A documentary short about people and career recyclers of beverage containers


In 1971, the State of Oregon pioneered a bottle return deposit bill. The bill required individuals purchasing beverages to place a deposit in escrow until the container was either returned or recycled. Today, many people are living off this money.

Emptys introduces Tim, Ernie, Joe and Jenna and follows them as they return bottles and cans as their principal source of income.

Homeless or not, these are real people with real struggles to make ends meet. They help the environment every day, but many look down at them. Emptys looks up and learns from their experiences.