People digging through suburban recycling bins looking for cans and bottles to return for cash are council’s problem, not the government’s.
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Since the rollout of the government’s Return and Earn recycling scheme, some people have raised concerns about someone foraging through their yellow-top bin on bin night.
The latest is Wollongong MP Paul Scully, who has lodged questions on the issue with Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton.
READ MORE: Who gets the money in your recycling bin?
An Environment Protection Authority spokeswoman said the resident no longer owns the content of their bin once they put it out for collection.
“Containers left in kerbside recycling bins are the property of local councils,” she said.
“The Environment Protection Authority continues to work with local councils on the container deposit scheme.”
Wollongong City Council has said recycling-bin foraging was not an issue in other areas where a deposit scheme was in operation.
Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
