Dumpster Diving????

I think dumpster diving is cool, I hate to see things that time was spent on go to waste, and as well as money. I know that some grocery stores throw out all their baked foods at the end of the day when they don't have them sold... Dunkin Donuts does the same thing as well, along with Krispy Kremes. My grandmother goes and takes the baked goods that are bagged minutes after they put them outback, she is hilarious. I remember when I was a child we would turn off the headlights and she would take whatever goods she could find from the dumpsters, we would feel so cool after doing that haha. Once a policeman stopped us and she pretended to put the items into the dumpster instead, he bought it and would not second guess the word of the old woman. But anyways, I think instead of throwing out many items, like food, etc. we should donate them to homeless shelters and the poor, we would feed MILLIONS and there would be just about no profit lost for the companies that would throw them out anyway!

It's been awhile, but I've done it. The last time was probably 15 years ago. We decided to pretend we were looking for boxes, but no one bothered us. We found some cool things, but the best diving experience I ever had was a few years before that when my sister and I went to the dumpster of a store that was closing down. We got shampoo, aftershave, shaving lotion, hand lotion, razors,(all unopened and new) and I don't know what else, but enough to keep us and our families in products for several years.

I did some dumpster diving but it was back when I was in college. You know college kids...so wasteful. It was just after everyone was moving out from the dorms and apartments at the end of the school year. Some friends and I were moving into the apartment for the summer session, and there were some amazing things. Brand new, hardly used, just-couldn't-fit-in-the-trunk going home sort of stuff: picture frames, dishes, band new magazines for that month. You name it. We made a haul. I once also "rescued" some chairs and table from an office building. I got the chairs reupholstered and used the table for plants. So I say, if you know a good spot, or just happen to see something promising, don't be afraid. It is better to rescue items than letting them go into a landfill. Good luck and have fun. Most of all be careful!

I definately have done this one. Check the dumpsters and I did side of the road pickups also. Like you know when people have really good stuff sitting outside by their garbage. I stopped one day at Fred's and got one of those cute purse lamps. It had paint on one side of it. But if you face it toward a wall who is actually gonna see it. It worked good too. I also in the same dumpster got a power wheels 3 wheeler. It also had a little dried paint on it. You think my kids cared. Oh no, they hoped right on and took off. I do have a story though. I was driving home one morning and thought I saw a wicker basket out with the garbage(it was dark) so I turned around and went back to check and it was a box. So I left without anything. About a mile down the road, I got pulled over and was asked why I turned around and went back the same way and came back. So, I told the cop about my garbage digging and he said "Oh, okay." He told me that there had just been a robbery in the neighborhood and he wanted to make sure that I had not went back and picked up the burglar(S)??? Oh my, I could have been in danger. I was scared and tried to save all my garbage digging for the daytime. It was crazy!!!

I had a good chuckle when I read your post. I don't know how old you are, but I'm 50 and when I was a kid, and into my mid 20's I and my family did dumpster diving. Some people think they've come up with something new (just changed the name and reason) history has a way of repeating itself. We weren't poor, but lower middle class and we would go to the city dump rumaging around for "treasures". If someone had something useful, needed, or wanted set at the curb for the garbage men, we'ld pick it up. In my twenties, we (now I'm the parent) would go to apartment complexes that were the "expensive" renters and we would go through there dumpsters the evening before pick up. We didn't care if someone saw us or what they thought. BUT, keep in mind we did not go for food. Just items, maybe some clothes. Somethings were VERY nice. Often we could have a garage sale with the stuff after enough was accumulated. CAUTION Things have changed alot since then, and I don't know where you live, but now a days you need to watch out for needles, toxic materials (that shouldn't be there but are) and other hazards, these are things I don't know if they warn you about or not. But I would not EVER get food, medicines, or personal items from a dumpster. Only things that can be washed and sanatized. Furniture, misc. ashtrays, knick knacks, and so on. But I have to admit, it brought back memories reading your post. I guess maybe thats what old becomes new again is true.

you need to check with the law where you are in a lot of places you can get a ticket for doing it.even if the law don't care most store will stop you.if you get hart they are scared you will sue them. it has been many years for me but,i think most people has done it at one time or another.

We are the Raiders of the Lost Skip and have recovered many useful items from skips or dumpsters as you call them. I have never had anyone complain though strictly speaking what is in a skip is the property of the skip owner, i.e. the company that hires out the skip. Always be sure to ensure you leave the skip in a safe and tidy manner, so that nothing can fall out. all the best urban

One of my favorite topics! When I first joined mylot I posted a discussion called One mans trash another mans treasure. You'd be surprised how many people do it. I got over more than 100 responses. Well I don't like to call it dumpster diving. My brother, and mom and I have made a name for it, goody shopping. We actually started a few years ago. Not in dumpsters but here where we live you can throw out your trash or stuff you don't want in front of your house and the big garbage trucks come and pick it up around the first week of the month. You would be shocked at what people throw away. My brother's whole apartment actually is filled almost with stuff we have found. We have found from toys for the kids, clothes, (with price tags still on them!), dishes, furniture of all kinds, living room tables, couches, bed frames, plants, rugs, picture frames, jewlery, and sooooo much more. Some people are embarrassed to do it because one's thinking might be, "Oh, they're just poor, they're digging through my trash". I was a little embarrassed at first too but after finding the stuff we have found it's something we do once a month. We get together in my brother's truck and drive around for a few hours and find stuff. We don't just go digging through yucky trash but we've found houses where it looks like people have moved out and I guess for some reason did not want to deal with their stuff just threw out boxes of clothes and all the stuff they had in their homes. Those are the fun ones. You can also sign up at yahoogroups.com and sign up with freecyle groups in your area and find that people give stuff away for free all the time. Once you try "goody shopping" you won't be able to quit, lol. Good luck!

Ive never tried it but when I was working in a law office this woman would come and go through our dumpster. At first I was bothered by it because I thought she might be looking for some personal information on people to steal their identitys. It turns out she was looking for garbage bags. We shreaded our documents well so there wasnt really a concern. I think I would look for a dumpster that was at offices so that there would be less food sludge and gross stuff. You might be able to find some great supplys of house things.

we used to do it a lot when we lived in a bigger town. We got an almost new tv, a brand new couch from behind a furniture store that had a tear in the back ( we just always kept it up against the wall and noone knew) , we got paper items, clothing, and so much stuff. Toys ! etc. dumpster diving is fun. I wish our town we are in now was not so small and we know everyone or I would do it again.

yes, i used to work in sun city here where all the elderly throw some great things out on the curb. i found a large doll once just sitting by the trash. and sold it on ebay for 20 bucks. i've never tried the businesses i imagine these days there would be competition

Dumpster diving should be an Olympic sport. You know how much food I've rescued at McDonalds? I don't mean to brag but I've eaten over a dozen free Big Macs. The aged Big Mac sauce is to die for. I actually think they are warmer in the trash. Know what I mean? Yeah, you know what I mean.

I've never heard of doing such a thing. My best guess would be to pretend you're doing something else (such as looking for something you've lost, or looking for boxes) and make sure you have someone being the "look out". Good luck!