Who Dumpster Dives - Stories Please - Page 2

boomeyers · #21 (**permalink**) 06-19-2006, 06:22 PM

Sounds like most of us are more "trash pickers" then dumpster divers, but both are great! We love trash picked furniture! My husband watches the side of the road while in traffic to see what goodies can be picked up! We got a table last week. It did'nt work for us, but I passed it along in my garage sale!

cschin4 · #22 (**permalink**) 06-21-2006, 03:05 AM

Is it even "legal" to dumpster dive? If someone were dumpster diving behind a retail store, grocery store, etc could they get charged for that or some other offense such as trespassing?
And, do people actually get into the dumpsters? What about the risk of getting stuck with a needle, broken glass, rodents, etc?

Bookie · #23 (**permalink**) 06-21-2006, 10:13 AM

The legality of dumpster diving is probably a matter for local regulation. I'm sure someone could be prosecuted for the practice under some existing statute or other -- trespassing, littering, whatever.

People do climb into dumpsters. A couple of years ago a street person was trapped in the dumpster at my office complex. He climbed in to collect drink cans, and one of the maintenance people shut the door. Luckily someone heard him hammering and yelling.

jmz2005 · #24 (**permalink**) 08-14-2006, 07:06 AM

My dh, dd, and I dumpster dive. We live in an apt complex (if u can call it that), with 5 apts, and we all take our stuff to a dumpster, we have no regular trash pickup as we are outside of town. We have found many nice things in the dumpster that we have cleaned up and is perfectly usable. We also have a "bargain barn" in front of the apts who also uses the dumpster to "dump" things that do not sell. Dh's sister even likes to come to visit and dumpster dives when she is here. She found a really nice, thick, white comforter. I just found a toaster oven, works great, cleaned it with awesome and sos pad. We have no problem dumpster diving.

rob62521 · #25 (**permalink**) 08-14-2006, 09:29 AM

I will admit it, I did dumpster dive, but it isn't like it was at a house or apartment. A local gas station closed and they pitched a bunch of office stuff. I grabbed a lot of to use at school. They threw away little shelves that attached with suction cups -- these were ideal to put chalk in at the chalkboard. They threw away these little number things that you could change the number on since they were all connected, they were great to put in a center to work on numbers with first graders. They pitched rolls of adding machine paper -- we used it for scratch paper for kids as well as ideal for sentence strips. Most teachers are scavengers.

Marcymox · #26 (**permalink**) 08-17-2006, 09:27 PM

Here's a neat site to check out-
http://www.dumpsterworld.com/

the general talk section is full of dumpster diving discussions. neat people there.

LuxLiving · #27 (**permalink**) 08-22-2006, 04:17 PM

Didn't stop but just today saw 1 doggie crate, 1 ice cooler, 1 bow and arrow! If I was closer to having a garage sale I'd of stopped for these items and checked them out! As is, I don't need any of them and would have to store them until ready to have a sale.

jacquelynrose · #28 (**permalink**) 08-23-2006, 08:00 PM

My mother and I used to go to Church on Sunday in Sunday Gear, and in the area where we went to Church was really nice...so before and after church we would go through the Dumpsters

MoneyHoney · #29 (**permalink**) 09-05-2006, 11:07 PM

- Cautionary tale for dumpster divers -
Check out this news story recently published in the Steamboat Pilot & Today (Colorado) newspaper: 2 men given 6 mos. in jail for taking food from dumpster.

http://www2.steamboatpilot.com/news/...nt/?local_news

amberfocus · #30 (**permalink**) 09-09-2006, 11:55 PM

Contrary to popular perception, most dumpsters aren't gross and filled with rabies-laden rodents and rotting food. Some are, for sure, but those aren't the dumpsters that people dumpster dive in.

My college housemates are hardcore dumpster divers. They'd go every week, and bring their haul back to the house. They even teach a workshop on how to dumpster dive. They don't do it out of tightwaddery, but rather as a way to reduce waste and show the cool stuff that people throw out.

Also, at the end of the school year, the dumpsters become FILLED with useful stuff that students just throw out, probably because it's too heavy to bring on their flight home. During that time, they dumpster dive every day. I would have gone as well, if I had a car to lug stuff home in. I did nab a nice set of dishes, however.

My housemates are actually filming a documentary on dumpster diving on college campuses. Pretty cool stuff.

~mimi

scrava · #31 (**permalink**) 09-10-2006, 07:47 AM

I bet this will be v.interesting! I do remember allt he junk that went out at the end of the year! If you live close by, you could probably furnish a few apartments with all that stuff, nicely!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by amberfocus

Contrary to popular perception, most dumpsters aren't gross and filled with rabies-laden rodents and rotting food. Some are, for sure, but those aren't the dumpsters that people dumpster dive in.

My college housemates are hardcore dumpster divers. They'd go every week, and bring their haul back to the house. They even teach a workshop on how to dumpster dive. They don't do it out of tightwaddery, but rather as a way to reduce waste and show the cool stuff that people throw out.

Also, at the end of the school year, the dumpsters become FILLED with useful stuff that students just throw out, probably because it's too heavy to bring on their flight home. During that time, they dumpster dive every day. I would have gone as well, if I had a car to lug stuff home in. I did nab a nice set of dishes, however.

My housemates are actually filming a documentary on dumpster diving on college campuses. Pretty cool stuff.

