Woman's rage at common cost-of-living relief method

“Imagine being so deeply in need of cash that you go through strangers’ rubbish for 10c a bottle,” one person wrote. "This isn’t an inconvenience, it’s an example of how hard life is for people.”

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit Aussies hard, people are starting to take more drastic measures to try to find a bit of extra cash.

However, one common, but slightly unsightly, method has earned the anger of some locals, as they target people ‘bin-diving’ for cans and bottles for the return-and-earn scheme.

One woman took to an Inner West (Sydney) Facebook group to express her disdain for people coming onto her property to take cans and bottles.

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“I think it is pretty wrong,” she said. “Please stop.”

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There's been controversy on a local Facebook group over people raiding bins for bottles and cans for the Return and Earn scheme. Picture: iStock

"No one has the right to enter your property"

Yahoo News reports the post quickly ignited a debate between locals, as some agreed with her opinion while others slammed her for her ‘entitlement’.

Many people commenting on the post pointed out the bin rummaging wasn’t the issue, it was people trespassing.

“No one has the right to enter your property for any reason,” one person wrote.

Another woman wrote she separated her cans and bottles before throwing them away to stop people “causing a nuisance”.

However, other people felt the woman lacked empathy in difficult times.

“Imagine being so deeply in need of cash that you go through strangers’ rubbish for 10c a bottle,” one person wrote.

“This isn’t an inconvenience, it’s an example of how hard life is for people.”

“This is a very entitled post,” another person wrote. “I’m sure if someone didn’t desperately need your bottles they wouldn’t be doing this.”

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Many people take advantage of the scheme to earn a few extra dollars each month. Picture: iStock

"They don't clean up after themselves"

Yahoo News reports many people were not so much annoyed at people taking things from their bins, but the way they left their bins afterwards.

“They take from my bins and don’t clean up after themselves,” one person wrote. “They remove cardboard from the bin to get to what they want, but don’t put the cardboard back.”

Another person said it was the “trespassing, waking people, leaving mess and being rude” that was angering the community.

Each eligible drink container commands a 10c refund, and the NSW Return and Earn Scheme has paid you more than $900m so far.

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Households could make up to $20 a month

Yahoo News reports the average household could be making $20 a month just from the average amount of recycling.

Given the potential monetary value, some people argued taking bottles and cans from people’s property was stealing, and hence illegal.

“Someone unlocked my gate and came into my porch and stole crates worth that I was saving up for veterans’ charities,” one person said.

“We collect bottles and cans as a little side gig, and so many of the families helping us have said people just come in and take their collection,” another person wrote. “I would say it’s theft if it’s something the property owner has clearly set up for themselves.”

Originally published as Woman's rage at common cost-of-living relief method