What a cool place. First, I'd like to dispel some misinformation about this place since I just went today in July 2021!
1) This place DOES accept and pay for your cardboard. They don't pay much for it, but they do pay.
2) Parking spots are NOT small. They are average/large size. I was able to fit my Rav 4 with no problem and room to spare. I consider the parking spaces at Trader Joe's small. The spaces at my mechanics are super tight. This was easy and the spaces were plentiful.
3) They have many workers at this place, sort of like a drive through car wash. If you look lost or like it's your first time, you can get any of the workers to help you. One of the the workers, Joseph, led me through the process of driving my car onto the scales to weigh my cardboard. Even as I was finished and leaving the lot, he shouted, "Sir, you good? You get everything taken care of?" And we both gave each other a thumbs up.
4) Customer service is excellent. They are direct, but not in an unpleasant way. Actually, it's more of a "teach you how to do it so you know next time" sort of way, which is cool in my book.
5) Okay, so this is how you do everything. You pull into a space. It helps if you back into the space. Don't worry, you'll have room. Empty your soda cans into one of the big metal bins. Make sure your cans, plastic bottles, and glass bottles are separated ahead of time. You can empty the other recyclables into the other metal bins, but if you have a smaller amount, they have smaller bins up front. I'm not sure if other waste pays, but they have huge apartment sized, labeled garbage containers for other recyclables. Anyway you roll your bins to the man collecting cans, and he gives you a receipt. You take the receipt to the cashier up the walkway. Then she gives you your money and you're done! If you have cardboard like me, you drive your car onto the scale behind the cashier building--stop on the scale and wait until the green light--then drive off and empty your cardboard into the big pile at the end of the lot. Then drive around again onto the scale--so they can get the weight of your car without cardboard--wait until the green light--then drive off and park. Go to the cashier and tell her you dropped off cardboard and MAKE SURE TO GIVE HER YOUR LICENSE PLATE NUMBER. They get a lot of cars. Then she gives you money for that.
Also the cashiers/receptionists are super nice and answered the phone when I called earlier with no hiccups, so the other review complaining must be outdated now. Current receptionists are wonderful.
That's it folks! Have fun! I had a whole trunk full of cardboard I've been collecting for 3 months, and a couple of parties worth of cans and bottles, and it totaled a little over $3. This is a fun thing to do if you have the time, or to do with your kids and teach about saving and hard work. Other than that I'll probably just keep recycling at my house. But fun times! read more