One person’s trash is another’s treasure, and the ‘Dumpster Diving’ subreddit believes it quite literally, fully embracing the saying. It’s an online community of over 130k members that’s been celebrating the cool things (including pets!) found among the trash since 2009, the year it was founded. With a tagline like ‘Fun with Garbage,’ there’s no way that somebody wouldn’t be intrigued to open the lid and take a peek at what’s going on in the group!
The folks over on r/DumsterDiving are sharing their intriguing finds, and we’ve collected some of their most interesting photos to share with you Pandas. Not only are the pics the perfect metaphor for the fact that Lady Luck can smile on you at any moment, but they’re also a reminder to protect the environment. After all, why buy something new when you can reuse a perfectly good item?
Remember to upvote your fave dumpster finds as you scroll down and let us know if anything from the garbage ever found its way into your home. Be sure to read on for Bored Panda’s interview with Greenpeace about the reuse revolution and where the ultimate responsibility for eco-friendly decisions lies.
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Found This Rascal Next To A Dumpster, She Made A Great Addition To The Family And Is By Far My Best Dumpster Diving Haul
Tonight's Find
I Found Her Dumpster Diving This Morning I Was Able To Find Homes For Her Two Sisters But Nobody Wanted Her. Looks Like Now I Have A Cat
According to The World Bank, the world generates a whopping 2.01 billion tons of municipal solid waste each year. Around a third of that isn’t dealt with in an environmentally safe manner. High-income countries might account for 16 percent of the global population, but they generate 34 percent of the total waste.
Globally, each person creates anywhere from 0.11 to 4.54 kilograms of waste each day, depending on where they live. The situation is bound to get worse as the world’s population increases and more nations become developed. By the year 2050, the amount of global waste is set to grow to 3.40 billion tonnes.
Found In The Alley. It Weighed A Million Tons, Because Those Pillars Are Real Marble
Last Summer I Found 2 China Teacups, And Last Night I Found The Matching Saucers In A Different City!
When Out To Dumpsterdive And Play Pokémon Go Last Night, And Found This Little Cutie. Took Her In And Posted About Her On "Lost Pets" On Facebook. After She Had Been Missing For 2 Weeks, She Finally Got Back Home To Her Parents And She Was Only 3 Months Old
VERY good of you to check if she was a lost pet. A lot of people would say "I guess I have a cat now" without thinking twice about whether that cat might have an owner.
One of the biggest problems contributing to climate change and pollution is the massive production of single-use plastics and packaging. If products were built to be used and reused, we’d be in a far better position to deal with the climate crisis.
Greenpeace explained to Bored Panda that it’s mainly corporations that bear the biggest responsibility for changing how plastic is used and produced globally. The role of individuals is still important, however, it’s important not to lose sight of the big picture and where the biggest impact could be made.
Husband: “Honey It’s Just An Empty Case, I Am Not Climbing In For That.” Wife (Me): “Just Get In And Get It The Case Might Be Worth Something, Plus I Have A Feeling.” Who Was Right? Well It Was The Wife Of Course
Found This 1934 First Edition Mary Poppins In The Trash Of The Building I Work In
We Are Such A Wasteful Society, This Was Found In One Cee-Vee-Ess Dumpster
"Though it’s important for individuals to take part in the reuse revolution movement and do their best to reduce their plastic footprints, the responsibility lies on the multinationals that produce single-use plastic packaging in the first place," a Greenpeace representative told Bored Panda.
"One of the big challenges we are faced with is the corporation's addiction to single-use plastic and their relationship with the fossil fuel industry. As global demand for oil declines, the fossil fuel industry is doubling down on plastic, the new frontier for petrochemical production.”
Meet Our Special Find From Last Night! She Was Dumpster Diving Too
I Found This Ring In The Dumpster On Monday! Had It Appraised Yesterday And Found Out It’s A Handmade Gold Ring From The 60s-70s! It’s 14k Gold Band Is Worth $200+ (Stone Is Glass). I Also Found Those Tiny Hands With It Haha
Saved From The Landfill This Weekend!
Greenpeace claims that big corporations are working hand-in-hand with the fossil fuel industry while putting up an eco-friendly front.
