Your questions, answered

CLYNK is a bottle and can recycling service operating in Maine, New York, Connecticut, and Iowa (under the Droppett brand) that offers a convenient and clean method for redeeming deposit containers. Consumers collect their recyclable containers, place them in CLYNK-branded bags made of reclaimed plastic, and drop these bags at designated locations like Hannaford grocery stores. Each bag has a unique barcode associated with each consumer that tracks the number of containers, and users receive payment electronically through their CLYNK account. The service allows people to recycle without manually counting containers at redemption machines, streamlining the deposit return process. Bag tags and redemption fund withdrawals are accomplished at the CLYNK kiosk located inside the store’s vestibule.

There are three ways to get started. You can sign up at clynk.com, visit the CLYNK kiosk located inside the vestibule at most Hannaford locations, or call us (866-883-4113) in Maine and New York. Once you have your account, print out your unique bag tags (this is your CLYNK thumbprint) and purchase a box of bags inside the grocery store. We sell CLYNK bags at cost, which means we don’t make a profit. Start filling up your bags with mixed redeemables – yes, that’s right, you can put plastic, glass, and aluminum beverage containers you’ve paid a deposit on in one bag. All you have left is to drop your bag(s) at a Sustainability Station or Bottle Room.

Purchase our iconic green CLYNK bags at a participating retailer; they are usually located near the front of the store, but ask an associate if you can’t find them! We strongly encourage the use of our green CLYNK bags for a few reasons; they are made of recycled material and get recycled again after use, they are semi-transparent which allows our processors and drivers to better see the contents of the bags and avoid injury, our bags are also specially designed to withstand rips and tears on their journey from you to our processing plant.

CLYNK provides each customer with a code that is unique to them – think of it as your very own CLYNK thumbprint – no two are alike. The bag tag contains your code, and each tag you print is also serialized, so we can track each individual bag you drop. Before we process your containers through our high-speed counting equipment, which scans each container’s product barcode, we scan your bag tag (for each bag), which links the containers in your bag to the counting equipment.

You can print bag tags for free at any CLYNK kiosk inside participating Hannaford locations in Maine and New York. Click here to find a location: https://www.clynk.com/find-a-drop-off/.

Visit our drop-off page to find a participating retailer near you. CLYNK drop-off stations are in the retailer parking lot or in the store as a bottle room in some locations.

Your CLYNK bag should include only plastic, aluminum, or glass beverage containers on which deposits were paid during purchase. Containers must be redeemed in the same state in which they were purchased because that is where the deposit was paid. To clarify, it is against the law to redeem containers purchased out of state, even if that state has its own bottle bill and deposits For example, one may not redeem containers in Maine that were purchased in Massachusetts nor may products purchased in New Hampshire (a non-Bottle Bill state) be redeemed in Maine ). This requirement exists for two reasons: (1) because deposit amounts vary by state, and (2) each bottle bill state is unique in terms of containers covered under the law. 

When returning glass, pad your items with a mix of plastic and aluminum to minimize the risk of breakage. Keep caps on bottles if possible, and DO NOT CRUSH your containers! Our scanners are unable to read the barcodes on crushed items, which means you may not receive your full deposit back.

For Maine CLYNK customers only:
You can return Smiling Hill Farm glass milk bottles in your CLYNK bags, thanks to our partnership with Hannaford and Smiling Hill Farm. Just rinse them out, leave the caps on, and include no more than 6 bottles per bag. To help prevent breakage, cushion the bottles with plastic and aluminum containers. As long as the bottles arrive safely, you’ll get your full deposit back!

Please click your state to see a specific list of what is accepted for redemption:

• Maine
• Connecticut
• New York
• Iowa

After CLYNK picks up your bag, we take it to our processing plant. Your bag tag is scanned, so we know what account to credit, and then your items are sent through a barcode scanner. Your redemption credit will be deposited into your account automatically within 24 to 48 hours and can be withdrawn at the CLYNK kiosk located inside the grocery store. You can view your CLYNK account balance in the CLYNK App, at the kiosk, or online at clynk.com.

CLYNK does not “pay” customers for their containers. We facilitate the refunding of a deposit that has been collected by the beverage distributor. CLYNK gets paid a Handling fee by the manufacturer/their distributor for facilitating the return of the deposit. The fee is set by lawmakers in their respective Bottle Bill states. Regardless of the state, if the container isn’t considered redeemable, no deposit is remanded, and we also do not receive our handling fee.

To CLYNK, you will need a 4-digit PIN to access your account at the kiosk. You can reset this PIN online or over the phone with our customer service team. If you are utilizing an online account,t you will have a username and password. You can reset your password by following the prompts on the sign-on page, and you can contact us if you need additional assistance. 

Is something not right with your CLYNK balance? Bags will most likely be credited within 2 days after you drop them off. Sometimes our drivers or processors are running behind, and it might take a little longer for your balance to change. Sometimes there are items in CLYNK bags that our scanners don’t recognize; they might be new to the market, or the manufacturer has changed the barcode. We research these items and then credit your account after the bag has received credit. If this happens, you might see your balance change by 5-15 cents. If you feel you are missing credits or missing bags, you can contact our customer support team by phone or email, and they will help you out. 

Currently, our customers can’t see their full transaction history by logging into their account. If you need a more detailed breakdown of donations received (for a CLYNK to Give account) or bags credited, you can contact us and request this. 

If you can’t find your CLYNK card, you can download our app to access a digital card, You will need to create a username and password first while on our site. Or you can call our Customer Support team to request a new card be activated and sent to your address. Your same PIN will work with your new card. 

If you are moving out of state and want to close your account, you can withdraw the full balance and throw out your CLYNK card. If you are unable to get to a kiosk and withdraw the balance, please contact us, and we can close the account and send a check to your new address. If you are trying to close the account on behalf of someone who has passed away, please contact us and be prepared to show proof. We can transfer the CLYNK balance to a different account or send a check.