We have had some interesting run-ins with scrap collectors. In part because Sunnyvale (or at least their garbage contractor) uses the proceeds from the the sale of recyclables to offset costs of collection. Thus when someone raids the recycle bin for the cans and bottles, it takes money away from the garbage company that was nominally discounting garbage fees based on expected returns. The city council made an ordinance to allow the police to stop people from doing that.

When I hired the janitorial company at the office I included in the contract that they could keep any proceeds they collected from extracting recyclables in the office trash. For me the benefit was that it didn't matter which can you threw out recyclables in, the janitorial staff would sort them out and recycle them. It gave them a bit more money in their pocket, and it made it easier on folks trying to figure out which can to use for what.