“While big brands like Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Pepsi claim they are addressing the plastic pollution crisis, they are working hand-in-hand with the fossil fuel industry and making even more plastic,” the rep said.
“As it stands, plastic production could double within the next 10-15 years, and triple by 2050. This is alarming, especially if we are to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees. Plastic is an important part of moving away from fossil fuels, combating climate change, and protecting communities."
Thought Someone Was Throwing Away An Old Violin. Nope, It's Roulette!
Our First Time Diving Last Night. Only One Find, But We Were Thrilled! (She Hasn’t Stopped Guarding It)
Found This Beauty In A Jewelry Box Mixed In With A Bunch Of Fake Jewelry. 14k Yellow Gold, With A 1k Tanzanite Gem In The Middle, Surrounded By 23 Genuine Baguette Diamonds. Having It Appraised In 2 Days
Hold onto that sucker until you get a really good price! Tanzanite is increasing in value, has been for some years. Apparently the existing mine or mines are played out, and nobody's found a new source in a long time, so the gems are gaining value because people are realizing how scarce they are.
Don't Know What I'm Going To Do With It, But Couldn't See This Be Ruined
It’s Amazing What People Will Throw Away. Late 1960s Schwinn ‘Fair Lady’ Cruiser. My Wife Needed A Bike And Absolutely Loves It!
Got This Side Table From The Curb. It's Top Was Broken, So I Spend A Little Over 3 Hours And €4 Worth Of Rope And Glue To Upcycle It To This!
Thought You Guys Might Like My Fav Trash Pick Ever: Made My Dad Drive 25 Mins One Way In His Truck In Spitting Rain While I Sat With It To Make Sure No One Else Took It Has The Original Record Player Inside Also. I Know It’s Not Everyone’s Style But It’s Like It Was Meant To Be In My 50’s Ranch!
Drove Around Picking Up Pallets People No Longer Wanted And Made Myself A Headboard Out Of Them
You would pay a pretty penny for a handmade wood headboard like this. Just a suggestion for a side business if you ever need to make a bundle of extra cash.
My Dad Pulled This Gigantic Canvas Out Of The Dumpster At The School He Works At, I Taped The One Tear It Had, Covered It In Black Gesso And Painted This
Tenants In My Apartment Complex Got Evicted. Left This In The Dumpster. Just Needs To Be Cleaned Up A Little
I Just Don't Know How You Throw These Away. Too Cool
Little Haul ..it Feed My Kids For Bit .. Hard Times This Blessing Helps Alot
I'm so sorry this person has to dumpster dive to feed children...this.
Why Would Someone Throw This Away??
Took The Back Way Home This Evening And Stumbled Upon This Beauty. The Boyfriend Has Been Shopping Around For A Gaming Chair, Too!
Rescued From A 3 Letter Pharmacy Dumpster And Headed For Donation To A Clothing Charity Run By A Local Church
Found Two Gift Cards In The Dumpster Of The Local Thrift Shop. I Just Checked The Balance On Them, And Each One Has $100 On It
$175 Watch Was Damaged Out For Having A Broken Clasp. Took It To The Watch Repair Kiosk At The Mall And He Said It Wasn't Broken, They Just Didn't Know How To Work The Self Adjusting Clasp
I've Always Wanted A Signed Book By This Author. Never Thought I'd Find It In A Dumpster
I Work As A School Photographer. Best Believe That When I Pulled Up At The Elementary School I Was Photographing And Saw The Giant Gorgeous Mirror Near The School Dumpster?? I Snuck Her Into My Back Seat Before Heading Into The School
Once Again! I Am Saddened By This, But What’s Really Sad, Is Others Might Say “I’m Gross To Take Stuff Out Of A Dumpster” All The While I’m Thinking, “No The System Is Gross That I Even Have To”
Pulled A Fully Functional 3D Printer While It Was Raining. All It Needed Was New Filament. One Of The Best Things I've Ever Found
Found In Someone Illegal Dumping, Such An Antique Prize
After A $35 Part, 55" Curved Samsung 4k TV Saved From The Dumpster Works Like New!
Hand-Carved Vintage Liquor Cabinet On The Curb!
