Blue box scavengers can face fines in Halton region

OAKVILLE — Early Tuesday morning or late Monday night, before garbage and recycling gets picked up for the day in his neighbourhood, an Oakville resident observes a woman sifting through the blue boxes lining his street.

She parks her car on the side of the street where there’s no stopping.

When she’s done, he can hear the glass bottles clinking as she closes the trunk of her car.

Iain Stuart, who lives in College Park, says it’s been a weekly occurrence since the fall and he’s had enough.

“I almost hit her coming home from one of my venues one night,” he said, noting how she seemed to be finishing up going through the blue boxes put out late at night, before pickup day.

“This person was crossing the road as I was driving, regardless of traffic.”

The longtime Oakville resident contacted Halton region to get answers about the legality of foraging through someone’s trash.

It occurred to him that perhaps the region could be losing revenue from materials scavenged, money that could potentially be put back into the town.

Although there is a bylaw that prohibits scavenging waste, including recyclables that have been set out at the curb for collection, it can be difficult to enforce.

“When residents set out their garbage and recyclables at the curb on their scheduled collection day as prescribed by the bylaw, Halton region views this waste as its property to be collected as part of its waste collection services,” explained David Miles, manager of Waste Planning and Collection at the region.

“It should also be noted that, once garbage, recyclables or other waste material are at the curb, it is in a public place and, as a result, the courts have found that there is not a reasonable expectation of privacy that can be asserted.”

With that said, regional staff do respond to reported complaints and inquiries, Miles noted. They attempt to speak to the person scavenging and issue a warning in cases where they have received contact information.

Halton region also has authority to issue tickets.

“A conviction for an offence under the anti-scavenging provisions of the region’s waste services bylaw has a set fine of $100,” said Miles.

The region also notes it hires a contractor to sell the recycled material on its behalf. The contractor and Halton region share proceeds, which partially offsets the cost of its waste management program.

Stuart, who often works from home, said it still feels unsettling that someone is going through his trash.

As such, he has been holding back his recycling until he has seen the woman making her rounds and he has seen others in his neighbourhood do the same.

He’s observed a man on occasion scavenging, as well. He’s concerned the problem will become more frequent.

Miles said, if property owners have confidential information they are concerned about, they should consider disposing of it in another, more secure manner than placing it in the blue box.

They can also report people scavenging by dialing 311 to contact Halton region.

“Halton waste collection staff will then follow up and try to talk to the scavengers to discourage them,” he said.