One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. In fact, if you look closely, that massive trash can outside of your apartment building or behind the mall might be holding many items that anyone would consider gems.
We’ve taken a trip to the Dumpster Diving subreddit to see some of the most amazing finds people have discovered while digging through the trash. From groceries for the entire week to brand new sneakers to beautiful furniture, you genuinely never know what you’re going to find when rummaging through garbage. So enjoy viewing the pics on this list, and be sure to upvote the ones that have inspired you to take a peek into your building’s dumpster!
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Found This Guy In Dumpster Few Days Ago
Pet Food When I Wasn’t Even Going To Go Out
Start out with just a little back story… we rescue special needs dogs. Some have emotional issues. Some are deaf. There have been neurological issues (a hydro that lived only 9 weeks… we had him 3 days before he crossed the rainbow bridge in his sleep). I sometimes worry about running short on pet food. I would go without long before I would let them do without. I get delivery every few weeks to know I’m staying ahead.
Tonight I was planning on going to the second hand store to get some shorts… pick up mower gas… long day at work… almost didn’t go.
But we did
Almost didn’t swing by the dumpster (it’s one we have gotten a crap ton of Starbucks k-cups and we almost always get something here that will help. Wasn’t going to swing by. But I did.
Peeked in and almost cried. 200+ pounds of dog food. Cat food for my son’s rescue cat. Cat litter for my son’s rescue cat.
Some days I can see the little rays of sunshine.
God I Love Working In Waste Disposal
While the term dumpster diving might sound a bit extreme, if you’ve never tried it yourself, we promise that it does not have to be unsanitary or a waste of time. It’s not simply swimming through rubbish, it can actually be a great way to find free food, great furniture or items that seem to have only ended up in the trash by accident. And if anyone can change your mind on the matter, it’s the Dumpster Diving subreddit. This group, which is dedicated to “fun with garbage,” shares “advice, information, and first-hand accounts about finding cool stuff in, or making cool stuff out of, trash.”
And clearly, many people have gotten on board with the community’s message, as it has amassed an impressive 241k members since its creation in 2009. The group even has a thread featuring members’ best dumpster diving tips and tricks, including: have realistic expectations, take a small step ladder, close all dumpster lids and doors when done, don’t dumpster dive at thrift stores, have an answer for when people ask what you’re doing, and, of course, safety comes first!
Found A Brand New Singer Sc220. The Box Said Damaged, But It Works Perfect. Psyched
Found These Letters From 1938 In The Construction Dumpster At A Senior Care Place I Was Working At Doing Remodel Work
60's Armchair Restoration
If the idea of dumpster diving is foreign to you and you have a hard time getting past the idea of literally hopping into trash, allow us to explain some of the reasons why it’s becoming a growing trend and might even be the most environmentally friendly way of “shopping” nowadays. First, let’s understand why people do this. According to GreenMatters, it’s pretty standard practice for businesses to throw out unsold merchandise and food to make more room on shelves or to avoid having to put luxury brands on sale. This means that oftentimes, what’s in the trash isn’t actually trash.
I used to work at a coffee shop where we weren’t allowed to take home any of the sandwiches, soups, or pastries after closing time because the company assumed if we could, it would discourage us from selling them. So every evening, we had to find whatever was reaching its sell by date and simply throw it in the trash. This was incredibly wasteful, and it was painful knowing that that food could have gone to people in need, but that was this store’s, and many other companies’, policy.
Dd Gods Were Smiling Down On Me Tonight
Found A Sealed Box At The Dump. Found Inside Brand New Unopened Auto Tracking Telescope
Found At The Dump 19th Century Mahogany Plant Stand
When it comes to food waste, RTS reports that the United States throws about 120 billion pounds of perfectly good food in the trash each year, or about 40% of the entire US food supply. Apparently, food takes up more space in US landfills than anything else, making up 22% of municipal solid waste, and the amount of food wasted in the US is worth approximately $218 billion. There’s no question that many of us should be cutting back on our consumption and waste production, and one way to do so is by pulling perfectly good food that’s been tossed out of the trash. As you can see from the pictures on this list, a little digging around in a dumpster might allow you to find lots of delicious items for free, that would have otherwise taken up space in a landfill.
