British waste and recycling company, Business Waste, says that a spike in the theft of paper and cardboard meant for recycling is to be blamed on scrap thieves who are looking for soft targets.
The company feels that increased security measures for scrap metal have made criminals turn to paper and cardboard.
According to Business Waste, it is becoming economically viable for criminals to take bales of recycled cardboard from the loading areas of companies with minimal risk.
Business Waste spokesman Mark Hall said: "While the CCTV cameras and alarms are all trained on the scrap metal bin, thieves are finding easy money elsewhere. And most of the time it's ready for them in easy-to-handle bales."
However, the organisation said that the police do not look at such thefts as a serious crime. While companies are able to sell baled cardboard waste for between 50-70 per ton, committed criminals can sell it for even higher amounts, leading to huge losses for the companies on a daily basis.
"Industrial units and supermarkets are particularly at risk from groups targeting unguarded waste storage areas. But thieves will also cruise down shopping streets in an unmarked van just before the commercial waste collection arrives, lifting all the cardboard left out by shop owners," added Hall.
The company further says that it has encountered cardboard collection rounds where it hardly picked up anything owing to the efficiency of such gangs. According to a recent report, stealing of cardboards is costing recycling companies in New York up to $10m annually.
"But it's not a victimless crime. They're taking money out of the pockets of small businesses who are being paid per ton of their recyclable waste. That's straight-up theft. And they're also taking money out of the pockets of waste management companies who make money from collections. It's a crime that costs British jobs," elaborated Hall.
