Hamlin Redemption Center
Bottle Return Hours
Closed Monday 4/8 for the Eclipse 🌑 🌞
Monday – Saturday 10:00 – 6:00
Sunday: Closed
In the Tops plaza!
Our Hamlin Redemption Center Reviews
We are committed to being the best Hamlin redemption center. With the cleanest centers and friendliest staff we can proudly call ourselves Western NY’s best locally owned.
Hamlin Bottle Return FAQ
Who we are?
The redemption center market in Rochester has been ignoring a key element to business, customer service. At Upstate, we vow to bring the same fast, friendly & clean customer service that you have come to expect from other business’. After you use one of our centers you will never use another or touch a bottle return machine again! We guarantee it.
What do we accept?
We buy back anything with a NYS 5 cent redemption mark on it. If you are unsure, check the lable of your bottle or can; or the top of the can. It will have the states that you can redeem the item in listed.
What don't we accept?
- Non-deposit bottles & cans
- Gatorade
- Iced Teas
- Juice
- Milk, etc. Our buyer’s plant does not process non-deposits.
- Kegs
- Growlers
- Water cooler jugs
- Crumpled or crunch items
- Wrapperless items
Why no crushed or wrapperless items?
We have to sell the bottles and cans back based on average bag capacity per the size of the item. So, if we put crushed cans in our bags we are putting in a lot more than the average bag capacity and lose money. If we don’t have wrappers to identify the item, we can’t put it with the correct bags to be properly accounted.
How do we make money?
We make our money off the resale, not off of you. The New York Bottle Bill set forward in 2009 gives a handling fee to any redemption center registered in New York State. We are paid to handle your recycling for you and for the state.
Do we take all recycling?
In a way, Our Hamlin Redemption Center can recycle the cardboard and plastic bags that you bring your recycling in. But, we cannot accept cardboard and plastic in bulk. Our intermediary won’t buy back non-drinking receptacles and the garbage bill would be too high to not charge you. Sorry!
We recommend taking all of your other recycling needs to ecopark. They can recycle most things for free, small fee can apply for more hazardous materials.
Does it matter where I bought them?
Nope. Registered redemption centers are authorized to pay you back for your deposit no matter where you purchased it. We sort all of them by brand, size and material. We sell it back as such and it gets tracked that way.
What makes it depositable or not?
Embarrassingly enough we don’t know. We were unable to find any information on the motives for only including some of our drinking containers. But, an easy way to think about it is of its carbonated or water it probably has a deposit. If it’s not carbonated, it probably doesn’t have a deposit. There are exceptions to the rule however.
If the container has the mark of NY 5 cents, our Hamlin Redemption Center will take it.
What if my bags are gross?
We know your bottles and cans might get dirty & sticky from time to time and it’s OK, we have gloves! We just ask that you try your best not mix in excess garbage. However, for sanitary reasons we cannot accept insect infected bags or rotting food.