Recycling raiders hit Cairns wheelie bins
CHRIS CALCINO
In most cases the scavengers stick to raiding the kerbside on bin nights, but Edge Hill resident Peta Johnson said in her case they came too close for comfort.
Two men, who she believed to be a father and his teenage son, were looking through the bin at her Adelaide St home about 2.30am yesterday.
Their timing was a bit off – the bin had been emptied on Wednesday night.
“They were down the end of the driveway right next to my bedroom window,” Ms Johnson said.
“I yelled at them to get out of here and they went next door to my neighbour’s.”
Ms Johnson said some common courtesy would not go astray.
“I understand they might want money for their kids or whatever, but just be a normal person and knock on the door during the day,” she said.
“Nobody is going to bite your head off for asking the question.
“You can’t just come up to someone’s property in the middle of the night, take their things and frighten them.”
Bin blitzing reports have become increasingly common since Queensland and New South Wales introduced container refund schemes.
Cairns Regional Council’s water and waste general manager Mark Wuth said it was illegal under Queensland law to take items from somebody’s bin, with a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units or $2611.
“As well as the privacy issues around residents’ bin contents being exposed, there are significant safety risks associated with rummaging through a bin that may contain broken glass or other sharp or hazardous items,” Mr Wuth said.
“If someone is really keen to collect bottles and cans for recycling under the container scheme, our suggestion is to approach your neighbours and ask.
“We have some very diligent recyclers in our community who may be happy to put these items aside to be collected safely.”