Home » Blog » Money

How Does Hannaford Clynk Work

ByLeah Ingram

When my husband and I lived in New York, something like Hannaford Clynk did not exist.

Instead, if you wanted to take advantage of New York’s bottle bill, you would have to bring your bottles and cans back to a redemption center or a supermarket.

Nowadays, the Hannaford supermarket chain runs the Clynk bottle return redemption centers that you find throughout Southern Maine and upstate New York.

As a native Long Islander, anything above The Bronx was considered upstate. However, I’m talking legit upper New York State.

That is, I haven’t found any Hannaford locations south of Poughkeepsie in Dutchess County, New York.

Why write about using Hannaford Clynk to recycle bottles and cans and get your deposit money back?

Because readers have shown a tremendous interest in where they can go to recycle prescription bottles.

Therefore, I figured they’d want to know about recycling options that actually puts cash options in their pocket.

Also, Hannaford Clynk exists in New York as well as Maine.

Want to Save This Article?

Save this article and we’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, we’ll send you more great links each week.

Save Article
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Leah Ingram

Plus, the Clynk redemption and recycling technology is used in other bottle bill states, including Iowa and Oregon.

I first wrote about the Clynk bottle redemption centers for Southern Maine on the Cheap.

How Does Hannaford Clynk Work

Until we bought a house in Maine–we are relocating there in 2023–I had no idea what Clynk bottle return was.

I mean, I knew there was a bottle deposit law in Maine.

However, I wasn’t sure how or where I could return or recycle my bottles and cans to get my money back.

Then I figured out that Hannaford supermarkets had Clynk bottle redemption centers.

They were either right inside the store entrance or in the parking lot.

So, I signed up for Clynk and that’s been how we’ve been returning our bottles ever since. 

In case you’re not familiar with how the Clynk bottle return works, I wanted to give you this rundown. 

How to sign up for a Clynk bottle return account

As I mentioned, in Maine and New York, Clynk is exclusively linked to Hannaford supermarket locations.

There are two ways to sign up for a Clynk account at Hannaford.

One, you can go in person like we did. Or, two, you can sign up online

Sign up for Clynk in person at Hannaford

There is a kiosk that looks like an ATM inside the supermarket, near the Hannaford customer service desk.

You fill out your basic information on the kiosk screen.

Also, you’ll choose a PIN for your account.

Then, it will print out your unique barcode stickers for your account.

You’ll have to attach them to the Clynk bags when you return them, and it will ensure you get the money for the bottles you’ve redeemed.

You’ll also receive your Clynk membership card, which is just like a supermarket rewards tag you keep on a keychain.

As far as the bags go, you’ll also get a coupon for the 10-pack of bags for free.

Normally, they cost $2.50 for 10 or .25 each.

clynk bottle return featured image

Remember: the Maine bottle deposit is five cents for soft drinks and 15 cents for alcoholic beverages.

So you don’t have to bring back that many containers to more than make up what you’ll eventually pay for replacement bags.

Signing up for Clynk online

You can sign up for Clynk online, too.

However, you won’t get your supplies right away.

Instead, you’ll have to wait for the company to mail you your membership cards, barcode stickers and a voucher for your first box of 10 free bags.

You’ll need to head to Hannaford to cash in that voucher.

Accessing your Clynk account online

Once you’ve signed up for Clynk, you’ll be able to log into your account online.

You’ll set up your Clynk account online by entering the number on your membership keychain card.

Then, you’ll use the PIN you created at the store to get all your information.

After that, you’ll choose a username and password for your Clynk login.

Now you’re ready to login for real.

Once in your account, you’ll be able to see how many bottles you’ve redeemed and how much cash is in your account. 

Returning cans to Clynk

As I mentioned, you’ll find Clynk bottle return centers either inside Hannaford supermarkets or in a separate building in the parking lot.

Let me walk you through how to return your bottles.

One, fill the bag at home.

Two, tie it shut.

Three, attach your barcode tag in the space shown on the bag.

Four, once you get to the Clynk redemption center at Hannafords, you’ll need to scan the tag on your bag.

This will unlock and open the door so you can deposit your bag.

How to get your money from Clynk

I was under the (mistaken) impression that I could somehow connect my Clynk account online to Venmo or PayPal or my bank to get my money.

Wrong.

The only way to get your Clynk money is to visit a Hannaford store in person.

Then, you’ll need to return to the kiosk, scan your card and choose to have the kiosk print a cash receipt.

It takes two business days for cash from a drop off to appear in your account.

After that you have two options.

One, you can take the cash receipt to the Hannaford customer service desk. There, you will get cash money.

Or, two, you can keep your receipt with you as you grocery shop at Hannaford.

Then, when you’re ready to checkout, you’ll hand the cashier the Clynk cash receipt like you would any other coupon.

The amount is then deducted from your shopping total.

Don’t forget to bring a reusable bag with you. Both Maine and New York have banned single-use plastic bags.

Where are Clynk bottle returns located in Maine

There are nearly two dozen Clynk bottle return locations in Southern Maine. All of them are at a Hannaford supermarket. 

However, not every Hannaford in Southern Maine has a Clynk redemption center. Here are the towns with a Hannaford Clynk.

  • Berwick
  • Biddeford
  • Buxton
  • Gorham
  • Kennebunk
  • Portland
  • Saco
  • Sanford
  • Scarborough
  • South Portland
  • Standish
  • Waterboro
  • Wells
  • Westbrook
  • York

Where are Clynk bottle returns located in New York

As I mentioned all of the Clynk Hannaford bottle return centers in New York are in the upper portions of the state.

In other words, there aren’t any Hannaford supermarkets in downstate New York (Long Island, New York City, Westchester County, etc.)

Here is an alphabetical list of New York towns with Hannaford Clynk bottle return centers in them:

  • Albany
  • Amsterdam
  • Ballston Spa
  • Ballston Spa Via Rossi
  • Broad Street
  • Brunswick NY
  • Cairo
  • Clifton Park
  • Clinton
  • Colonie
  • Delmar
  • Duanesburg
  • East Greenbush
  • Glens Falls
  • Glenville
  • Gloversville
  • Greenwich
  • Guilderland
  • Herkimer
  • Highland
  • Kinderhook
  • Kingsbury
  • Kingston Plaza
  • Kingston Ulster Ave
  • Latham
  • Livingston
  • Malta
  • New Windsor
  • Niskayuna
  • Oneonta
  • Pawling
  • Pine Bush
  • Plattekill
  • Plattsburg
  • Redhook
  • Rome
  • Rotterdam
  • Saratoga
  • South Glen Falls
  • Troy
  • Utica
  • Utica – New Hartford
  • Utica Mohawk
  • Voorheesville
  • Walden
  • Wallkill
  • Wappinger
  • West Sand Lake
  • Wynantskill

Hannaford is part of the same supermarket family as Stop and Shop.