Dumpster Diving - An eye opener...

[tufhelp]

Here is a little eye opener on dumpster diving...

Steamboat Springs — One of the owners of a fresh produce store said Saturday that it is absurd that two men are in jail for taking spoiled fruit and vegetables from the store’s trash area...

http://www2.steamboatpilot.com/news/2006/sep/02/sweet_pea_owners_we_didnt_want/?local_news

LINK FIXED...

[sma]

link wouldn't open for me...

dh brought home 2 scarecrows he got out of the dumpster behind biglots. he thought we could use them for fall decorations... :) they have a big pink dot spraypainted on their heads, but i don't think it makes that big a difference. i guess that was the stores way of keeping people from wanting them.

i remember, in college, we furnished my best friends apartment with stuff thrown away by other students who were moving. i remember we rolled this perfectly good computer desk about 10 blocks to her apartment because it wouldn't fit in my car! :D

i think there are laws against it here in indiana, but i've never heard of anyone being arrested. geez! if people throw stuff away then they obviously don't want it anymore so how can it be stealing?!? what we waste taxpayers money on... good grief!

[ryanmercer]

link wouldn't open for me...

dh brought home 2 scarecrows he got out of the dumpster behind biglots. he thought we could use them for fall decorations... :) they have a big pink dot spraypainted on their heads, but i don't think it makes that big a difference. i guess that was the stores way of keeping people from wanting them.

i remember, in college, we furnished my best friends apartment with stuff thrown away by other students who were moving. i remember we rolled this perfectly good computer desk about 10 blocks to her apartment because it wouldn't fit in my car! :D

i think there are laws against it here in indiana, but i've never heard of anyone being arrested. geez! if people throw stuff away then they obviously don't want it anymore so how can it be stealing?!? what we waste taxpayers money on... good grief!


First, hi fellow Hoosier!

Second, there are no state laws against dumpster diving in Indiana. Counties and Towns can make up laws against trespassing, but as far as I know htere are few if any that have. However it is automatically resspassing in ANY state if there are signs posted that say no trespassing, private property... that sort of thing. Also, if the dumpster is locked and you get in it it is trespassing. :) However, g'luck diving in Indiana... at least here in Indy almost everyone uses compactors, just to keep divers away... those that don't, almost always have padlocks.

[Viv]

I work temp work and spent a couple of months working in the office at the trash company last year. I too was surprised to find that it is against the law to dumpster dive. I was told that the dumpster is being paid for by a person or company and only that person or a designated company rep. or the trash company can get anything out of it. They know people do it - people also sleep in them, that is why the trash truck drivers "tap" the cans before they dump them in cold weather - but it is still illegal.

[Earth_Wanderess]

I am a dumpster diver, though I have never actually dived into one.

I do not see why this is an issue. If you have stuff you do not want people seeing, shred it. Otherwise, it is trash, why not have someone use it instead of filling a landfill?

I suppose there is nothing better to do in this town than to arrest those bad, bad, bad divers. Geesh ::)

[oldnndway]

" I suppose there is nothing better to do in this town than to arrest those bad, bad, bad divers. Geesh "

Well, it ain't ski season.

[Suzy]

Here they generally say that once it is in the garbage can or dumpster it belongs to the garbage collection company!!!

But if I see something I want and can get it in my truck quick enough, it's mine! (because they just take it to the transfer station here and then it's transported to a landfill....)

I can just see the headline now..."Local newspaper editor arrested for stealing garbage...."

[tufhelp]

Some good news! I posted this same story on another forum and someone sent this in - they let the guys go... I guess that the PR pressure was just to much for the idiots that persecuted these two.

"Steamboat Springs — Giles Charlé and David Siller walked out of the Routt County Jail on Wednesday after the District Attorney’s Office took the extraordinary step of reducing their six-month jail sentences to the 10 days they had spent in jail..."

http://www2.steamboatpilot.com/news/2006/sep/06/charl_and_siller_released/

[ChoochCharlie]

I used to Glean as we called it in college. The trick for us was we made a point of cleaning up the area when we were done. Better than when we got there.

Once, we were told to leave, stop diving.
We said OK, climbed out and then started cleaning up the area. The owner was impressed that we were agreeable and conscienceous and allowed us to continue diving.

[alma]

We had a friend when we lived in maryland a few years ago.

He dumpster dived all the time, and had a space in the flea market where he sold a lot of his stuff.

He also gave some to a small restaurant and to a homeless shelter.

He would bring a carton of stuff like ragu spagetti sauce where one had broken and spilled all over the others.

I would wash off the remaining 11, and put them in my storage for y2k.

His wife made big bucks and he didn't need to do it, but he loved it, and so did we when we got a chance to do it with him on rare occassions.

Once, my hubby and i decided to go to the back of a store to see if we could find some candy in their dumpster, because he had diabetes and needed something fast, and we were broke.

They were moving so we expected fo find something there, as our dumpster friend often did.

We met a man there who was hanging out of the dumpster and, since there was no candy there, he gave us some he had in his pocket.

We struck up a conversation with him. He was a college graduate who had been injured and couldn't work at his regualar job for awhile, and was feeding his family on what the store was tossing out.

He had just seen one of his fellow surfers drive off with a pick up truck full of goodies, and he was filling his up too with store throwaways of all kinds.

My hat's off to people who glean whatever they can of
things that others toss out, and they can salvage, rather than waste.