Found This On Top Of A Glass Recycling Bin On My Way To Pick Wildflowers
Okay I Know I've Said This Before And I Know I'll Probably Say This Again, But I Think I Just Made My Best Find. Found A Little Money Pouch With A Bunch Of Old Money In It
Some numa…numata…coin collector will know if that bottom one is valuable
We Dumpstered Wood Samples From A Floor Store And Created A Counter For Our Tiny House
This Beautiful Chair I Saved From A Skip Today!
Posted By A Friend
So Excited About This Curbside Find!! The Wife Wanted New Barstools To Replace Our Crappy Wood And Cloth Ones. Found A Set Of 4 Of These With A Sign That Read “Free! I’m Vegan Now” Ha! Cleaned Up The Leather Already Going To Do Some Chrome Repair Good As New! Thank You Vegan Stranger!
Lane Midcentury Modern Desk I Picked Off The Curb Last Night In My Neighborhood
Bo Won 6 Medals During The 1991 Special Olympics, Hosted In St Louis Missouri. In 1992 He Died In A Dentist Chair From Complications With The Anesthesia. I Found His Medals In A Dumpster And Now I Would Love To Find Photos Of Him. Stephen "Bo" Anich. He Was Born In 75 And Had Cerebral Palsy
Not In The Dumpster But Next To It. Mid Century Cherry Red American Tourister Nesting Suitcases!
Found This Dumpster Diving Tonight... Everything But The Chain Strap Marked And Tested As 14k Gold
Local Greenhouse Is At It Again
One Of My Best Dumpster Finds Ever. 1940s Chest Type Coca Cola Cooler. Another Guy Showed Up With His Wife And Said Too Bad You’re All Alone You Cannot Pick It Up By Yourself. Well It’s In My House So I Guess I Did
Found A Very Cool Couch This Morning- Only Had To Dive For The Cushions!!
Didn't Even Have To Go Far...sitting Right By My Apartment Dumpster
Best Find Yet! It Amazes Me What People Throw Away (Rescued All This From The County Dump)
Found A Ms. Pac-Man In The Dumpster And Yes, It Works
While Walking The Dog In The Rain, We Stumbled Upon A White Whale Among A Pile Of Trash. A Working Kitchenmaid Mixer That Cleaned Up Pretty Well
My Apartment Doesn't Have Dishwashers And I've Been Lusting After One Since Moving In. About A Month Ago When Taking Out My Trash Look What Was Just Sitting Next To The Recycle!! It Was Maybe 1yr Old And Barely Used! Heavy As Hell So Getting It Back Upstairs But Oh So Worth It! Happy As A Clam!
I lived with the same guy for 3 years in college and we picked up a used dishwasher together when we first moved in. When graduation started coming near, we began arguing over who got to keep it. Final solution was we gave it to his mom. She had raised 7 kids with some of them in their mid 30s now without every having one. His mom still makes him a special meal every spring to thank him.
I Go To A Private School, And Many Students Are Very Rich And Very Wasteful. I Found Everything I Am Wearing In The Trash At The End Of The Semester (& Like Half My Closet Lol)
Good for you! But don't they comment on your clothes, like "Hey, that looks like something I was wearing last semester!"? Or won't they recognize their clothes? (genuinely interested)
I Saw That Someone Crashed Into My Local Liquor Store So I Went To Check The Dumpster That Weekend. Found $215 Of Good Stuff That Will Last Me For A While!
Campus Move-Out Day Has Blessed My Friend With A Full Drum Set!
Didn't Realize How Heavy Old Sewing Machines Are Until I Found This One While Riding My Bike And Had To Walk Three Blocks With My Bike In One Hand And This Guy In The Other
I Got E. Coli From A Dumpster
So, Uh, I Found A Saxophone
Update On M’lady, Safe In My Bedroom! It Has Been Steam Cleaned And Checked For Pests, Thanks For The Suggestions!
Glad you took all the sanitary precautions. It’s my only worry with reclaimed dumped/yard sale/thrift shop upholstered furniture.
$300 Headphones Still In Shrink Wrap Who Does This?
Watched A Guy Put A Box In A E-Waste Bin And Had To Take A Look
1925 Dragon Ashtray! Another Day. Another Dive!
Ivy League College Move Out Weekend
Probably The Cutest Things I’ve Pulled Out Of A B&n Dumpster
Christmas Eve Dive
Got This 32” TV Out Of My Apartment’s Large Item Dump! Had A Spare Universal Remote And It Works!
