San Francisco, Calif., city officials are holding a hearing next month to discuss the impact of recycling theft.

Scavengers face a $500 fine and six months in jail if caught, but they continue to skirt the law anyway.

Recology, who handles garbage and recycling collection, loses $5 million in revenue annually because of the scavenging, according to the San Francisco Examiner. "Residents are concerned about a lot of scavenging going on in the district creating a public safety issue but also litter on the streets," Supervisor Christina Olague told the paper.