# There's gold in your discarded Cardboard in Madrid



## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Is this the sign of the times ? but believe it or not discarded cardboard is highly sought after in
Spain with thieves even resorting to raiding the cardboard waste recycling bins in Madrid
for the 'beige gold'

BBC News - The millions being made from cardboard theft


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

If it's been chucked out, it's not really theft is it? Just opportunism.

It's not as if local authorities make money out of recycling it. I've heard it said that it even costs them money to do so as they have to outsource recycling to private companies. In Alcalá cardboard mostly just goes into landfill with the rest of the rubbish - there are separate containers but they are always jammed full because the company responsible for emptying them rarely does so.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> If it's been chucked out, it's not really theft is it? Just opportunism.
> 
> It's not as if local authorities make money out of recycling it. I've heard it said that it even costs them money to do so as they have to outsource recycling to private companies. In Alcalá cardboard mostly just goes into landfill with the rest of the rubbish - there are separate containers but they are always jammed full because the company responsible for emptying them rarely does so.


This was news to me, and I haven't read all the (lengthy!) article but it seems that Madrid City Council loses money as of course they sell the cardboard on that they collect, so it's seen as theft from their collecting bins and theft from them.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Recycling contracts are big business for a reason! The local authorities outsource all refuse collection services in most large towns anyway.

You'll see many jobless people wandering the streets at night collecting cardboard in supermarket trollies in many parts of Madrid.

And yes, it s technically theft. Spain has a similar legal concept to the common law "theft by finding".


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

This is hardly new. I remember about 10 years ago watching from an office as someone 'inserted' a child into a paper recycling bin through the slit in the side. All you could see for the next 5 minutes was little hands passing the contents back out through the slit.


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Chopera said:


> This is hardly new. I remember about 10 years ago watching from an office as someone 'inserted' a child into a paper recycling bin through the slit in the side. All you could see for the next 5 minutes was little hands passing the contents back out through the slit.


I agree 'bin diving' has been common place up here in Asturias for many years
and I often think the binmen welcome it, as there's less stuff for them to remove
particularly the bulky stuff like discarded furniture, electrical goods items, etc.
That it seems the bin divers can always find another use for.

Perhaps the only eye opener here is the value of recycled cardboard going up.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Williams2 said:


> Perhaps the only eye opener here is the value of recycled cardboard going up.


Let's hope so. With Amazon deliveries going through the roof due to the confinamiento the number of boxes being thrown away must have increased dramatically. 

Now what we need is refundable cans and plastic bottles, so people go round collecting them from the roadside instead of just lobbing them out of their car windows.


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## cervasalagartija (Aug 4, 2020)

Alcalaina said:


> Let's hope so. With Amazon deliveries going through the roof due to the confinamiento the number of boxes being thrown away must have increased dramatically.
> 
> Now what we need is refundable cans and plastic bottles, so people go round collecting them from the roadside instead of just lobbing them out of their car windows.


next time some snotty kid accuses you of ´ruining' their future/planet link them to this  

https://excesslogic.com/why-older-generations-didnt-have-recycling-problems


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

cervasalagartija said:


> next time some snotty kid accuses you of ´ruining' their future/planet link them to this
> 
> https://excesslogic.com/why-older-generations-didnt-have-recycling-problems


I sent this to my daughter once who was going on about the “older” generation LOL


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Alcalaina said:


> Let's hope so. With Amazon deliveries going through the roof due to the confinamiento the number of boxes being thrown away must have increased dramatically.
> 
> Now what we need is refundable cans and plastic bottles, so people go round collecting them from the roadside instead of just lobbing them out of their car windows.


There has been a growing demand for Shops and Supermarkets to operate a 
Deposit return scheme for customers who recycle their plastic bottles or drinks cans
at their store. Scotland hopes to have a 20p deposit return scheme up and running
by 2021. 

BBC Scotland - Experts cast doubt on deposit return timetable

In some Sainsbury's stores in the UK they have recyling machines that give 
5p off coupons for every plastic bottle or soft drink can you recycle with them

The Sun - Sainsbury's will pay you 5p for every plastic bottle or can you recycle with them


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## bandit1250sa (Aug 18, 2020)

Megsmum said:


> I sent this to my daughter once who was going on about the “older” generation LOL


same here lol


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