A School Had Thrown These Fossils In The Dumpster. The Claw And Tooth At The Top Are Casts, But Everything Else Is Legit!
Found These Two In The Rubbish Today
Dug This Late 50s Bike In A Dumpster At An Apartment On The Way To Work
Even if you don’t need many items for yourself, dumpster diving can actually be quite the lucrative hobby. One Buffalo, New York-based couple told Business Insider that they make around $3,000 a month through their dumpster diving side hustle. Erin and Dave Sheffield shared that they began rummaging through garbage more than a decade ago and got the idea to start selling items they find in dumpsters of large depot stores. “Especially in the time we live in, you kind of have to realize that if you don't take that thing out of the trash, that's going to a landfill," Erin shared. "But also, you can actually make money." Some of the most valuable items they’ve been able to resell are a Prada purse and a truck-load of college textbooks.
West Elm Plates! A Set Of 8. A Distinguished Gentleman, Animal Collection
I think this series is out of production, because I can't find any of the Distinguished Gentlemen plates available anymore. This is an incredible find.
Found A Box Being Tossed With Some Old Japanese Money And Two Books From The Late 1800's Inside!
Why Just Chuck This??
The Sheffields say that the best food items they find in dumpsters are usually taken home with them or given away to friends and family members, but they also shared that there will always be more valuable items that they can’t manage to save. “We can't possibly come close to even touching the amount of good stuff that's thrown away every day," Erin told Insider. "Even if we went out from sun-up to sundown, and went to every place we could think of, we still wouldn't get close to what is being thrown away in our city." You hear that, pandas? That means there’s plenty waiting out there for you too!
Just Saved These From The Dump
Got This Awesome Chair From A Curb Today
Found This Bad Boy Near The Trashcans Of My Apartment's Parking Lot. It'd Been Out There A Week And A Half. Even Rained On A Little Bit. Didn't Expect To Power On At All
Aside from just finding great items for themselves and for others, dumpster diving can also be great for the environment, as it takes a small burden off of our already full, or nearly full, landfills. Countries like the United States are already dumping their waste in foreign countries because they have nowhere to put it all, and China, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia have had to enact bans on importing waste from other nations. Much of the waste in landfills is being burned as well, which is also a problem because it releases toxic gasses into the atmosphere, such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides. Every little bit helps when reducing waste, and dumpster diving can certainly make a difference.
I Saw A Free Couch On The Side Of The Road So I Dug In The Cushions For Change And Found A $100 Chip For A Local Casino
Free Floor Upgrade
Found 90+ planks of SPC flooring in the common park construction dumpster , perfectly timed! I was just debating upgrading the floor in my bathroom, but didn’t want to spend the $$$ prior to moving. 60 full planks remain after this project, so i’ll be doing my kitchen next!
This dumpster has been a goldmine!
Cool Looking Lamp I Found On A Curb
If you’re wondering how to go about dumpster diving safely, Eco Friendly Fact has shared some of their best tips on their site so you can have successful dives. First, it’s important to always know the local laws and to get permission when necessary. Dumpster diving is legal in many places, but you should never embark on a dive without knowing your rights and the regulations. It’s also recommended to visit more dumpsters in less time. If you don’t see anything good on top, don’t waste too much time searching for a gem. Just move on to the next one, and come back another day.
Shoe Store Recycling Dumpster Boxes Are Great For Shipping, And Today I Got Lucky And Found A Brand New Pair Of Converse!
Pulled This Sweet Solid Wood Desk Off The Curb
Found This Guy With A Bunch Of Letters And Photos From The Early 1900s. The Baby In The Pictures Was Born In 1919, So Probably From Around Then
On "Antiques Roadshow" things like this always seem to be highly valued
Dumpster divers also recommend having a proper route planned before beginning the day. This can be an exhausting hobby, so mapping out where you want to go and creating an efficient plan can be extremely helpful. It’s also wise to be strategic and visit the dumpsters that will suit your needs. If you want to find groceries, go to grocery stores. If you’re in need of furniture or home goods, hit up those types of stores. And remember to only take the things you need. While it’s tempting to grab anything that looks valuable, you might not be able to carry it all, and you might not have anywhere to put it. And finally, always remember to bring your equipment: scissors or a cutting knife to conveniently open boxes and trash bag, gloves, a mask, goggles and bags or containers to collect and carry items.
