"Recycling" Milk Crates
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 07.23.07
Chandelier from MADE
Lamp posts. Beer kegs. Copper wire. So many things are stolen for their commodity value these days, especially metals. But milk crates? Stealing them for dorm room furniture has been going on for years, but now they are being chopped into bits and shipped to China. According to the Californian, The crates are made of petroleum-based plastic that has increased in value along with gasoline prices. The material now sells for 22 cents a pound, compared to 7 cents a pound in 2005, said Patty Moore, a recycling consultant in Sonoma. That evidently makes them worth stealing, along with bakery trays and soft drink pallets.
In California, the Dairy institute has hired private detectives to conduct sting operations, and 11 "recyclers" who accepted stolen crates have been arrested. So all you students out there, check your web cams to ensure that your bookshelves don't show; you may be next. ::The Californian via
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It seems to me the obvious solution to this problem is to stop making them out of petroleum based plastic. There's a good chance this could be done cost effectively, since they are intended to be reused. I can't imagine it would cost much more than chasing after milk cartoons with detectives..
Thats a really cool idea though, lol.