‘For some this is junk, for others food’: the shops collecting plastic waste and handing back cash

A new bottle return shop in the Netherlands is turning trash into cash—literally. Mariama Kamara, helping her aunt’s restaurant, just dropped off 350 cans in under 10 minutes, earning over €50. The scheme isn’t just padding pockets; it’s slashing litter and boosting recycling rates, proving one person’s junk really is another’s treasure.