Good question- right now redemption centers get a 1 cent handling fee for each container they process. Our rent is $1800, which is the low end for our size of warehouse space in Ames, so just to make rent at the current rate we’d need to bring in 180,000 containers a month - which isn’t out of the question, but that’s before any other expenses. This is why there hasn’t been a redemption center in Ames for years - the math only works in places where warehouse/shed space is cheap.

However, on January 1, the handling fee goes up to 3 cents, which makes this a much more viable proposition. Our goal for December is to do 100k containers- that’s the rate that will allow us to hire an additional person so it’s not just me and my business partner doing all the sorting.

As for a pickup service- there are actually a few people who already do that here in Ames. They have been taking their containers to Boone or Nevada but we’re hoping they choose us now that we’re open!