Dumpster Divers?

[GreenThumbBum]

Anyone Dumpster divers here?

I DD at thrift stores like mad... They throw out what they don't sell and I find tons of great stuff. I also go to the business sections (where lots of stores are) where i find lots of promotional stuff that i put up for auction on different sites heh recycles plus makes me a couple bucks... Or when i get a few boxes of stuff i put it out on the lawn w/ "free" sign on it. Usually gone within an hour! heh

I also DD food from health stores, they usually seem to have some great stuff! Soy milk, veggies, all kinds of stuff... All packaged or at least in boxes. You'll be suprised at what you find.

I found a couple boxes of books a few days ago, a box of clothing, a working lamp... You never know what the dumpster gods are going to give you!

Wondering what else folks find or if anyone else out there digs in the trash like i do :) hehe

Also you can find alot of plants in the trash! They usually need some nursing but... it's worth it!

I never go through private peoples trash, I'll leave that to homeland security!

I also try to never make a mess, take stuff from where I know homeless folks dumpter...

[jenna rose]

My mom used to go and she always found atleast one good thing. But she's kind of a clutter-holic.

I have heard of people finding great things, though. I should try it sometime soon.

[Rie]

I never go through private peoples trash, I'll leave that to homeland security!

:lol:

[Amy SF]

Sorry, but the whole idea of climbing into a dumpster and sorting through garbage makes me wanna :spew:

[Vegankat]

My mom does that with furniture. I really ought to start this, because I'm so freakin' broke. I don't know that I'd do it with food items, though. I'm really food-paranoid as it is, and I need to nourish some healthy eating attitudes. :lol:

[mayuko]

if it weren't for dumpster diving, i'd have likely starved to death a couple months ago :up: heh, this thread makes me really nostalgic for home.. :lol:

[Ludi]

I'd dumpster dive if I were around dumpsters much, but living in the country, I'm not around them too often. I should remember to check around when I go into town though. But I do try to collect stuff I find by the side of the road sometimes, but haven't found too many useful things. A family we're sort of in a "tribe" with (we share food and tools) found a roll of fencewire on the road and gave it to us.

I don't think I'd want to dumpster dive for food, though. I'd be afraid it was contaminated.

[mayuko]

a lot of food that you'd find in a dumpster is still packaged, like bread and stuff that bakeries throw out at the end of the day -- on a similar note, if you go into a bakery just before they close and ask if you can have the bread that they're just going to throw out in a few minutes anyway, they'll usually give it to you :)

[renaissancesun]

I love to dumpster dive. Usually I have been looking for boxes for packing stuff and come across some pretty cool things. I got a whole bunch of sewing patterns once from a fabric store and I have found clothes with the tags still on them. I sold them in my garage sale.

I hate how businesses just throw stuff away instead of even making an effort at recycling or giving it to charity.

I have gone through people's trash when it is apparent that they are moving or doing spring cleaning and I have found new rolls of wrapping paper, clothes, shoes, dog-feeding dishes, furniture and toys. I don't open bags.

I also take (lots of) people's bagged leaves for my compost. I have received a few surprises with them, like the time I filled my van and within two blocks there were fire ants all over me. :brood: Also I have come across some rather large dog piles. :( It's worth it. Well, not the fire ant part.

Some friends of mine covered their kitchen counters with a variety of colors of stone tiles they got from the tile-shop's trash. It looks really pretty.

[FreshTart]

My parents (still) collect cans and bottles out of fields, garbage, etc for recyling. It's up to 10 cents for returns and it's a lot of money for them - they are on a fixed income and $50/mon is a HUGE difference!

I've found myself also starting to do it, which the exception of downtown. I leave them there (and sometimes put my own next to the cans). I let the homeless use those to earn a little cash.

But in other areas (like around schools in wealthy neighbourhoods), I pick them up.

:lol: I'm turning into Mom.

[Coney]

Sorry, but the whole idea of climbing into a dumpster and sorting through garbage makes me wanna :spew:


Here's what I've found in the garbage:
-A 5 drawer dresser in great shape.
-A fantastic dark wood 1930's style wardrobe that we've turned into our entertainment center. It's got amazing sculpted wood legs and a curvey top.
-A 4'10" dark wood glass door cabinet with shelves in it that we use as our clothes cabinet. We put lace behind the doors and it's beautiful.
-A bedside 2 drawer table from the 60's, with a terrific yellow paint job. It goes great with our blue lamp.
-A sculpted gold painted oval mirror that looks like a million bucks. It had a broken part on one side, but we fixed it and looks great with our other "free" furniture.
-A chrome legged, red topped table vintage 1950's. Fantastic. Great shape.
-Countless other things.

Now, granted, these things are next to the curb, not inside a dumpster. I would, however get into a dumpster, knowing what great stuff people throw away.

