Re: [greenyes] Anti-Trash Picking laws?

[garbage man <garbage_da_man@no.address>]

Hello,
 
In Dickenson County Virginia, there is a County Ordinance making "Scavenging" illegal. Although at this time no one is charged with enforcing our Solid Waste Ordinance, it is part of the ordinance. Without looking it up, I think it is punishable by a Class II misdemeanor. Here is a copy of the entry from the ordinance:

SECTION 11:          SCAVENGING OF ITEMS


It shall be unlawful for any person to scavenge any solid waste from any collection or disposal facility operated by, for or under agreement or contract with Dickenson County, including any solid waste which has been deposited in a container awaiting collection.

Garbage Man
 
 
 
 
 

"M.Simons" <msimons@no.address> wrote:

Greetings,

It's a common myth out there that trashpicking is inherently illegal.
At very least in the USA, this is simply not true. However, a number of
communities have enacted regulations, rules, codes, and laws which somehow
do indeed make trash picking illegal, or a fineable offense. Whether you
call it curb shopping, curb crawling, curb surfing, dumpster diving,
scavenging, salvage, or simply trash picking.. this myth abounds.

However, there exists no comprehensive record, or effort to collect
knowlege and information about the laws in regards to such an issue to
find out just where this is myth, and where it is true, or the reason for
such laws in each instance thereof.

In addition, I want to make records of statements of opinions of the
courts, elected and appointed govt. reps, and other VIPs, which reference
statements to the effect that items placed out for disposal are considered
abandoned property (i.e. trashpicking is not theft) and that scavenging
and salvage are common, acceptable practices.

I would like to change this lack of knowledge and would invite anybody
else similarly interested to join me, or at very least submit references
to me.

Of course once the information is collected the point would be to educate
people and take action to encourage the reduction of reusable materials in
the waste stream. In both the cases of illegality, and myth-believing, it
prevents many people from taking actions to further help reduce the burden
of wasteful behaviour.


Please note: I am definitely NOT talking about the theft of valuable
recyclables from a municipality's recycling collection -- this I feel
definitely should be against the law, if not just frowned upon. As we all
know the economics of the high-value recyclables helps pay for the
collection of the lesser value recyclables (although after the recyclables
tour at zero-waste 05 nyc, I'm pretty much convinced most recyclables can
have a decent value.)

-- 
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Buford Hill
aka: Garbage Man
Recycle, Garbage is a terrible thing to Waste.
http://www.garbageman.dickensonctyva.net/
		
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