Found Today, Tag Still On... Just A Week After I Discovered An Unfixable Rip In My Boots!
The Trash Gods Giveth! This Congo Drum Is Worth $150. I’m A Professional Musician So This Will Get Used Often!
Found This Vase By A Dumpster During A Lunar New Years Traipse In Chinatown, It's Now Become My Baby
Just Scored This Unit In An Alleyway
This Mornings Dive Revealed A Bunch Of Nicer Paints. Mostly Acrylics But All Are Sealed
When Your Fashion Forward Neighbor Starts To Watch Marie Kondo And Dumps Half Her Wardrobe
So My Wife And I Recently Got Into Dumpster Diving. I’ve Been Saying For Weeks That We Ought To Get One Of Those Grabber Thingies To Reach Down Into The Dumpster. Well.... Look What We Found In A Dumpster This Morning
I found one of those by the side of the road! They're amazingly useful.
Found A Dyson Dc25. Power Button Wasn’t Working. Cleaned It Up And Fixed The Button. Good As New
Dumpster Jesus, Turning Trash Into Wine
Double Bee Werks Haul Tonight!
If honey is edible out if an Egyptian tomb, this should bee ok, right?
Pulled This Out Of A CVS Dumpster At My Little (14 & 17) Sisters Request. They Want To Use Him As Decoration
Went To Take The Trash Out And Someone Had Used Our Dumpster. Some Acrobatics Later, I Have A 4 Drawer Craftsman Toolbox With The Key. And It Has Some Tools In It! Nothing Too Special But The So Is Really Excited About A Triangle File
Just Found A 10k Gold Bracelet Dumpster Diving.... Total Weight Is 37.6 Grams Which Totals In At Just Over $925 Melt Value. It's A Nice Looking Chain With No Damage Tho So I Should Get More If I Decide To Sell It
Found This In The Dumpster And Thought What The Hell, Let Me Check The Balance. Turns Out There Is Money On It!!
Went Dumpster Diving At The Largest Gem & Mineral Show In The World And Found A Broken Fossilized Alligator Skull
Nes-001 Turns Up In The Trash In Mint Condition. I Cleaned It
Found This Oakley's Display Case In The Dumpster Behind A Closed Down Athletic Store, Repurposed It Into A Terrarium For My New Iguanas
Found A Mint-Condition Ipod W/ 700+ Songs!!
Me And My Mom Went Dumpster Diving
“Doesn’t Work” My Favorite Reason For Returns. Works Perfectly!
Found 50 Brand New Footballs
Found A Perfectly Working iPhone 6 Plus At The Dump!
Scored This Monkey Butler Today! His Tray Was Broken So I Made Him A New One With A Saw, Plywood, And Black Paint. Once The Paint Dries I'll Set A Plant On It
Store Was Going Out Of Business. Guess What I Found In A Big Dumpster Out Front?
Orange normally not my choice of colors, but OMG does that look comfy!
Found MacBook Air With Cracked Screen But Works Great On An External Monitor!
Is it worth it to have the glass replaced? I’ve never had to do it, so don’t have any idea how much it costs.
Found A 40” Samsung In My Building’s Garbage Room. Didn’t Power On, Diagnosed A Bad Power Board. Ordered A New One And Voila!
Update On Bird: I Did It. He Was Where I Left Him When I Came Back. He Flew! It Was A Spectacle
I Regularly Check The Content Of The Dumpsters In My Appartment Complex, My Best Find So Far: A $400 Bose PC Speaker System
Groceries? Nope, Not This Month
Post was made on Reddit 2 years ago. BP loves to take content and use it without context. Got called out on QYBS subreddit.
I've Heard That People Throw Away Money. I Didn't Think It Was Literal
2 Weeks Ago (Been Eating Burritos Everyday Since Then, Send Help)
No Clue If It Works But This Thing Is So Cool!
Finally After About A Month I Went Out And Scored
Found A Leather Recliner With 9 Different Massage Settings Everything Works Great And I Am Sitting Comfortably In It After Lysol Wiping It Down
6 IKEA Chairs From Big Trash Day This This Weekend!
78 Bags Of Dog Food Saved From The Landfill. I Don’t Have A Dog
Almost 200$ Of Cheese And Sausage!
