TRASH SCAVENGERS
Estimated yearly trash “thefts” in the city of Los Angeles : 400,000.
* Penalty for stealing recyclable trash: up to $500 and six months in jail (LAMC 66.28).
* Estimated revenue L.A. lost in 1995 to illegal scavenging (mostly newspapers): $2 million.
* Projected losses 1996-1997: About $400,000. Decrease due to stepped-up police enforcement and decline in price paid for recyclable newsprint ($10 per ton today vs. $150 per ton in 1995).
* Most valuable recyclable today: perforated computer paper, $100 per ton ($180 per ton baled).
* L.A. neighborhoods hardest hit by trash scavengers (in descending order): Cheviot Hills, Beverlywood, Rancho Park, Brentwood, Bel-Air.
* Estimated percentage of L.A. residents who recycle: 50
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