathering containers for the refunds. It also helped a lot with the litter problem!
Rodney Dangerfield - ‘We were so poor if I hadn’t been born a boy, I’d had nothing to play with.’ 
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There are still many families and individuals who can really use that container money…and are willing to haul all of them to the stores that have the refund processing machines available. I have had school groups saving to pay for a school sponsored trip, going house to house collecting bottles. I am pleased to donate any we have…and love that it keeps our landscapes more litter free.
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I have lived in places with redemption values for containers, and places without, and I agree.
When I lived in Vancouver, I attended school in an area with a large homeless population (and where the cops would drop off the folks who had been removed from touristy areas but who weren’t actually committing crimes.) These folks would often ask if I was done with my soda can, even as I was popping it open for the first time. Never any bottles in the street.
Also, I love it when old, empty beer bottles turn around and pay for fresh, full beer bottles.
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Yeah that’s how we do it as well. That sounds like a clever way to donate some money though! I haven’t seen anyone do that around here, but we have the option of pressing a button on the return machine which then donates the money to the red cross i believe. And there is a lottery system in that system as well so for every half “krone” aka Norwegian currency we have exchanged our bottles for gives us a ticket with the possibility of winning a million or something “kroner” but of course most of the money goes to charity 
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Great added incentive! While we’re discussing donating money…I thought of something a long time ago and perhaps it, or something similar, has been implemented…or perhaps it may no longer be of any consequence given the use of Euros. When people travel in Europe, they end up coming home with a pocket full of change from various countries, which is of no value here in the US…but it always seemed to me that there should be donation sites in the airports. Travelers could get rid of their change and it could be used for good purposes. How many countries are there now that use Euros exclusively?
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I believe the eurozone is now up to 19 countries.
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Many airports do have currency exchange booths though so you can get rid of your euros that way, but I like your idea
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You could always send your spare Euros to me! I promise that I won’t waste them!
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With the rates many currency exchange boots give, you’re certainly making a donation to somebody 
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I haven’t been to Europe in a while, but went several times when I was younger. I remember them bringing UNICEF or something similar boxes down the aisles on the planes encouraging you to donate your leftover change. I travel other places now, but haven’t seen that in a while. FWIW, I think on the plane is an even better idea as people can no longer buy snacks or anything in the airport at that point
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