Seacoast NRG

Comment from Bryan Hynes
Time: Wednesday, May 30, 2007, 9:44 am

CLYNK does not keep any portion of the deposit value for itself - the full nickel is credited into your account. The company makes its profits from fees that the state funds into the system for handling the redemption process - just like every other privately own redemption center. In the future there will be opportunities to market more goods and services to their customers and the company will futher benefit from those as well. Please, correct your blog to make clear that you get the whole nickel.

Comment from adam
Time: Wednesday, May 30, 2007, 7:01 pm

Bryan,

Thanks for your comment, and for your correction. I will update my blog accordingly.

Comment from George Kaczowka
Time: Saturday, Jul 14, 2007, 6:44 am

Well.. Clynk does force you to buy their bags. You can not just take your returns to Hannaford any more.. Clynk charges you .20/bag ($2 for a sleeve of 10).

You also do not get your funds immediately as you used to. Now you must wait at least 1 day, and take another trip to redeem your funds. Since you just went to the market, that means often that your funds sit in Clynk’s accounts for a week or more..

So while you technically get your whole nickel, to have to give some of them back to Clynk for their bags, and you don’t get your whole nickel back right away..

This information was obtained from the FAQ at http://www.clynk.com.

Oh, yes.. one other “convenience”.. The redemption center at the Hannaford in York is not open the same hours as the market.. so time your trips appropriately.

Comment from adam
Time: Saturday, Jul 14, 2007, 7:45 am

George, this is good but disappointing feedback. I’d have hoped that Clynk would be doing more to make recycling containers as convenient as possible. Thanks for your research and comment.

Comment from Mark Johnson
Time: Monday, Sep 10, 2007, 7:46 pm

I feel these comments are a bit misleading and, perhaps, paranoid. As someone who has a basement full of returnables collected over several years, I’m grateful for this opportunity. The opportunity is provided by Clynk to make sure these returnables are recycled for obvious environmental reasons as well as a convenient way for ME to get back the money I’ve dished out for these cans/bottles.

Having researched the cost of bags large enough to carry the returnables I have, the size bag provided by Clynk is dirt cheap and I find it hard to believe the company is making money from the bags, but rather avoiding people taking free bags for no reason other than potential personal use. Moreover, I delight in the convenience Clynk provides: I can simply drop off bags and not linger while every bottle/can is checked or scanned by a machine–a machine that often rejects the returnables for no apparent reason.

Lastly, I do not worry about being scammed for a few nickels, although I have no reason to believe this service would do so. I’m grateful that a green-minded organization would take on this task and return a great service to customers in the process. This is a classic example of a win-win situation for both customers and an environmentally oriented company. If you don’t believe me, look at Clynk’s website and the wages they are offering to employees at even entry level positions.

My only concern would be that the service, once gaining a foothold, will up its charges; for now, it is a great service.

Comment from adam
Time: Monday, Sep 10, 2007, 9:40 pm

Mark, thanks for your input. I’m very glad to hear that you’ve had such a positive experience with Clynk. I hope many others will as well.

Comment from Ruth
Time: Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007, 1:05 pm

Wouldn’t it be great if Clynk figured a way to let you swipe your card at the check out instead of going to the the machine, getting a slip, and then taking that slip through checkout?!

Comment from Adam
Time: Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007, 7:29 pm

Great idea Ruth. Why don’t you suggest it to Clynk, via their website?

Comment from matt bliss
Time: Thursday, Nov 8, 2007, 10:11 pm

I have a Quick question, i was just wondering that if i live in new york and the bottles i have here for example poweraid and gatoraid bottles say ME 10 Cents, does that mean i can return the in Maine and get 10 Cents. Or how do that work, please respond i have been thinking about it for a while. thank you

Comment from adam
Time: Friday, Nov 9, 2007, 7:15 am

Matt, the bottle depost in Maine is only 5 cents. I’m pretty sure that what you are reading is actually MI, for Michigan, where the rate is 10 cents (remember the Seinfeld episode?)

Comment from matt bliss
Time: Friday, Nov 9, 2007, 2:25 pm

ok thats what i meant but i cant return maine bottles here in ny so if i were to drive to maine would i be able to return a large sum off cans and get the 5 Cents or would that not work. Sorry i was confused.

Comment from adam
Time: Saturday, Nov 10, 2007, 4:59 pm

Matt, what you are describing should work fine. It’s possible that some stores may have limits as to how many containers you can return at any one time.

Also, check to see if any of the bottles have a stamp (MA) for Massachusetts, which I think also has a 5 cent deposit. That would be a much shorter trip for you.

