The Drifter Times

Cans and scrap: the honest math in North Carolina

First, the bad news: North Carolina has no bottle or can deposit. A can here is not worth a nickel or a dime the way it is in New York or Michigan. Nobody pays you per can.

What cans are worth: scrap yards pay for aluminum by the pound. A pound is roughly 30 empty cans. Yard prices move with the metal market — in recent checks, clean cans have brought roughly 40 to 60 cents a pound. That means a big trash bag of cans (about 8–10 pounds) is worth a few dollars, not a fortune. Call the yard and ask today’s price before you haul a load across town.

• Bring photo ID if you have it. Most yards ask for it and keep records — the law is built to catch metal theft, and yards protect themselves.
• Clean and dry pays the same as dirty at most yards, but crushed cans pack tighter and haul easier. Rinse when you can; rot attracts trouble at camp.
• Steel pays far less per pound than aluminum — usually not worth the carry unless you have a cart and a close yard.
• Stay legal, stay safe: only sell cans and metal you collected yourself. Wire, pipe, and auto parts (above all catalytic converters) are tracked and prosecuted — stripping metal from buildings or cars is a serious crime, not a side hustle.

Prices are market prices and change weekly. Checked October 19, 2026 — ask the yard for the day’s rate.

Day labor: get paid the same day

Temp and day-labor agencies in Charlotte hire for warehouse, moving, cleaning, and construction cleanup work, often paying the same day or the same week. What to know:

• Show up early — dispatch lists are often filled before 6 a.m.
• Bring your documents: agencies must complete hiring paperwork (Form I-9) before you work — a state ID and your Social Security card, or the documents on the I-9 list. Lost yours? Start with our ID guide.
• Ask the real questions: What is the hourly rate? Is transport to the site provided? When and how do I get paid — card, check, or cash?
• Call 2-1-1 and ask for temp agencies and workforce programs near you — the county workforce centers also post day work and can help with applications.

Keep your documents safe

• Photograph everything — ID, Social Security card, benefit letters — and store the photos in an email to yourself or a free cloud account you can reach from any library computer.
• Leave a paper copy with a person or organization you trust.
• Need a mailing address? The Roof Above Day Services Center offers mail service, and many shelters will hold mail for guests. Ask at the desk — an address unlocks ID, benefits, and job applications. See Shelter & Kitchens.
• Carry the small kit: documents, warmth, hygiene, power — our go-bag guide has the full list.

Start with 211

Almost every door in this section opens faster with one free call. Our guide “In any city, start with 211” walks through what to ask for — food, showers, bus passes, mail drops, phone charging — and how to ask.