Well Looks Like I'll Be Making Garden This Summer!
My Friend Found Kitchenaid In A Dumpster
I have the same one at home, except it has a more rough texture. It should come with 3 attachment pieces.
My First Dive.... Saw A "Store Closing" Sign And Thought. Hmm
I'm hooked I saw these and grabbed them all.
As someone who's working a closing bed bath and beyond and had to toss all our displays: I wish I would be there when this person realized these were dummy models with no internal parts lol!
Are you feeling inspired to start taking some dives into the dumpsters near your home, pandas? If you do, remember to be safe and strategic, and I’m sure you’ll come across some wonderful finds. Keep upvoting the pics featuring items you can’t believe people pulled out of the garbage, and if you’re interested in checking out Bored Panda’s last article featuring the Dumpster Diving subreddit, look no further than right here!
I'm Currently Living In A Small College Town. The Dumpsters Are Gold Mines Right Now
Happy Belated Easter, And Reminder From Jesus That Capitalism Is A Broken System Which Puts Profits Over People!
All from the trash bin of a single local bakery, on a single night... All unexpired. Sad and angry they'd just trash it, instead of donating, brightening some child's day.
Pulled From A Dumpster A Couple Weeks Ago. Perfect Condition. My Cat Likes It
Found A Working 48 Inch TV And Ps3 On The Side Of The Road!
Wasn't even looking, I came home and saw it next door
My High School Gave Me Permission To Search Their E-Waste Trash And I Found A 24 Inch 2008 Imac In Almost Perfect Condition
Back In 2018, I Found 15 Used Iphones At My Works Electrical Waste Bin
I switched screens and batteries between them and got 6 fully functional phones that i sold for 500£. 30 minutes well spent.
If I'm sending electronics to be recycled I'm trusting the recycling place to destroy all the info. I don't like this at all. The recycling companies make money off the parts. This is basically stealing.
Yo Who Throws Away Pac-Man?
Arcade 1Up Pacman Countercade. Modern replica of a Pacman cabinet in tabletop version. About 150$ new, but the second hand market is flooded with those (especially the tabletop version). The screen is LCD -not CRT as the original-, and the electronics on these are way below top-notch quality. Admitting everything works properly, it's not worth much, possibly about 100$ to the right buyer.
Found Three Shoebox Containers Of LEGO In A Roll Off In A Chuck E Cheese Parking Lot
The Dumpster Always Provides
Broke as HELL this month. Didn't know how I was going to afford decent Mother's Day gifts for my mom and grandma, both wonderful women who deserve so much.
These Bogg Bags retail for $90 each and are super popular where I live. Retrieved them with the umbrella in my car while dangling over the side in flip flops.
They cut the strap on one, but I was able to improvise. So relieved I'm able to give them something great and pay my light bill this month.
Found a month ago ... not retailing on amazon for 2x-3x. If anyone needs a replacement strap/handle for one of these, they can be found also on amazon.
Jackpot
My First Time Was A Great Success! Tons Of Fresh Peppers, As Well As Apples, Lettuce, A Dog Bed, And A Jacket. So Stoked!
My First Dumpster Diving Score. Of The 10 Bowls In The Set, Only 1 Small One Was Broken. Thanks W&s!
Sunbeam Toaster, Circa 1949, Saved From A Dumpster In The Neighborhood
Girlfriend’s Parents Found This On The Side Of The Road
My Wife Has Been Wanting These Chairs. My Dad Is Always Finding Cool Stuff People Are Throwing Away, So I Told Him To Keep An Eye Out. A Few Weeks Later…
Saw very similar chairs at an estate sale a year ago, and they were going for over 100 each.
Do Curbside Finds Count? My Neighbors Left This Huge Dollhouse With All The Dolls And Furniture Out My Their Trash!!
I always put out stuff that can still be used at the side/end of my drive near the pavement, when it's getting dark, and it's always gone by morning (I'm just off the corner of a main road). I don't often have time to take them to charity shops, and lately, the high prices they charge for stuff nowadays puts me off a fair bit.