Comment from Rob
Time: Thursday, Nov 29, 2007, 3:37 pm

If I’m understanding what you’re saying, it is okay for someone who is not a resident of Maine to bring their returnables to one of these Maine locations and get the money? I’ve always been under the impression that that was somehow illegal. I want to start teaching my 4 year old the value of earning his own money and we have a ton of Maine returnable bottles and cans.

Comment from adam
Time: Thursday, Nov 29, 2007, 6:51 pm

Rob, I have to admit that I truly don’t know the letter of the law on this matter for Maine.

If you actually purchased your containers in Maine, I don’t see why you couldn’t return them there for the deposit, since you paid the deposit when you purchased the containers originally.

However, if you didn’t actually purchase the containers, or didn’t purchase them in Maine, then returning them to Maine is very likely not legal. I was able to find information on the web stating that some states, like Mass, explicitly make this practice illegal. It seems likely that Maine has similar laws.

Comment from Tom
Time: Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007, 5:51 pm

December 12, 2007

I just finished reading your website’s article about the new CLYNK bottle and can return centers at some Hannaford’s in Maine. The new Maine law passed this year by the Maine Legislature that made changes to the state’s bottle bill law provided the legal vehicle for redemption centers in the state like CLYNK to force customers to buy special bags and sign-up for special deposit refund accounts. Although, I understand why this change was made to make it easier for redemption centers to operate in the state, I am concerned the change made weakens the civil liberties of customers to refuse to buy special bags and sign-up for refund accounts in order to have their bottles and cans processed by a center. The Maine redemption/recycling industry and the state government should reconsider these bottle bill changes to ensure they are equally fair to both customers and redemption businesses.

Concerned Consumer

Comment from tim
Time: Thursday, Dec 13, 2007, 2:07 pm

I just signed up with clynk and brought them 4 bags of returnables. I counted them, just to check, and they should have been 24.00. When I brought more a week later, there was 19.00 in my account. Seems to me there is 3.00 missing. (after the 2.00 for a sleave of 10 bags) Maybe an honest mistake, but I counted the next 6 bags as well. We shall see. Also they are limiting the ammount you can return ,in mid january, to 50 bottles or cans. dissapointing!!!

Comment from adam
Time: Monday, Dec 17, 2007, 12:18 pm

Tom and Tim, thanks for your comments. I’m hoping that container redemption centers and services, such as offered by Clynk, improve from what you have seen. I’m also hoping that services do not become wholly dominated by one provider.

If you have specific complaints or concerns about Maine’s program, you can take them to the Maine Dept. of Agriculture, which administers the program. They have a contact number here.

Comment from Eileen
Time: Friday, Jan 11, 2008, 9:48 am

I’m just curious about my name being linked to bottle returns. What if I help out a friend and he has a lot of beer bottles. I don’t drink! What if the info they use goes to insurance or law enforcement agencies? Do they use this to keep track of a persons drinking habits?

Comment from matt
Time: Wednesday, Jan 23, 2008, 8:32 pm

Can Smuggling in the U.S.
The U.S. has a patchwork of deposit laws on soft drink bottles and cans. Most states have no deposit, but some states — Michigan, for example — have deposits. The cans are the same, so you can make ten cents by buying a can in one state and then returning it for the deposit in Michigan.

Ten people have been arrested for making more than $500,000 doing this:

They ran grocery stores such as Save Plus Superstore in Pontiac, The Larosa Market In Sylvan Lake and Value Foods in Ypsilanti, police also raided The Farmer John, Savemart Food Center and the Americana foods, all three in Detroit.
Investigators alleged that millions of non-redeemable out-of-state cans were collected, crushed, packaged in plastic bags and sold at a discount to merchants who then redeemed them.

Bulk redemption payments from the state are based on weight.

Comment from jane
Time: Wednesday, Feb 20, 2008, 11:17 am

Just curious. I had seen an ad for employment with CLYNK at the York Hannaford. Since I am VERY interested in helping with the returnable/refundable problem, I was eager to see how their program was working. (I have had NO response from an inquiry to their website!).

In the meantime, I see on nh.gov that the latest version of the Bottle Bill has been labeled as “inexpedient to legislate”, i.e., killed. It would appear from the text of the rejection that the NHState Liquor Commission had GREAT influence in getting the bill killed…blaming it on $$$, of course. Shame on them!

So…I do not see an answer to the question about whether it is illegal for a NH resident to travel to Maine with our returnables. From my observation, a healthy percentage of empty plastic bottles in NH are from Poland Springs, in MAINE!

