Every second of every day, 1,500 plastic bottles are reportedly thrown away. Eight million tons of plastic end up in the ocean every 12 months. Around the world, 300 million tons of plastic waste are produced yearly.
There’s no getting around it: Plastic bottles are terrible for the environment, but with so many products relying on plastic packaging, it’s hard to completely eliminate them from our lifestyle. The most sustainable thing to do after using a plastic bottle is to recycle it, but what if there was a way to make money from your single-use plastic?
In a viral TikTok, which was viewed 668,000 times, Walmart customer Lilly (@litlifeoflilly) demonstrates how the superstore can help you earn actual money from your empty water bottles.
“Nobody believed me when I tell them they can return ANY plastic bottle at Walmart,” Lilly says in the TikTok, as she films herself placing bottles into a machine at the supermarket. “So here is video proof of some of the brands accepted.”
As the TikToker puts her bottles in the machine, the price goes up by 10 cents, with a variety of bottles from different brands, shapes, and sizes all being included. In total, the creator shows that she put 88 bottles into the machine, giving her $8.80.
“If you drink as much water as me, you need this,” she adds in the caption.
@litlifeoflilly if you drink as much water as me you need this. #bottlereturn #getthatmoney ♬ original sound – lilly
On the one hand, many viewers praised Walmart’s initiative to encourage people to recycle. “This should be everywhere!” one commented. “Wait, I’m putting my bottles in a recycling bin, but I’m not getting paid,” another joked.
However, as clever as the initiative is, several pointed out in the comments that these water machines aren’t available in every Walmart. “Girl you at a fancy Walmart, because mine doesn’t have that,” one viewer commented. “All Walmart are different so it will not have the same stuff in it,” a further viewer added.
But many praised the supermarket for their green initiative, and shared hopes it would go further, with another commenter saying, “This should be everywhere for any plastic bottles, even laundry and soap bottles if they were serious about climate change!”
Lilly didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via TikTok comment. The Daily Dot also reached out to Walmart via a media contact form.