My Pyrex Finds Next To A Thrift Store’s Dumpster
So Much Fruit And Veggies! My Car Actually Had Trouble Accelerating Due To The Weight
Last Night’s Find. Fully Working Ps3 Slim
Was Going To Buy A New Office Chair At An Auction Last Week, Passed On Them And Found This Today. $1500 Herman Miller Aeron Chair
Curbside Find! This Briefcase Looking Piece Folds Out Into A Table And 4 Chairs!
Glad I Didn’t Skip This “Empty From A Distance” Dumpster!
All New. Worth First Run In With Mall Security
I worked in security for a long time. I stopped policing dumpsters pretty quickly. Shameful what gets tossed out. If it's unsafe for some reason, yeah, I'll roust ya. But 90% of the time I hope somebody gets something good out of it.
Found A Gorgeous Shelf In My Apartment’s Trash Pile Today! It Pays To Check It Frequently!
May Never Need Chips Again
Stopped by DG that we just happened to be passing yesterday…. 4 thirty gallon garbage bags and 5 assorted packages boxes. 240 individual serving packages
God Tier Dive Today For All You Fellow Dnd Players Out There
chessex sets without their label papers. probably a parent who didnt like their kid playing.
Alrighty
Sixty+ of them first stop of the night
This Is Probably One Of The Most Beautiful Pieces I Will Ever Find. It Was Sitting With A Bunch Of Furniture Next To A Dumpster
Had To Really Clean This Stuff Up, But Once I Did, Good To Go!
Largemouth Bass Mailbox
Thomas The Train Table!!!!
Parents are always trying to give these away where I live. Facebook marketplace is full of them. Once the kid is past their "train" stage or gets too big the tables are just taking up space.
6 Pairs Of Nikes, One Pair Of Brand New Keens
Fourth Dorm Visit This Move Out Season
Tonight goes down as a personal best in my dumpster diving career. The dumpsters were beyond packed. Towels, more sneakers, snacks, jeans, dishwashing liquid. Just tons of stuff. I grabbed some gift cards, hoping for a few remaining dollars on the. These card were fully loaded. Looks like I'll be gassing up my car before going to Subway or Panera!
I Love Finding Worthless Junk And Diying The Hell Out Of It
"Kevin, is my dinner served on a hubcap?" "No, it's a metal plate." "Why does it say 'VW' on it?" "Try the salad!"
3.1 Haul. 46 Bags Of Chococlate
I Was Blessed By The Dumpster Gods Last Week, Not Even A Hobby Of Mine, Husband Just Happened To Spot It!
The thing about electronics is, I get older and they stay the same age. And he's driving Melba Toast
Great Cheese Heist Of 2022
Someone Ditched A Gorgeous White Leather Couch At The Complex Dumpster
Back leg is broken, but other than that it’s lovely. Put it up on a freecycling FB group, hopefully someone will grab it and keep it out of the dumpster!
Found These In An Alley Next To The Trash Cans. No Way Would I Allow That Fate
I Mean This Is Just The Best
Beautiful, they don't make them like that anymore. For good reason unfortunately, as too many fingers or tails got caught inside.
Living Near A College = Free Rent 2x A Year
Another Haul
Found This Vintage Toy In A Dumpster Elevator Bells Still Work
It's been two decades since I've had one, but I remember thoroughly enjoying this thing.
Average Haul From My Honey Hole. I Sometimes Hit It Up 2-3 Times A Day To Get Each Department
Where To Donate? Soldiers? Kids Programs? Nursing Homes? Help
Most soldiers have access to this kind of stuff unless they're in a war zone I think. My son has been overseas twice and both bases have stores that sell American stuff. Donate it to a food bank. Treats like that are far and few between for people utilizing a food bank
My Brother Grabbed This Yamaha Surround Sound From The Dumpster For Me
I Present To You The Useless Fork, From The Dumpster
Found This Awesome Cart At The Senior Care Construction Dumpster! Goes For Over $800 New And Is Still Perfect Functional
Aldi Had Half A Dumpster Full Of Potatoes. Seems Some Got Smashed From A Shipping Issue So They Threw The Whole Pallet Out. I Grabbed As Many As I Could Fit In My Trunk
Been Struggling To Afford Food Lately And Only Finding A Lot Of Empty Dumpsters. Last Night I Was Grateful To Find A Massive Haul Of Snacks And Drinks. And That Protein Powder!