I hope someone can answer the question, or point me in the right direction for an answer!

Comment from jane
Time: Wednesday, Feb 20, 2008, 11:21 am

Sorry I posted before doing my research.
Here is stipulation #4 from the Maine Bottle Bill Law.

“There is a per container fine of $100 for tendering containers purchased out of state for redemption.”

Comment from adam
Time: Wednesday, Feb 20, 2008, 7:04 pm

Jane, thanks for your posts. I think you know more about this than I do at this point.

Thanks for the information!

Comment from friendly employee
Time: Thursday, Mar 6, 2008, 11:45 pm

One thing first, Clynk is a maine based/owned company at this point in time, and we are contracted only through Hannaford to go state wide. It is universal and you can use it at all of the CLYNK Locations.

This is a huge thing with Clynk especially in York, where people bring in TRUCK loads of bottles from out of state, it is a big no no and you can be charged upwards of $2,500 and put in Jail for it. You are robbing not just the redemption center but the whole state. If you purchase your containers in Maine then you can redeem them in Maine, If you buy them in New Hampshire than you are NOT paying for a redemption and you are not entitled to a nickle or 15 cents per bottle.

This is a much easier process for returning your containers especially if you are someone who works odd hours, doesn’t have much time on their hands, or just someone who hates to wait in line or feed a machine that never works correctly.

Fill one of the clynk bags (you get two free when you first sign up and up to three free if you bring in your returnables when you first sign up) Mix everything together, 35 lb weight limit, seriously if it is over that the bag will break and if you have glass they will break and who knows where all the other bottles may end up. Tie your bag up as tight as you can so nothing can come out of the top, as they are not counted at the location you drop them off. Slap a label on your bag anywhere but on the bottom, this is directly related to your clynk account. And just drop if off at the door if they are open 9-6 everyday that hannaford is open, unless there is a bad snow storm or something, and if they are not open you can use their after hours box, you just need your clynk card, swipe it and that opens the small door, drop your bag down the ramp shut it and the door will lock after a few seconds. Drop your bags off before 2 pm and your money will be put on your card by the next time, after 2 than it will take no more than 2 days for you to get your money. To get your money you need your card and your 4 digit pin number that you put on your application, kiosk will give you a receipt that you bring to HBC customer service for cash you toward your groceries, you can also just keep your money there and take it out whenever, like a small savings account. We are here to stay so don’t worry that we might go out of business or something like that. You don’t have to worry no charge and no wiping out accounts.

Sometimes yes some bottles might not get processed, only due to the maine registry might not have it in their system. Let us know if you think you don’t have the amount you should and we will look up your account with your card and figure out why you might not of been credited for certain bottles, sometimes you have family/friends over that bring bottles maybe from out of state? You never know. So don’t think we are out to take your money, we are not, just to make the bottle redemption easier on you and on us.

You can return bottles at 10pm or 7am? How many places can you do that?

GO CLYNK

Comment from Insane Preacher
Time: Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008, 11:22 pm

While you are paying $0.20 per bag to use clink, you would have to purchase bags anyway. I wind up paying close to $0.50 per bad for my big black bags, the ones that are the same size as the clink bags. I wind up saving $0.30 per bag.

On the “You have to wait a day” yada yada yada… This, to me, means that I don’t have bottles piling up until I finally get around ro returning them. As soon as a bag gets full, I drop it off on the way to work. I do this at 9:30pm, long after clynk is closed, using their handy drop-off door thing. Every once and a while, when shopping, I print a bottle slip and save some cash on my groceries.

Given the price of gas, who in their right mind wants to load up the car and make a special trip just to be handed $5.00? It cost you as much to drive there!

Comment from Insane Preacher
Time: Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008, 11:26 pm

To answer the bottle return delema. It is a crime to return a bottle in the state of maine unless the bottle deposit has been payed to the state of maine. Meaning, if you buy it in NY it must be returned in NY. If you can’t return bottles in NY, then you didn’t pay the 5 cents in the first place.

Comment from Donna Graham
Time: Saturday, Jun 14, 2008, 7:42 am

DO YOU TAKE SMILEY HILL BOTTLES ? THE DEPOSIT ON
THEM IS $ 1:00

Comment from b young
Time: Sunday, Jun 22, 2008, 3:23 pm

can your account be checked on line

Comment from emeraldangel
Time: Wednesday, Jul 2, 2008, 11:57 am

can you check account balance on line and if not that needs to be changed

Comment from adam
Time: Thursday, Jul 3, 2008, 6:16 am

Sorry, I don’t know if account balances with Clynk can be checked online. I suggest you contact them directly.