People digging through residential trash for redeemable cans and bottles are increasingly raising the ire of residents, who say they're left with a big mess and the worry that their personal information could be compromised.

After some initial confusion over whether the practice is allowed, police have started clamping down on people going through trash cans, and could start issuing citations. The crime is a petty misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500.

The Kalihi police station has held training sessions to instruct officers on the law.

For Colleen Mung Lim, that's progress.

The longtime Kalihi resident said it took her months to get an answer from the city on whether it's illegal to search through residential trash cans. At one point, a police officer told her that her trash can was "fair game" once it was put curbside. Now that she knows better, she has educated her neighbors and has even tried to share the law with those who dig through the trash. At one point, she taped a warning sign on her can to stop scavengers.

That didn't work.

So now she just puts her trash out late at night.

"We just pray they pick it up early in the morning," said the 56-year-old Halona Street resident.

NATIONWIDE ISSUE

The problem is a national one, and is expected to grow as more states pass bottle redemption laws to spur more recycling. Some states and cities have reacted to the practice by enacting tougher legislation regarding trash-digging and increasing fines. Others have tacitly encouraged picking through private trash cans as a way of increasing recycling.

Though there are no immediate plans to do either in the Islands, City Council members say they are interested in examining the issue further to decide whether there's anything they can do.

City Councilwoman Ann Kobayashi suggested the city look into the issue to see how widespread it is. Kobayashi said she has gotten no complaints from residents in her area, but would be willing to pursue it if she did hear from community members.

Some environmentalists say digging through the trash shouldn't be viewed as a bad thing, and they wonder whether there's anything that could be done to help those willing to search for redeemable cans and bottles in the trash — even residential curbside cans.

"It's a good problem to have," said Jeff Mikulina, executive director of the Sierra Club, a strong proponent of the bottle redemption law. Before the law was passed, Mikulina said, "we didn't have this problem, where people are fighting over trash to recycle."

REDEEMING CONTAINERS

The state started tacking on 5-cent deposits and a 1-cent administrative fee to bottles and cans in November 2004, and redemption centers opened in early 2005. According to a November 2007 report to the state Legislature, which contains the latest statistics available, about 68 percent of all cans and bottles sold are now recycled. In all, some 633 million containers were redeemed in the last fiscal year, which ended in June 2007.

Community leaders and others say it is difficult to tell how prevalent trash-digging is in the Islands, beyond anecdotal evidence from residents. But it appears to be more widespread in urban Honolulu, where neighborhoods are dense and people can hit dozens of cans in succession.

For Mung Lim and others, the biggest concern about people digging through their trash is that some bank or credit card statement will get into the wrong hands. Mung Lim is also tired of cleaning up after those who dig through her trash and rip open her bags.

"These people are dressed for dumpster diving. They're doing it as a business," Mung Lim said.

"They make a big mess."

COMMUNITY COMPLAINTS

Bernadette Young, chairwoman of the Kalihi-Palama Neighborhood Board, said she has heard several complaints about the practice in her community and believes she has had her own trash picked through on several occasions, though she has never caught anyone in the act.

The topic came up at the Kalihi-Palama Neighborhood Board last month, but Young said members were at a loss over what to do about the issue.

"It's unsanitary, and it's an imposition on the homeowner," Young said. "But I really don't know what to do."

Al Canopin, vice chairman of the Nu'uanu/Punchbowl Neighborhood Board, said he has seen people digging through trash cans in his community, too. But he doesn't mind, as long as they don't leave a mess behind. And it doesn't appear residents mind either, he said.

"Of course, if they disrespectfully open the bags and let the trash blow all over, everybody would get upset," Canopin said. But for the last few months, the people digging through private trash cans have done so relatively unnoticed, early in the morning on trash days, he said.

David Shiraishi, city refuse collection administrator, said he has heard several complaints about trash-digging coming into his office. But he couldn't say whether the practice is widespread — or even a nuisance to more than a few. "We know it happens," Shiraishi said.

Police could not say how many citations they have issued for digging in the trash.

Shiraishi said he understands why people wouldn't want others digging through their garbage.

"I would say the primary concerns are twofold," he said. "One is litter, the other is privacy."

POSSIBLE ANSWERS

Mikulina, of the Sierra Club, said the problem could be alleviated if stores start accepting recyclables. A bill moving through the Legislature would require big-box stores to take bottles and cans, but would not mandate the same for supermarkets. He said an islandwide curbside recycling program could also alleviate the issue, as recyclables would not be mixed in with trash.

At a recycling redemption center in Mo'ili'ili last week, people in line to redeem bags of cans and bottles were mixed on whether digging through other people's trash is that big a deal.

Nathan Hokama, who saves his bottles for months before redeeming them in bulk, said he has seen people digging through private cans in Mo'ili'ili and sympathizes with people who are upset over the practice.

"It does bother me," he said, since there could be private information in the trash.

But Miles Ushitima, who carried several large bags of 2-liter bottles to the center, said people who dig through other people's trash are doing everybody in the community a service.

"I really appreciate them doing that," he said. "It helps them, and it helps all of us."

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.