Green’s Dictionary of Slang

any container or vessel that has been emptied, esp. a bottle once containing alcohol; usu. in pl.

1871		Record (Emerald Hill, SA) 16 Nov. 6/4: [I]f any were cherry, merry, which, looking at the empties I refer to, and hearing of the quantity of Castlemaine Fitz’s sent on to the ground, would not be a very remarkable thing, they managed to be merry as well as wise, and peace, quietness, and happiness were general through the meeting.
1900		Bulletin (Sydney) 29 Dec. 14/3: [W]hen he came round he demanded the change out of his cheque. ‘None,’ said the publican, pointing to the piles of empties. ‘You’ve knocked it all down.’.
1914		R. Tressell Ragged Trousered Philanthropists (1955) 235: There were a number of ‘empties’ to be taken away and left at the yard.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 56: Coming up redheaded curates from the country Leitrim, rinsing empties and old man in the cellar.
1934		J. Franklyn This Gutter Life 73: Empties please!
1938		J. Curtis They Drive by Night 147: ‘What you got on board?’ asked Shorty as they drove off through the drab streets. ‘Noothing mooch. Only empties.’.
1939		L. Short Raiders of the Rimrock 135: He scarcely had time to begin shucking out the empties in his gun before the horseman bore down on him.
1945		‘Henry Green’ Loving (1978) 49: Mr Eldon never credited her with the empties.
1949		N. Algren Man with the Golden Arm 51: He’ll bring back empties.
1953		W. Brown Run, Chico, Run (1959) 21: Beneath the bed there were a couple of empties.
1958		J. Arden Live Like Pigs XVI: I’ll take some o’ the empties while I’m on the job. There’s money in ’em.
1969		A. Fugard Boesman and Lena Act I: All you knew was to load up our things and take the empties to the bottle store.
1974		(con. 1940s) E. Thompson Tattoo (1977) 10: Bringing him bottles of Gallo port wine and flinging the empties out the back door.
1979		J. Morrow Confessions of Proinsias O’Toole 7: She surveyed the piles of empties round the roulette wheel.
1983		W. Trevor Fools of Fortune 118: They don’t wash the empties. The empties come back and they fill them up again.
1988		P. Califia Macho Sluts 28: The aluminium garbage cans that held the empties.
1997		C. Hiaasen Lucky You 96: She glided away with their empties and an order for more onion rings.
2000		Guardian G2 1 June 4: She discovered his body among the empties.
2005		H. Mantel Beyond Black 104: Keith tossed the empties out from under the sink.