A.    The city council finds and determines that a municipal program for the collection and recycling of newspapers, aluminum cans, PET, plastic beverage containers, and glass within the city and the licensing of persons engaged therein, is in the public interest and serves to promote the general welfare of the city.

    B.    This article is enacted to increase participation rates, improve recyclable material recovery rates, reduce landfill dependency, and ultimately maintain a cost effective overall garbage, rubbish, refuse or recycling program for the citizens, businesses and institutions of the city.

    C.    It is also recognized that the recycling program established in this article may be victimized by unauthorized scavengers and that the theft of recyclable materials before they can be picked up by the authorized collector would be destructive to the economic interest of the city at large, and the citizens, businesses and institutions in particular. It is the additional purpose of this article to define clear ownership of recyclable materials and to provide for the protection of those ownership rights. (Prior code § 11-19)