Municipality Bans Garbage Picking/Can't Curb it

Recently I was watching a program on a group of people called "Free-cyclers" A ban like this would put them out of business. For them others trash is a living. We take our things to the recycle center not far from the house. All other trash goes into the large dumpster the company provides. Apparently the whole of our county will soon be under one provider for removal. North area as well as South and West. We won't be able to choose anymore.

no, but we used to have a big garbage day and they no longer do that either. you used to be able to get a lot of great stuff that way - i got an end table and a dresser that way! it is too bad that they are taking that approach because they are really shooting themselves in the foot.

It's all about the money. The company that hauls the trash pays the community based on weight hauled. If those heavy items aren't hauled the community gets less money. So, the community doesn't want people helping themselves. Even if it is the smart thing in the long run to do.

I think some civil disobedience is definitely called for in your area. Because that new rule is definitely one made to be broken, I mean if anything could be filed under the "stupid laws" category... I mean we've so much waste and sometimes it helps people save money...they should LET people go through trash...in fact it'd probably be a good thing to ENCOURAGE it. In my area, we actually have trash Thursdays -- it's a day where EVERYONE goes out and picks stuff up from the side of the road where trash is waiting. But it's not unheard of for cities to do that, and it's just really...it gets to me.

That's insane. In an era where we are supposed to being doing our best to reduce REUSE and recycle that a city would think it wise to stop people from garbage picking. In my city you can put heavy items out whenever but they stick around for about a week or so after garbage day giving the garbage pickers plenty of time to pick the creme of the crop, though once a year when the college and university lets out the garbage pickers really have a heyday, and you'd be surprised what you can find. I too love to see when someone takes my large items that I have put out for collection. I don't see why anyone would object. Although once I did find it amusing that I was throwing out a pair of end tables and put one out and by the time I went back in the house and came back out with the other the first one had vanished, I saw the lady down the street and called down to her that I had the match, she came back and thanked me. They were ok tables, they needed some TLC to get them back into their prime, so I was glad to see them go to someone who would use them rather than a landfill.

We do not have anything like that around here since I live in the country, but when I lived in the city they did the pick up for large items once a month. The day that it was varied from neighborhood to neighborhood. The date was posted on the dumpsters out in the alley. As far as I know there was no law against "dumpster diving" as my sister calls it. I think it is silly to ban it. If someone else takes it then it does not end up in a landfill quite as quickly.

I could see an issue with people going through peoples garbage. I used to work in a law office and once we found someone going through our garbage there. We shread all our documents but we had no idea what she was up to. She was just looking for garbage bags that she could use for here home but still it was unnerving with some one going through our stuff.

you can,t put your trash in other people trash can it,s against the law if your bills are found in someone elses trash you will be fined a 1000 dollars. if you live in the county like my sister and her husband they have to haul there on trash. well one day he was hauling the family trash when one of the bags fell out the car unknown to his knowlege in the middle of the street they came to my sisters ,house the police and tried to fined her a 1000 dollars she started crying and told the police she didn,t have a 1000 dollars he gave her a break that time he told her to make sure that it doesn,t happen again.

Well I dont think its illegal because I see it all the time. Actually, where my boyfriend lives is a garbage picker couple. Every garbage day they take their drunk out and pick up a bunch of stuff. I dont know what they do with it, whether they fix it up, sell it, or what not, but I see them quite often. To tell you the truth though, that was the first time ive ever seen someone take someone else' garbage. Just doesnt happen around here often I guess.

The township where my mother lives has an anti-scavenger law because they say that once you put something out on the curb it belongs to the township, not you. I think that's crap because you might be putting it out for a charitable organization to pick up. People still stop and pick up, but they can be fined, which I think is ridiculous! I myself am more comfortable if I ask the property owner if they mind, but I think the municipality needs to mind its own business and stay out of ours!

Here I live in a rural area and people drive their trash to the dump. About 5 years ago they covered the old dump and made it into a "Waste management station" so basically you dump you trash into huge bins which are transported somewhere else to be taken care of... Before that people could take the old items others put in...my dad used to grad metal bed frames and piping to make gates for the cows. But now you face a VERY hefty fine for removing things from the dump.

Where I live people say it is banned but I wonder cause I go out every monday when I get the chance and get pop bottles and popcans to take in and recycle to get a little extra money for bills. I have seen the cops drive by when I do it and they just wave hi and continue with their bussiness. I have also gotten stuff that we are able use out of peoples trash. The way I see it is that if we can use the stuff then it is one less thing harming our enviroment.

We used to have it twice a year too and I just loved it. I found treasure too... and some of them I even sold and made a profit. Unfortunely the city caught on to this and doesnt allow us to do this anymore. Talk about raining on your parade..

I guess I am lucky to be living where I am. We are allowed as many heavy pickups as we want as long as phone ahead and make arrangements. I agree that one mans trash is another mans treasure. My husband and I often drive around and pick up scrap metal to recycle. I think it is terrible to ban such a thing....