Making someone else's trash your treasure can also land you in a heap of trouble.

The city of Harrisonburg, which picks up resident's recycling, says it's a crime to take trash out of a neighbor's bin. It's a problem that crops up every time aluminum prices increase.

Right now, a pound of aluminum gets about 70 cents. While it seems like a harmless thing to do, the city warns people the trash belongs to it.

"The recycling bin was bought by the city," says Meki Shifflett, Harrisonburg's Public Works department. "It's city property, so once you put that out for collection ,you put it in city property and if anybody takes it, they're taking from city property."

Shifflett says the city makes money on the items it recycles, so if someone steals, that's lost revenue for Harrisonburg.