I can't explain how great it is to find amazing free stuff in the garbage. :up: We've furnished 2/3 of our apartment with free stuff, and we have better furniture than most parents do, after they paid a fortune for what they have.

[mayuko]

right on, coney :up: most of the apartment i'll get in a few monrths is going to be furnished by stuff my friend and i find by dumpster diving.

[brahmacharya]

I'm constantly dragging b/f away from the dumpsters...he loves reusing trash. It's not my style but he has some great finds in the furniture area.

My thing is the lost and found. I've hooked up with many an umbrella and a Helle Hansen jacket.

[rabid_child]

There are always huge pieces of furniture outside the apartments near my house on garbage day. Especially cause I'm moving and have scant furniture I'm so tempted to take some, but I have a small car. :P

[PortableKitten]

My list of great finds:
Sarah McLachlan "Live" Cd. (Brought me 76.00 on ebay)
brand new electric shaver in package
15 bottles of tinctures, still within the sell by date
Fresh bagels everyday ( they trash them in clean garbage bags every 4 hours)
tons of books, cd's, tapes
and tons of furniture

[rainbow_clouds]

Where do you find your dumpsters? :lol: All the ones I've seen are really really gross and not something I'd want to look around in.

Someone once loaded their car up with our garbage before...

[kraftykraft]

I live right behind a Barnes and Noble and I bet their dumpster is full of good stuff. Alas they keep it locked up so I'll never know. The dumpster at my apartment complex can have some interesting stuff especially right now when people are moving out. I haven't actually taken anything, but I have been tempted. The alternative paper here did an article last year on Dumpster diving and sent a reporter out with a "professional" diver to see what they could find. It was pretty funny.

[FalafelsRule]

I once flirted with the idea so I drove by a Pier One to look at their dumpster. I noticed it was locked and completely surrounded by a locked gate. If I am going to grab something from a dumpster, I want something new, and nice. I do not like old, used furnitue.

[jenna rose]

I once flirted with the idea so I drove by a Pier One to look at their dumpster. I noticed it was locked and completely surrounded by a locked gate. If I am going to grab something from a dumpster, I want something new, and nice. I do not like old, used furnitue.


If it's really icky and un-fixable, I can understand fully. But my mom has found plenty of old/used furniture that she's ended up cleaning really, really well and then putt a new coat or two of primer and paint on it, new handles/whatever and voila. Good as new.

[catgirl67]

I once flirted with the idea so I drove by a Pier One to look at their dumpster. I noticed it was locked and completely surrounded by a locked gate. If I am going to grab something from a dumpster, I want something new, and nice. I do not like old, used furnitue.

I've always wondered why the heck stored lock their dumpsters! If they throw it away, it means they can't sell it, and they have no use for it. Why lock the freakin dumpster? A lot of super markets in Houston will even go so far as to pour bleach on the produce they toss. They are not only wasting food, but they are destroying the environment as well. Good job folks!

[VegKitten84]

a lot of food that you'd find in a dumpster is still packaged, like bread and stuff that bakeries throw out at the end of the day -- on a similar note, if you go into a bakery just before they close and ask if you can have the bread that they're just going to throw out in a few minutes anyway, they'll usually give it to you :)

I love that. I remember when I left my mothers' house I was on such hard times (but was not going back to that hell hole anymore) I'd get left over pizza from Pizza Pizza, muffins from Tim Hortons, etc . . . it wasn't really nutritious, but it was food none the less and it saved my sorry ass. Though at that time I was an omnivore and it was a bit easier to do. If worse ever came to worse again I'd probably consider going freegan, but I don't think that's going to happen.

[/usr]

I've always wondered why the heck stored lock their dumpsters! If they throw it away, it means they can't sell it, and they have no use for it. Why lock the freakin dumpster?

Most likely because those companies are taking necessary precautions. Imagine digging through the trash of a bank, only to find account information that hasn't been shredded properly. I would bet money they are protecting the information which gets thrown away, moreso than their actual garbage.

[Rie]

Most likely because those companies are taking necessary precautions. Imagine digging through the trash of a bank, only to find account information that hasn't been shredded properly. I would bet money they are protecting the information which gets thrown away, moreso than their actual garbage.

Plus, people can sue if they get hurt digging through there. Sounds unfair, but it's true.

[/usr]

http://www.iss.net/security_center/advice/Underground/Hacking/Methods/WetWare/Dumpster_Diving/default.htm

[1vegan]

Most likely because those companies are taking necessary precautions. Imagine digging through the trash of a bank, only to find account information that hasn't been shredded properly. I would bet money they are protecting the information which gets thrown away, moreso than their actual garbage.

Could also be that they don't want others to fill their dumpster.