Is it illegal for people to go through your curbside garbage?

[luvsJack]

We do have people that come by and pick up things that we are throwing out that they may can make use out of. (broken appliances, furniture and the like). And I have picked up shelving and baskets. People around here will intentionally put stuff out by the road that they don't want anymore so that others can get it if they want it.

As for going through the garbage? If I saw someone going through mine, I would just say a little prayer of thanks that I have enough income that I don't feel it necessary to do that and that hopefully my cans will give him/her enough income to do whatever it is they need to. Other than that, I would just make sure everything with personal info is shredded.

 

[KAMLEM]

We have a lot of people that do that here as well, and I do not mind as long as they do not make a mess. There is one group of ladies that comes in a pack and they dump your cans out on the ground then leave the mess. They are messy and very loud and come around 5am and wake everyone up. I did call the police on them, but they still come around every so often, so it must not be illegal to dump trash all over peoples yard. I was told I need to get their license plate number and file my own complaint, but nothing will likely come of it.

Be thankful your person is respectful and neat! Nothing worse than cleaning up trash on a Monday morning on your way to work.

I think I'd put something in my trash that would make them never come back! I could never go through someone's trash or dumpster, it's just too disgusting.

 

[Pooh's Pixie]

This happens in our neighborhood, mostly for cans/bottles. I don't care, since as a PP said, I feel like if they want/need it, fine with me. I do know my neighbor doesn't like it and she told the man who usually does it when he came by and he doesn't go through her stuff. So, if it bothers you, maybe you should just say something...

 

[daughtersrus]

Yup! When you put it on the street, its public property. Nothing illegal, and those ladies probably sell the cans.

Our bin says "Property of Village of Bolingbrook. Theft of bin or contents punishable by $500 fine."

I don't think that recycling falls under the same category as garbage. I remember reading about someone that had left their lawnmower near the curb to go and get something (I think a gas can). Someone came by and took it. The police came and took a theft report.

Just because something is at the curb, doesn't mean that it's free to take.

I did find these links on the subject as well.

http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/26354494.html
http://articles.latimes.com/1991-05-16/news/ga-2780_1_recyclable-materials
http://www.cityofdelafield.com/notices/recyclingbins.htm

 

[wdwfan16]

An item at the curb is no longer yours. That is why one needs to shred their CC applications. Taking the application from the mailbox is theft but not taking it from the trash at the curb.

 

[DVC Sadie]

I got my degree in Law and Order too,with my masters in SVU and my doctorate in Criminal Intent!

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only person who received a PHD in law from the different Law & Order series..

 

[FireDancer]

Any documents with personal information get brought into work and put through our industrial shredder which is then pulped so that it can never be put back together again. Anything on my curb I don't care about, so if someone wants it they can have it.

There are people who drive around looking for metal to scrap or anything they can use but I have never seen anyone open my garbage bags to search through them.

If you have a pet or baby one way to keep people out of the garbage is to make sure the diapers or pet waste are right on top. I have never heard of not allowing waste to be thrown out and everyone I know with a pet puts it in the trash with the rest of the garbage. If you don't want to compost and have a pet where else would you put it?

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

I dont understand why you would be bothered if someone looks through your garbage. You are throwing it away so you obviously don't want it. Is it that you are bothered that she is getting money for your trash?

 

[bicker]

I suspect a lot of refuse ends up in landfills, and many landfills aren't tightly secured or patrolled.

 

[KAMLEM]

I dont understand why you would be bothered if someone looks through your garbage. You are throwing it away so you obviously don't want it. Is it that you are bothered that she is getting money for your trash?

What if you have personal information in there that you don't want anyone having access to? Most people shred it nowadays, but you never know.

 

[Thumper_Man]

OP, just make sure you own a SHREDDER.

To me, this is a must. DW and I work for our State's Attorney Generals Office. You would be amazed by how many calls we get, per day, regarding identity theft. We own one and we shred anything that has our names and address on it. Take a careful look at all your mail before throwing it away, including junk mail, that may have your name and address on it. Even magazines that you may subscribe to. I recycle our magazines, but rip off the part of the cover that has our name and address, and shred it. Now a days, shredders are fairly inexpensive and a great way to protect your identity.

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

What if you have personal information in there that you don't want anyone having access to? Most people shred it nowadays, but you never know.

Well i would hope that you would shred it. If you throw it away without shredding, you obviously don't care what happens to your information when you put it in trash for anyone to see. Nowadays why would you put identifying information just thrown in the trash with all the identity theft. What happens when an animal breaks open your trash bags? What happens when the garbage associates don't get all your trash in the truck? What happens to your trash when it goes to the dump? How do you know they are not going through it there. Trash is trash, it's things that you do not want.