~mimi

geneandmegan · #32 (**permalink**) 09-26-2006, 01:49 PM

Okay, so we're not hardcore dumpster divers, and most of the stuff we have gotten out of the dumpsters have been gotten by leaning over the side and picking things up (not climbing into them, at least I don't think so).

Hall of Fame from the dumpster:

-My all-time favorite: My Prada backpack and briefcase. Real Prada, real nice. Perfect condition. No scuffs, marks, stains, or anything. Just dust b/c I think they hadn't ever used them. Thrown away seconds before by a young Asian couple moving out of their apartment near us.

-Second favorite: a nice compact GPX (I think) stereo. Again, perfect condition, thrown away by college students.

-Third favorite: Text books (again, college students, gotta love 'em). Took the books to a great used bookstore, got about $100 bucks for the lot.

My husband and I have also gathered a bookcase (which I love b/c it matches other furniture perfectly), but that was from beside the dumpster, so I'm not sure it counts.

When I was young, my dad would dumpster dive alot and brought home many nice things. I remember furniture, etc. Also, the first flowers I ever got (as weird as this is) were from my best friend when we were probably 6 or 7 and he had found them in the dumpster. Huge bouquet, very beautiful, neighborhood old couple thought it was adorable and took pictures of us.

Anyway, point is that for me, I've never been uncomfortable with dumpster diving as long as A) it's not gross in the dumpster and B) the thing gotten is clean. To each his own, I guess.

GrimJack · #33 (**permalink**) 09-27-2006, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cschin4

Is it even "legal" to dumpster dive? If someone were dumpster diving behind a retail store, grocery store, etc could they get charged for that or some other offense such as trespassing?
And, do people actually get into the dumpsters? What about the risk of getting stuck with a needle, broken glass, rodents, etc?

Here in Seattle there was a dd up on Capital hill who hit the dumpsters of the grocery stores (they throw away a lot of good veggies for 'blemishes'). Well, they dropped the lid on him, locked it and called the police. Turns out, once it is in the garbage you lose control of it and the guy had broken no laws. He sued for unlawful imprisonment and so on and won - all he wanted was a promise that they would never ever again deny anyone access to the dumpsters.

Dumpster diving is legal in Seattle.

GrimJack
(hi! DW)

LuxLiving · #34 (**permalink**) 09-27-2006, 04:25 PM

Go dumpster prisoner!! WELL DONE!!

shelbylovesmelby · #35 (**permalink**) 09-30-2006, 10:26 AM

OH I just wanted to comment on something on the line of the legalites thing.

I was picking up my dd from school last week & I saw a guy on a bike w/ a huge lawn bag full of cans. HE WAS PICKING THEM FROM THE BLUE RECYCLING BINS! Around here once they are in those bins they become property of the city. I wanted to say something but I didn't want to start anything. But frankly if I knew I could get away with it I'd be out there too but in the wee hrs to suppliment our income too. I"m just afraid to get into trouble KWIM? Plus if I would of called the cops on the guy he would of played dumb ect as people often do around here when it comes to getting out of trouble & he would of been long gone anyways.

kealina · #36 (**permalink**) 09-30-2006, 07:01 PM

we were out going to garage sales this morning and saw a huge pile near the trashcans outside the house of someone who had moved... we picked up a grill for my brother, a laundry basket, a plastic trash can, some clothes (pants for SIL, pants and 2 shirts for me, and 3 shorts for BIL) we found plus some more and some shoes we will pass on to others... round plastic table for MIL... half full bottles of several assorted household cleaners... some of the items had price tags so i looked as if they had some yard sales and then dumped what they couldn't sell when they had to leave... too bad... i think they didn't sell because the items were priced very high... i would have rather sold the item cheap (hey, money is money) or given it away to a friend or neighbor than thrown it away...

T_I_N_A20 · #37 (**permalink**) 09-30-2006, 07:37 PM

I never been dumpster diving in my life. I have seen old ladies picking up food in my dad's grocery garbage... I felt really bad for them...

shelbylovesmelby · #38 (**permalink**) 10-01-2006, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kealina

we were out going to garage sales this morning and saw a huge pile near the trashcans outside the house of someone who had moved... we picked up a grill for my brother, a laundry basket, a plastic trash can, some clothes (pants for SIL, pants and 2 shirts for me, and 3 shorts for BIL) we found plus some more and some shoes we will pass on to others... round plastic table for MIL... half full bottles of several assorted household cleaners... some of the items had price tags so i looked as if they had some yard sales and then dumped what they couldn't sell when they had to leave... too bad... i think they didn't sell because the items were priced very high... i would have rather sold the item cheap (hey, money is money) or given it away to a friend or neighbor than thrown it away...

What a great find! You know the street my dd's school is adjacent too has alot of good pickings, but I'm afraid that one of the other moms would see me do it.

though I did get a cool pitcher that was someones art project over summer. It's sitting on a septic lift in my back yard. It looks nice & adds some interest to my yard beyond the flowers of course

naturallyadiva · #39 (**permalink**) 10-14-2006, 06:41 PM

I am not a dumpster diver but I will pick up something on the side of the street and behind a store! I always ask first though!

fairy74 · #40 (**permalink**) 10-27-2006, 10:06 AM

I briefly lived in an apartment complex that was full of well to do college students. These kids would literally throw away brand new microwaves, computers, bookshelves, etc... to avoid toting them home for summer vacation. It seemed such a waste to me, and I did pick up a few things (dining room table and brand new books--some still in the wrapper). Mainly I felt bad for the kids' parents wasting all that money