Should neighbours and passersby be able to take bottles out of your recycling bin for the cash refund?

That question was at the centre of a debate sparked in an Ottawa neighbourhood recently when a resident filed a complaint over recycling bin scavenging.

Liba Bender says it’s fine if genuinely needy people rifle through her recycling bin at the curb.

But she draws the line at opportunists out to make a quick buck.

“It has been about six months now, that I’ve noticed two vans going through our neighbourhoods,” Bender told CTV Ottawa.

While Bender took pictures of the vans and sent them to police, some of her neighbours are happy to turn the other cheek.

Ion Aimers says if people go through the trouble of sifting through his refuse, they can have it.

“Seems to me that, if people can make use of someone else’s refuse then so be it,” Aimers told CTV Ottawa.

Others even count on it.

“We leave free stuff out on the curb after a garage sale,” said Margaret Fraser. “If somebody can find value in that, I’m OK with that.”

For those perhaps struggling to make ends meet, the cash refund from a few bottles and cans can possibly make a big difference for their wallet.

“It means a lot,” a man named Ernie told CTV Ottawa. “I can get a cigarette, I can get a bite to eat.”

In many municipalities, including Ottawa, scavenging any waste that has been placed out for collection is illegal.

Recyclable materials bring in revenue for the city of Ottawa, and stealing from a blue bin carries a fine of up to $10,000. However, the city only responds if a complaint is filed.

Bender says she’s perfectly fine with people like Ernie, but those scavenging while driving around in nice vehicles is going too far.

And she acknowledges that she doesn’t know the financial circumstances of the scavengers driving around.

“I feel that if they have the time and energy to drive around in a car with a trailer behind they could do something more with their time,” Bender said.

With a report by CTV Ottawa’s Eric Longley