Kids in trash and grab
Wheelie bins looted for containers cash
A WOREE disability pensioner is fuming at being woken in the early hours to find a pack of kids diving into her kerbside wheelie bin.
The Queensland Government’s Containers for Change scheme launched at the start of the month created an opportunity to cash in on the 10 cent value attached to some cans and bottles.
In the first 13 days of the program more than $118,500 was paid to recyclers depositing cans and bottles at transfer depots across Cairns. And Woree resident Robyn Gibbs told the Cairns Post her neighbourhood was targeted by a group of children going door to door, stealing containers.
“That’s why I got really peeved,” she said. “At about half past 12 ... the dog was going off, so I looked up and saw a pale-coloured van going along with the back doors open with a lady and about four or five kids running around doing all the recycle bins.”
Cairns Regional Council told the Cairns Post it is illegal Recyclers could offer to pick up neighbours’ unit block recyclables and return them for the refund. Recyclers could put out a marked recycling bin so anyone in a neighbourhood can drop recyclables in. Those looking for extra cash could also offer to collect bins for free from local businesses. to take items from recycle bins and once the wheelie bin is placed at the kerb the contents legally belong to council.
“Council discourages people from searching through other people’s waste as there is a real risk of injury,” a spokeswoman said.
Containers for Change chief executive Ken Noye said a refund system had been in place in Adelaide for years and an informal arrangement exists whereby people who don’t want to recycle leave items beside wheelie bins which are collected by recyclers.
He said there had been reports of bin raiding since the Containers for Change scheme begun on November 1.