Stuff Is Nice But Nothing Beats Cold Hard Cash. The Dumpster Gods Are Smiling Today My Friends!
I was a worker at Goodwill many years ago, and for several years. Started in the clothing dept. I checked every pocket (as you should) while prepping the clothes for resale. Check. The. Men's. Jeans/dress pants pockets!! Next time you go just walk down the whole isle and check. Most I got was $435 in one day from 5 different donations. Blessing as a single mom!
We Stopped By Krispy Kreme Dumpster Just For The Hell Of It. None Of These Were Out Of Date. We Got A Little Too Excited
Found This Mint-Condition Ti-83 Plus At The Dump Yesterday. Still Costs $140 On Amazon!
Local Game Store Closed Yesterday
Some Rich, Wasteful Exchange Students By My Boyfriend Moved Out... And Just Left Nearly All Their Stuff Out On The Curb. We Went Wild!
I find it disturbing that people assume others are rich, when in fact it is the opposite. Has it occurred to them, that there was either no room left to take the stuff, or they did not have the money to pay for a heavier bag at airport?
Been Making Money Off Of All The Atlases I Found At A Office Supply Dumpster!
Just Got Hired To Clear Out A Guys Basement. These Two Vintage Keyboards And Amp Were Part Of What He Wanted To Get Rid Of. I Am Happy
Dumpster Party!! You’re All Invited
Curb Side Find! Found Next To A Restaurant Dumpster While On A Run. Hid It In A Bush And Came Back For It An Hour And A Half Later! Probably Not Worth Much But I’m So Excited To Look Through These Legos!
I Don’t Know If This Constitutes As Dumpster Diving But I Cleaned Up Some Ice Skates I Found In An Abandoned Skating Rink
Weekend Total From College Move Outs
Found A Wii System In A Shoebox Along With A 26" Hd Vizio TV
I found a three-drawer plastic cabinet full of (extremely gross) Wii games, eventually I'll work up the courage to wash them and find them a new home.
Found 35 Paintball Guns In A Dumpster. Half Worked Perfectly Fine And The Rest Just Had Stuck Slides
Someone Threw Away A Fully Working Ipod Shuffle!
When We Found This Massive Bag In The Krispy Kreme Dumpster There Were Several Hundred Still-Fresh Donuts Inside. God Bless
Found Her Head Peaking Out Of The Dumpster Across The Street
why do some people throw clothes, that are perfectly fine, away instead of donating them? or animals? what the f*ck is wrong with people? whenever i don't want/need something anymore i put it on the streetcorner so somebody else could have it. and when i think something is broken, i bring it to a facility where they recycle those things..
There is no answer to what kind of cruel creature could put animals in dumpsters. About the clothes, most charities in the US stopped accepting clothes during the pandemic.
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Careful with food diving. Some of them are recalled from vendor's indicating issues.
First off, how DARE these people throw away ANIMALS?! Like, what?! Secondly, I am disgusted with how wasteful people can be. There need to be laws against wasting so much food and stuff! Lastly, I think I'm going to start dumpster diving! I want to find a cat, or a violin, or a ring, or an antique piece of furniture, or an old gaming system, etc.
Also I need to know where these people are dumpster diving because I've only ever seen trash in the dumpsters I've seen
Load More Replies... why do some people throw clothes, that are perfectly fine, away instead of donating them? or animals? what the f*ck is wrong with people? whenever i don't want/need something anymore i put it on the streetcorner so somebody else could have it. and when i think something is broken, i bring it to a facility where they recycle those things..
There is no answer to what kind of cruel creature could put animals in dumpsters. About the clothes, most charities in the US stopped accepting clothes during the pandemic.
Load More Replies... Careful with food diving. Some of them are recalled from vendor's indicating issues.
First off, how DARE these people throw away ANIMALS?! Like, what?! Secondly, I am disgusted with how wasteful people can be. There need to be laws against wasting so much food and stuff! Lastly, I think I'm going to start dumpster diving! I want to find a cat, or a violin, or a ring, or an antique piece of furniture, or an old gaming system, etc.
Also I need to know where these people are dumpster diving because I've only ever seen trash in the dumpsters I've seen
Load More Replies...