OR they've been accepted as a patient of Dr. Now's.
Load More Replies...I'm actually grateful to see a successful dumpster haul post from someone who has an actual need for it. Hopefully OP has further success another time and scores some fresh foods...
Not getting enough food weakens you. You realise that cr*p might be cr*p but it's better than nothing. Sleep for dinner wears you out real quick.
Load More Replies...The Score!
Got That Greens, From Aldeez
I WOULD NOT pull food from the dumpster, I worked in school food service and we had to dump bleach on anything that was out dated and thrown away in a dumpster.
Last Night's Finds
Wow! Wish the UK had such access to dumpsters. Most shopping areas and large stores /office buildings, have security fencing around the back of their property to stop 'dumpster-diving'.
I Saw A Construction Dumpster Full Of These New Insulations, So I Filled My Van And Sold Them In Less Than 24 Hours
Snickers Superscore!
The Most Fun I’ve Had Being 30!heres To My First Dive!
Sometimes You Wake Up And Hit The Jackpot. I Snagged This Miniature Donkey Rescue Calendar From My Apt Trash Room This Morning
Local Overpriced Thrift Store Throws Out Tons Of Perfectly Good Items... Snagged This Air Fryer Convection Oven, It Works Just Fine. I Wish I Could Save Everything
meanwhile, following blogs like ShiftyThrifting will show that certain thrift stores will put literal GARBAGE on the shelf (for example, a one-use starbucks cup. had a thrifstore price tag on it and everything. blech.)
Got Called To Take This For Scrap Metal Today
Cool Find, Hoping It Cleans Up Well
3 Bins Of Fresh Sweet & Tasty Grapes
Little Debbie‘S Haul
Found A Everlast Freestanding Heavy Bag Dumpster Diving At Dicks
Pretty cool find, about 180$ in value.
Found This Guy And Couldn’t Leave Him Behind - Cat For Scale
Found By A Dumpster While Doordashing Plugged It In And It Works!
How About A 1k Lounger From The Same Neighborhood Last Week. Sold In 1 Day ($360)
A Dream Find, Fun Flavours Like Mint Latte, Coconut Milk , Along With The Classic!! I Didnt Take Them All
Found These Lights *next To* The Dumpster!
Is This How It Begins? Visiting Vegas And Found This Brand New Belt Was On Top Of The Trash Bin In Caesars Palace (No One Else Was In There). Fits Me Perfectly!
Fridge Unit Broke At Aldeez. Huge Dumpster Filled To The Top With Sealed Cases Of Product. I Took All I Could Carry!
Found A Broken Kobalt Shovel Leaning Against A Dumpster. They Have A Lifetime, No-Questions-Asked Warranty
Part Of Saturday Night’s Haul
Found In A Box Of Mugs Being Thrown Out!
Back when you could get free stuff from fast food places. I have Garfield mugs from McDonalds and Care Bear glasses from Pizza Hut that I still use.
Been Hoping For A Haul Like This
This Made Me So Sad. Book Store Throws Out A Dumpster Filled With Books Every Week. They Don't Bother To Recycle Them
Vitamins For A Year
Detergent, Energy Drinks, Books, And A Tiny Gnome
I Sat And Watched Them Throw All This Away, Waited For My Moment, And Pounced
50lbs Of Cheese From Nh Aldi's Today. I Would Have Gotten More But I Was In A Hurry
Me Again With Another Great Find ! This Mirror Is Huge. It’s Missing A Few Of The Surrounding Mini Mirrors But I’m 100% Ok With It. I’m In Love
Finally! On My Fourth Attempt I Found Something Good. This Is Approximately $750 Retail Worth Of Makeup And Perfume
What To Do With A Thousand Eggs?
This Right Here Is Why I Stay Diving Lol
A Dumpster Rescue From Work
Haul From Last Night! Hundreds Of Contact Lenses, Some Are Even My Prescription
I would definitely check to make sure these weren't a safety recall.
