Theo’s Bottle & Can Returns is a full-service New York State Redemption Center at which you may return your New York State cans and bottles to redeem your five cent deposit. It all began in the spring of 2011, when a man named Theo left Ulster-Greene ARC's sheltered work center for a job at a neighborhood redemption center. The job seemed custom made for him; a low-key position in walking distance
from his apartment, which allowed him to chat while he worked and earn a nice sized paycheck. With determination and some creativity on the part of his Job Coach, Theo learned how to sort containers by beverage distributor. After a short while he mastered these components of the position and felt that he had fulfilled a milestone in life. A few months later, Theo was thrown a curve ball. The redemption center closed and Theo was left jobless. He sat down with his Job Developer at Ulster-Greene ARC and suggested how great it would be if Ulster-Greene ARC would open up a redemption center like the one where he was previously employed. The Job Developer looked around at the warehouse space at Ulster-Greene ARC’s Pecora Center and thought that such a business just might work. With Theo as both inspiration and sole employee, Ulster-Greene ARC proudly opened Theo’s Bottle & Can Returns in January 2012. Today, Theo’s Bottle & Can Returns processes more than 2 million New York State deposit bottles and cans per year. In addition to the vast amount of plastic, glass and aluminum that is being recycled, Ulster-Greene ARC has hired twelve people to work within the initiative; some who are affected by a disability and others who are not.
