> A row of sparkling clean reverse vending machines greet customers

Yeah, these won't stay "sparkling clean" for long. I used to make an effort to redeem bottle deposits: I'd pull up in my truck and attempt to unload everything I've accumulated over the preceding couple of weeks. Eventually I got tired of jostling into position in front of the machine, arguing with the homeless, and getting into fights over who gets to go first. The sorts of people who redeem bottle deposits in NYC do a very good job at scaring away regular folks who might want to do the same.