Stop stealing my recyclables

RE: Another’s treasure (Sept. 16)

We’ve all seen or heard people going through our recycling. They start in the early evening and then again in the early dawn. Nothing of any value is left behind. Yet as this article states “a bylaw makes it illegal to pick through waste and recyclables set out for municipal collection.”

Two or three charges a year with a maximum fine of $200 isn’t a deterrent. These scavenging thieves are literally stealing what was designed to be a revenue stream for the city that not only paid for the trucks and the employees but also to extend the life expectancy of our landfill sites.

One person stated in the Spectator article: “it’s good noble work.” There’s nothing good or noble about stealing. The article is true to the facts but let’s not glorify it when this kind of behaviour is clearly breaking the law. I hope the next round of blue and gold boxes are labelled for municipal pick up only. Christine Thompson, Hamilton