Learn

How this actually works

Three things worth knowing: why picking cans up by hand beats the curbside bin, how a route day runs, and what to say when you knock on a door. Written for kids, useful for parents.

For everyone

Why recycling this way matters

It starts with something small: one can on the ground that everybody walks past.

The bin isn't the whole story

Most of us were taught one rule: put it in the recycling bin and you've helped the planet. That's a good habit. The system behind it is messier.

Once recycling is tipped into a truck, everything mixes together. If food or liquid gets in, the whole load can be rejected and sent to a landfill instead.

Mixed materials are harder to sort.
Food and liquid contaminate a load.
Contaminated loads often end up in the landfill.

So a surprising amount of what people think is being recycled isn't.

What a kid recycler changes

When a kid picks cans up straight from a neighbor, those cans stay clean and separate the whole way. They go by hand to a redemption center, not into a mixed truck.

Aluminum is one of the most recyclable materials there is. Handled the right way, a can you hand over today can be back on a shelf in about 60 days.

And it's bigger than cans

A route is a first job. Kids learn that showing up matters, that neighbors notice, and that their own work changes something they can see.

Real responsibility, on a real schedule
Hard work and independence, with a parent nearby
Kids who pay attention to their own neighborhood

Kids CAN Recycle isn't only about cans and bottles. It's about doing recycling the right way while raising a generation that makes the change instead of waiting for it.

For kid recyclers and their parents

Your route, start to finish

Everything a route day needs, in the order it happens. Parents: the safety rules are in the first block.

Before you start

Pack enough trash bags, elastic bands, and thank-you cards.
Print your route sheet so you know every stop before you leave.
Open the app and tap Start route before you pick up anything.

At each stop

Take the bag of deposit cans and bottles from the pickup spot.
Leave a fresh trash bag, and a thank-you card if it's their first pickup.
Tidy the spot before you move on. Leave it better than you found it.

No bag out? That's fine, it happens. Mark the stop as no bag out so your neighbor's history stays honest.

In the app

Open the stop card for the house you're at.
Tap Mark as picked up.
Confirm, then move to the next stop.

After the route

Bring the cans and bottles to the redemption center.
Cash them in and check your total.
Enter the amount in the end-of-route step so your earnings match the day.

That last step is what turns a morning of work into a number you can watch grow.

For kid recyclers — and it answers a neighbor's questions too

What to say at the door

You're asking neighbors to help keep cans out of the trash. Say it plainly and kindly. Short beats polished.

The friendly version

Say this

“Hi! My name is ___. I'm a kid recycler with Kids CAN Recycle. I pick up deposit cans and bottles from neighbors so they don't end up in the trash, and I bring them to the redemption center. Would you like to join my route?”

Or the short one

“Hi! I collect deposit cans and bottles for Kids CAN Recycle. It's free, and it keeps our street cleaner. Can I help you sign up?”

Questions you'll get

What do I have to do?: Save your empty deposit cans and bottles, bag them, and leave the bag in the spot we agree on.
Does it cost anything?: No. Joining a route is free.
When do you come?: On the route days shown in the app. You can get a reminder the day before.
Do I need to be home?: No. Just leave the bag where we agreed.
What can I put in the bag?: Deposit cans and bottles. Empty the liquid out first so everything stays clean.
Is this safe?: Yes. A parent or guardian is with the recycler on every route.
Why does it matter?: Clean, separated cans actually get recycled. Mixed and dirty ones often don't.

How to ask

Stand with your parent or trusted adult.
Say your name and that you're a kid recycler in the neighborhood.
Keep it to four words: free, easy, clean, local.
Ask one clear question: would you like to join my route?
If they say yes, hold up the QR code or type their info in for them.
Agree on the pickup spot and whether they want reminders.
Say thank you either way.

If they say no or maybe

Not interested: "Thanks for listening. I appreciate you hearing me out."
Too busy right now: "No problem. I'll leave the QR code so you can sign up whenever you want."
I already recycle: "That's great. If you ever have deposit cans or bottles, I can take those."
Worried about a mess: "I get it. We ask people to empty the liquid first, and I keep the pickup spot clean."

A no today is fine. Neighbors change their minds when they see you show up week after week.

Ready to join a route?

Find the recycler covering your street and tell them where to find your bag.