VICTORIA -- Five years ago, with illegal dumping on the rise around Shawnigan Lake, the Malahat Legion branch began offering free metal recycling for the community. The offer stopped a lot of metal waste from being dumped along logging roads and helped the Legion raise money to pay its bills.
But, like with any free service, there has been some bad actors and some people have begun to take advantage of the free recycling.
“We brought the bins in to actually provide a service to the community,” said Isabelle Hammer, president of the Malahat Legion Branch 134. “It was to be able to drop, free of charge, any metals that people would like to put in the bins to recycle.”
“We use that as well, as an income,” she said.
But, the Legion says there has been an increase in people taking advantage of the service.
“We ended up putting a live feed at night, to try to deter anyone from stealing,” said Hammer.
The live video is being streamed on the Legion’s Facebook page and has recorded dozens of examples of people stealing from the bins at night. It even shows people dumping household garbage in those bins.
“Food, rotten food in fridges or on the ground, we’ve had clothing,” said the Legion president. “We have to actually assume the cost of disposing of those items because they’re not metal. It’s been a bit of an issue.”
Veronica Larsen was at the recycling bins this morning dropping off metal waste.
“People doing this illegally is just going to ruin it for people doing it properly,” said Larsen.
During the pandemic, the Legion has been shut down but bills still need to be paid and this is one of the only ways the Legion is making ends meet.
“This is our only income,” said Hammer. “We are doing a bottle drive, a constant bottle drive, so that assists as well.”
That live feed also captured two men walking away from the Legion branch with a recycling bag full of cans and bottles.
Harry Benson was at the bins this morning, dropping off an old dishwasher for recycling. He brings his recycling there because he knows it benefits the Legion.
“I know they were dropping beer cans off for the legion and people were coming to steal the beer cans because it was such easy cash,” said Benson.
Hammer says she understands that some people may be in need and asks that people ask the Legion for help if they’re in a tight spot instead of taking from the recycling bin and bottle drives.
“If people have a specific need, contact the Legion and let us know what it is,” said Hammer. “We’ll see where we can help.”
She’s hoping the community can help identify some of the people who were caught on camera taking advantage of the free service.
“We want to continue providing this service and we don’t want it to go away,” said the Legion president. “Please don’t steal from the Legion and if you’ve fallen on hard times, contact us again and then we’ll see where we can help.”
