105 Times People Hit The Jackpot While Dumpster Diving (New Pics)

It’s probably not all that surprising that so many treasures are hiding in the trash. Sadly, people throw away a lot of perfectly good things they don’t need anymore. 

It’s one of those things that’s easy to overlook in everyday life, because once something’s in the bin, it’s out of sight and out of mind. But the reality of how much we waste globally is pretty hard to ignore.

According to the 2024 UNEP Food Waste Index Report, 1.05 billion tonnes of food waste were generated globally in 2022 alone. That amounts to roughly 132 kilograms per person and nearly one-fifth of all food available to consumers. 

Sixty percent of that happened at the household level, with food services responsible for 28% and retail making up the remaining 12%. 

But food is far from the only thing filling up landfills. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that over 12 million tons of furniture are discarded in the U.S. each year, with 80% of it ending up in landfills. 

On top of that, an estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste are tossed annually in the U.S., which breaks down to about 81.5 pounds per person per year.

With that much stuff going to waste, it makes sense that more and more people are turning to dumpster diving. And the reasons are pretty varied. Some do it because it’s a genuinely great way to save money, especially as the cost of living keeps climbing. Others are motivated by environmental concerns and want to keep usable items out of landfills. 

Then there are those who love hunting for unique pieces of decor, homeware, or vintage finds. Plenty of people also pick up items to resell online. Whatever the motivation, there’s clearly more than enough in the trash to go around for everyone. And in the end, it all helps the planet.

The stuff people actually find is pretty wild, too. Kelly Sparks, better known as @breafkast on YouTube, has been diving in dumpsters across northern Texas for over a decade.

She’s pulled out kitchen appliances, laundry detergent, boxes of unopened hand sanitizer, mountains of never-used holiday decorations, iPhones, and even a signed letter from former president George Bush to a local school.

As she told The Guardian, “Dumpster diving is the epitome of a treasure hunt.”

Sparks actually got her start by exploring the dumpsters behind a Trader Joe’s in Los Angeles. 

She was so overwhelmed by the amount of perfectly good food being thrown away that, over a span of nine months, the only grocery item she bought from a store was soy sauce. “We would dumpster dive every night,” she told The Guardian. “We got so hooked on it.”

Since then, Sparks and her husband have branched out from grocery store dumpsters to retail stores and apartment complexes. They always come prepared with the right gear, including gloves and grabbers, which are basically plastic claws on the end of a stick. 

Their biggest yearly haul comes in the spring, when college students move out of their dorms and usually only have a day or two to clear out. That’s when Sparks has scored things like working mini fridges, microwaves, and all sorts of other dorm essentials.

Sparks and her husband donate about 80% of what they find, sending items to a community pantry in their area, a thrift store that benefits a women’s shelter, and their local animal shelter. 

She hopes that people who watch her channel walk away knowing that “there are other ways to get rid of your stuff. You don’t have to throw it all away.”

Maybe we should all be a little more mindful about what we toss. Before throwing something out, it’s worth considering whether it could be donated or given a second life. And if you’re curious about dumpster diving yourself, it might be worth a try. 

Just make sure to check your local laws first, because some places do have restrictions on dumpster diving or consider it illegal. Stay safe, be respectful of the spaces you’re exploring, and do it responsibly.