Locking Trash Bins to Thwart Scavengers

The downturn of the economy is driving more people to scavenging, annoying some residents with trash bins and recycling carts on the curbside outside their houses. Residents in Santa Ana are putting their recyclables into containers designed to withstand the strength of bears to keep away scavengers.

"Locks are often used to protect commercial recycling and trash containers from dumpster divers and scavengers, but only recently have they been engineered for residential purposes.

The city of Los Angeles has considered locks to curb scavenging but hasn't found anything practical. Oceanside has installed anti-scavenging locks on the receptacles at its beaches and harbor, albeit reluctantly."