Redeemable cans and bottles donated by Midcoast Maine residents to the nonprofits of their choice, through a company called CLYNK, have accumulated more than $17,000 so far this year, according to Molly Renaud, the company's marketing director.

CLYNK is a Maine and New York can and bottle redemption business, started in 2006 and headquartered in South Portland. Though a private organization, the company partners with Hannaford Supermarkets. 

"Hannaford Supermarkets has always shared in our vision to make recycling easy and they have been a key partner in our success and growth," Renaud said in an email.

Forty-nine drop-off locations currently exist in the state, sometimes located in gray deposit bins in the parking lots of the supermarkets.

While other redemption facilities rely on business hours and personnel, CLYNK users set up online computer accounts. These accounts allow redeemers to track their environmental impact, their financial accruement, and if they so choose, direct those funds to charity.

Many Midcoast residents have followed this plan of action. Since the Hannaford Cash Partners program (i.e. charity participation) started in 2012, those Midcoast nonprofits have collectively accrued more than $71,000.

“Some groups are more active than others,” Renaud said.

One of the most active is Pope Memorial Humane Society of Knox County. Since that organization activated a CLYNK account, it has earned $16,665.

The list of groups range from schools and parent/teacher organizations, sports teams, animal shelters, social welfare groups, and municipal departments. Rockland Solid Waste Facility and the St. George Transfer Station have each created CLYNK accounts.

According to Rockland Solid Waste Director Dave St. Laurent, their CLYNK nettings come from residents who choose to recycle cans at the transfer station.

“The revenue, like all the other recycling revenue line items, is used to offset recycling and solid waste operating costs,” St. Laurent said. “When looked at in its entirety the total recycling operation does not net revenue, it is a cost avoidance when compared to disposal.”

“Unfortunately, when looked at from an immediate financial standpoint, recycling does not make money. It just costs less than disposal,” he said. 

St. Laurent listed the long term benefits of recycling:

·        Reducing the need to use virgin raw materials and the environmental effects of harvesting or extraction those raw materials.

·        It reduces energy used to produce such products and the global warming and polluting effects of power generation.

·        It conserves raw materials and energy for future generations.

·        It also reduces the need for landfills and incinerators.

In fact, upon browsing each partner’s fundraising history, the amount of energy saved through the cans recycled for that nonprofit’s cause is listed along with the financial accumulation. For example, the Coastal Children’s Museum in Rockland gained $354.40. That translates to 5,927 cans “Clynked.”

Environmental Impact of recycling 5,927 cans and bottles:

• Energy: Saved enough energy to light 8.5 lightbulbs—24 hours a day—for a year.
• Emissions: Saved the emissions equivalent of driving a car 1,613 miles.
• Volume: Diverted enough containers to fill 60.2 lobster traps.

The CLYNK method

According to Renaud, a fleet of trucks drive through Maine, collecting the bags of redeemables at each dropoff location. In Maine, the cans are then taken to the South Portland warehouse for recycling, or for New Yorkers, the warehouse in Glenville.

Within two business days, credits are placed on the customer’s account.   

CLYNK’s revenue is generated from the fee that bottlers pay for the collection process and not from its customers. After receiving 10 free bags at sign up, the only cost to customers is the purchase of additional CLYNK bags that are designed to be both inexpensive and recyclable, according to Renaud. 

“If we run an event like Cans for a Cure or if a CLYNK account holder donates funds from their account to a Hannaford Community Cash account all deposits or the amount chosen by the customer goes to the charity,” Renaud said. “CLYNK does not receive any portion of a deposit.”  

There are minimal fees associated with the Hannaford Community Cash program for the groups that sign up, but these fees are deducted from the organization’s fundraising total and not something they pay over to CLYNK directly.  

“They help cover the costs of mailings, reports and the checks we process to organizations using Hannaford Community Cash to do a year-round bottle drive,” said Renaud. 

Residents already registered with the CLYNK program who wish to direct their funds to a nonprofit may click on the attachment under this article’s photos for instructions. 

Sarah Thompson can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com