Do Better Dunkin
I managed dunkins for years!!! Used to donate our donuts to salvation army every night for their breakfast at the shelter. I don't remember why but something happened rules changed and we were no longer allowed to donate them. Only choice we had was to throw them out because they are unedible by that point...hard as rocks. I hated throwing out all those donuts....eventually we had a guy that would come pick up the donut bags every night to put outside for the deer and animals by his house. Idk how healthy it is for them but at least they were getting used for something....
First Finds From College Season
Idk What To Say
Found 300 Dollars Worth Of Redbull Tonight!!!
Recent Hauls
Chain Thrift Store Had These Vhs Tapes In A "Garbage Cart" Just Minutes From Being Compacted. Glad I Was Donating At That Very Moment
Ymca Dumpsters Hit Different
Starting To Feel Overwhelmed
I Live Around Rich Uni Students. The Semester Ended And They’re All Moving Out/Around Right Now
It's A Christmas Miracle! The Store's Entire Stock Of Ice Cream Was Tossed
If this was i high temperature I would leave it as it is. Melting and then refridgerating is a great way to get Salmonellosis
Not In A Dumpster, But On The Side Of The Road I Found A Welder
Take care with those. They work at high voltage and in this condition you cannot guarantee the insulation is working properly. If this has been disposed there is likely a reason, and the safety hazards involved are just too high for a machine that is 150$ brand new.
Second Major Wtf Find To Date
What the hell is wrong with companies and people??? All that food waste. Why not donate it to homeless shelters or give it away. Makes me sick
it's all about liability. If the food is getting older, even if it's in date, they could still be liable if someone got sick. This even holds for dumpster diving, a grocery store near me added guards and lids to their dumpsters because someone sued them after dumpster diving. Total BS, but that's America for you.
Load More Replies...i'm so suspect of some of the food posts on here. having worked in a grocery store, it's true that a lot of very good food gets thrown away, but it's also very true that contaminated food gets tossed out unaltered (see: the posts of the broken aldi's fridge). stores are required to throw away food that has gone out of temperature (re: the broken fridge) because it's no longer safe. dumpster divers going for food are putting their health in danger, and if they're donating it, all those hungry people as well. and the makeup too! that can also be contaminated. society NEEDS to work on making food providers donate IMMEDIATELY upon unavailability for sale; it's the safest way people will be able to use what cant be purchased.
Be very careful picking up anything with wood, fabric, or cardboard. They could be infested with bed bugs and you wouldn't know until it's too late. They even lay eggs in electronics because of the warmth. We found out the hard way.
We never throw usable things out at home. If we don't donate we have special "buy nothing" groups.
Unfortunately, I don't live in an area where well to do people throw away tons of perfectly good stuff, but if I did, I certainly wouldn't be averse to a bit of dumpster diving. That being said, I think I'd probably pass on food.
wasting food like this makes me mad. Glad some people out there save it! Used to clean at a small supermarket that would throw *everything* away once expired. Everything in the bin. One day i put the bin outside, closed the shop and walked away. Oh, i forgot something, turned around and walked back. To find a homeless person (i knew him) bend over the bin. We looked at eachother awkwardly. I smiled and turned around again, went home. Old management would just put a box in the break room for us to take (cookies, cerial, pasta etc) The guy that would fill/check the fridge before opening would always give me the "expired" yoghurts. (note: yoghurt doesnt expire at midnight of the date on the bottle) Also, back in 2000 we saw several big stadium concerts which we left before ending due to reasons. When we would come out, we would find all the cans of soda that 1000's of people were forced to leave behind. We would take as many as we could cary every time.
Eons ago I worked on the trash pick-up truck that cleared waste bins in a Provincial park. Every day we came home with new and used-once camping gear that had been discarded when the campers checked out.
People spend a ton of money on camping gear, use it once and decide camping isn't for them, and into the dumpster it goes. Makes no sense. If you know you aren't going to use it again, sell it or give it to someone who will, don't just pitch it.
Load More Replies...all the stuff we produce and produce. No wonder we're in a climate crisis. I look at all the produce and food in grocery stores--so much stuff, and so many people are struggling to buy the necessities, as the price of everything climbs....good lord. Feels like fiddling while Rome burns.
