In California we get at least $1.75 a pound for cans. I've even seen it over $2 a pound with a coupon. Of course when we buy them we have to pay a CRV (California redemption value) fee for every aluminum can or plastic bottle. I think we pay about 4 cents a can and like 5 cents for a one liter plastic soda bottle. So they are really just refunding the CRV we paid when we purchased the cans or bottles. I work construction and I collect the cans and plastic around the sites and get a few pounds a week, I easily get $40 to $50 a month with very little effort. Plastic bottles are around 80 or 90 cents a pound.