If you believe the phrase “one person’s trash is another’s treasure” then this story may not surprise you at all. However, to the rest of us, the idea that someone is going to root through your recycle bin to cash in on your aluminum, cardboard, and newsprint may seem a bit ridiculous. Ridiculous or not, though, there are individuals, and sometimes fleets of vehicles, scouring neighbourhoods in the United States and rummaging through the recycle bins the night before pick-up. So much so that some states already have laws in place to protect against this kind of theft. In fact, in some areas it is endangering local recycling programs because it is taking money away from the entire system. If you’re caught stealing recycling in San Francisco and New York City you’ll be fined $1000 and $500, respectively. So if you live in a neighbourhood where you think recycle bin stealing may be a problem, try and take your bins out in the morning and keep the local system strong. Photo credit: DG Jones