A friend of mine found a lovely crib in a dumpster. She was expecting so I helped her refinish it and we bought a new mattress for it. Later I used it for my third child. I am also using a cabinet that I found in the dumpster. I don't understand.
When I lived in L.A., my friends + I would troll Beverly Hills on trash day. You would not believe the stuff we found! Designer clothes + shoes, brand new board games (this was in the early '70's, so no internet yet,) pet supplies, misc. car stuff, furniture, rugs, lamps and more.
I dropped a bus off while the local school was doing a Library purge. I picked up two boxes of books for my kids, plus a set of shelves. I've have a (currently non-working) pump from a fire truck. What will I do with it? Who knows! but I have it.
What the hell is wrong with companies and people??? All that food waste. Why not donate it to homeless shelters or give it away. Makes me sick
it's all about liability. If the food is getting older, even if it's in date, they could still be liable if someone got sick. This even holds for dumpster diving, a grocery store near me added guards and lids to their dumpsters because someone sued them after dumpster diving. Total BS, but that's America for you.
Load More Replies...i'm so suspect of some of the food posts on here. having worked in a grocery store, it's true that a lot of very good food gets thrown away, but it's also very true that contaminated food gets tossed out unaltered (see: the posts of the broken aldi's fridge). stores are required to throw away food that has gone out of temperature (re: the broken fridge) because it's no longer safe. dumpster divers going for food are putting their health in danger, and if they're donating it, all those hungry people as well. and the makeup too! that can also be contaminated. society NEEDS to work on making food providers donate IMMEDIATELY upon unavailability for sale; it's the safest way people will be able to use what cant be purchased.
Be very careful picking up anything with wood, fabric, or cardboard. They could be infested with bed bugs and you wouldn't know until it's too late. They even lay eggs in electronics because of the warmth. We found out the hard way.
We never throw usable things out at home. If we don't donate we have special "buy nothing" groups.
Unfortunately, I don't live in an area where well to do people throw away tons of perfectly good stuff, but if I did, I certainly wouldn't be averse to a bit of dumpster diving. That being said, I think I'd probably pass on food.
wasting food like this makes me mad. Glad some people out there save it! Used to clean at a small supermarket that would throw *everything* away once expired. Everything in the bin. One day i put the bin outside, closed the shop and walked away. Oh, i forgot something, turned around and walked back. To find a homeless person (i knew him) bend over the bin. We looked at eachother awkwardly. I smiled and turned around again, went home. Old management would just put a box in the break room for us to take (cookies, cerial, pasta etc) The guy that would fill/check the fridge before opening would always give me the "expired" yoghurts. (note: yoghurt doesnt expire at midnight of the date on the bottle) Also, back in 2000 we saw several big stadium concerts which we left before ending due to reasons. When we would come out, we would find all the cans of soda that 1000's of people were forced to leave behind. We would take as many as we could cary every time.
Eons ago I worked on the trash pick-up truck that cleared waste bins in a Provincial park. Every day we came home with new and used-once camping gear that had been discarded when the campers checked out.
People spend a ton of money on camping gear, use it once and decide camping isn't for them, and into the dumpster it goes. Makes no sense. If you know you aren't going to use it again, sell it or give it to someone who will, don't just pitch it.
Load More Replies...all the stuff we produce and produce. No wonder we're in a climate crisis. I look at all the produce and food in grocery stores--so much stuff, and so many people are struggling to buy the necessities, as the price of everything climbs....good lord. Feels like fiddling while Rome burns.
A friend of mine found a lovely crib in a dumpster. She was expecting so I helped her refinish it and we bought a new mattress for it. Later I used it for my third child. I am also using a cabinet that I found in the dumpster. I don't understand.
When I lived in L.A., my friends + I would troll Beverly Hills on trash day. You would not believe the stuff we found! Designer clothes + shoes, brand new board games (this was in the early '70's, so no internet yet,) pet supplies, misc. car stuff, furniture, rugs, lamps and more.
I dropped a bus off while the local school was doing a Library purge. I picked up two boxes of books for my kids, plus a set of shelves. I've have a (currently non-working) pump from a fire truck. What will I do with it? Who knows! but I have it.