Woman shares her earnings after using Costco 'reverse vending machine'

One Costco shopper went viral after sharing how they made $23 within just five minutes using what could be considered a "reserve vending machine."

In the video shared on TikTok by Kerijoe (@_kerijoe), a man is seen depositing empty plastic water bottles into a recycling return machine at a Costco. With each bottle inserted into the machine, 10 cents is added to the total amount of money earned. 

@_kerijoe Come with me to Costco to make $23 in 5 mins. I brought back our recyclables and walked out with $23 in straight-up cash. What would you do with $23 you didn't expect? 👀💵 #Costco #MoneyHack #BudgetTips #RecyclingHack #ComeWithMe #CashBack #SavingMoney #recycle #savetheplanet #plasticbottle ♬ original sound - K E R I J O E

When finished, the machine prints a small receipt showing the total amount of $23 for the recycling haul.

Kerijoe finishes the video by flashing a handful of cash at the camera: a $20 bill and three $1 bills received after redeeming the printed receipt in the store.

It's not surprising that the post quickly went viral, amassing over 3 million views and nearly 400,000 likes. Kerijoe demonstrated just how easy it can be to recycle your empty plastic bottles while making some extra cash.

Beyond the obvious cash incentive, the service also benefits the planet in more ways than one. 

While it is best to avoid single-use plastics altogether, it's not always feasible. Recycling plastic bottles, however, is a valuable way to counter the negative impacts of plastic pollution. When returned to machines like those at Costco, plastic bottles can be given a second life and used to make new products. This helps ensure that single-use plastics circumvent landfills, where they would otherwise leach hazardous compounds such as microplastics and PFAS.

Recycling can also reduce strain on the demand for new plastic products, which requires a resource-intensive process, emitting billions of metric tons of harmful toxins into the atmosphere every year, according to Our World In Data.  

While Costco may require a store membership to use their in-store recycling machines, there are similar programs across the country and around the world that allow you to trade in everything from old electronics to clothing for money. 

One man was even able to put a down payment on a two-bedroom home after recycling nearly 500,000 cans.  

Which of these savings plans for rooftop solar panels would be most appealing for you? Save $1,000 this year 💸 Save less this year but $20k in 10 years 💰 Save less in 10 years but $80k in 20 years 🤑 Couldn't pay me to go solar 😒 Click your choice to see results and earn rewards to spend on home upgrades.

Many commenters were jealous that the program isn't available in more Costco stores.

"They should put these in all Costcos. It would be a win for the environment and a win for consumers," said one user.

Another joked: "If we had those here, I would be picking up plastic bottles out of trash cans."

Others were in awe at the potential of these machines.

"THIS is such a good way to get people to clean up the recycle/help clean up the environment," deemed one commenter.

Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices — and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.