One amish store was given things by some stores directly that they would, otherwise, had put in the dumpsters, yet they were still good and could be sold at a great discount to help the poor in their area.

Most of the stuff we got were really good food and should never have been tossed out, still fresh but a new stock was coming in and drug stores tossed out good medicines when they were changing companies, etc. or going out of business, or moving, etc..

Some clothes were sliced and a simple repair could make them usable, too, in most cases, etc.

We got a lot from dumpster charlies and i miss him. love, alma

[shadowood]

Several years ago my brother had a store with a couple of dumpsters out back he shared with some other stores. One of the other stores was a second hand shop and anything that didn't sell went into the dumpster. There were always some people showing up to go through the dumpsters, and they were always polite and said hi if we saw them. A couple of times one of my brothers friends who worked with him helped the divers get stuff out. It was always interesting to see what people found. :)

The owner of the second hand shop didn't like this but as he did not own the dumpster there was nothing he could do about it. ;D

[ozarkinit]

my stepdad worked as a landscaper at an apartment complex, and you wouldnt believe stuff people threw away. He brought home so much stuff, my mom eventually gave him a list of acceptibles to avoid becoming a pack rat.

My real dad, career firefighter, stopped the fire engine (they were on grocery duty) once, and got into a dumpster after 2 perfectly good rabbit cages for me. they were the kind you can keep in the house, 3 feet long. they had never been used. he said the newbies were mad that he (captain at the time) made them carry them on their laps.

[CarolAnn]

Holy cats! This story makes me so furious, my hair may catch fire!

This is an OUTRAGEOUS miscarriage of justice, and Assistant District Attorney Kerry St. James should be prosecuted for it. Let HIM spend six months in the jail he's so eager to fill. We need to "make an example of him" to use his own words - for other officials that may have it in mind to misuse their power.

10 days in jail for dumpster diving? That's better than six months, but not MUCH better. It's wrong from the git-go.
If the residents of that area just let it go, they should be ashamed of themselves - because they'll regret it later when this type of misuse reaches them!

[lost1]

I really agree with CarolAnn, and I sure hope I never make her mad!!!! 8)

[CarolAnn]

Lost1, I'm USUALLY pretty safe to be around, but don't get between me and a good dumpster, or a fine rummage sale! ;D

[luvtoretire]

O.K., just step away from the chocolate, and no one gets hurt he he....

[Catalpa]

We don't have a lot of dumpsters in my rual area, but I've been known to stop and throw stuff in my truck that had been set out for the garbage truck. So far I've scored:

A brand new, good sized Andersen window
A new hot water heater
A slightly used pressure tank (which is what I'm using on my well right now)
Lots of scrap metal
Snow fence
Decorative garden fencing

And so on.

Don't know if I'd feel comfortable with reclaiming drugs, food, or any kind of perishables, though.

Speaking of what folks throw out.....I live close to the dump, and can take stuff in for free. (I guess they want to keep the local residents happy so we don't complain too much) I need to go about twice a year with about two cans full of the stuff I can't recycle or burn. Anyways, the dump pit had at least a half dozen sheets of brand new drywall, and a bunch of two by fours! I was outraged, perfectly good stuff I could use, and here it was taking up space in the landfill. I managed to snag of few of the 2x4s, but the drywall was too deep in the pit. Boy, did it make me mad!

And the idea of arresting dumpster divers? The only thing that makes sense is trying to prevent identity theft, but really, folks should know better than to throw out personal info!

Cat

[Tightwad]

"Dumpster diving" is such a negative lable don'tcha think?

It would be better to call folk's who salvage products what they'
really are ......."Gleaners" Gleaning is an old & honest way to
prevent the huge amount to waste we have in America.

I've gleaned fields for corn, pumpkins and green beens for decades
after the canning factory picks the crop. I've gleaned others"trash"
for items still good. I've asked (gleaned) the grocery store owner
for dated goods and dented cans to provide him with a better way
to dispose of his store "problems" I've used 'Share Foods" to help
glean warehouse overstocks.

Call me a "Gleaner" but never a "Dumpster Diver".

[Northwoods_Hippie]

Where I live there isn't any such thing as a dumpster, a few people here have a local guy come pick up their trash but the majority 80% of the people in the village take their trash to the transfer station.

The transfer stations are a GOLD MINE!! There are two stations within 10 miles of my house, one that I am allowed as a tax paying resident to use and the other I am not supposed to go to but I made friends with the guy who works there and he lets me use the station.

NOTHING that can be used is thrown away and both stations have a large area where people can put out perfectly usable items that they no longer want, from books to computers (got an almost brand new HP Deskjet there a few months ago) to appliances, clothes, housewares, tools, etc. We locals refer to it as "going to the local K-Mart"!!

I see it as recycling, and think it is wonderful!!

[Suzy]

Here is it is illegal to take anything out from the transfer station...

[bee_pipes]

I had a friend in San Diego county that started an extremely successful used book store with dumpster diving. He eventually moved up to rare and out of prints, but the difference was he then paid the local street people to do the diving for him. Harlequins were his bread and butter trade.

Regards,
Pat

[snuffy]

Holy cats! This story makes me so furious, my hair may catch fire!

This is an OUTRAGEOUS miscarriage of justice, and Assistant District Attorney Kerry St. James should be prosecuted for it. Let HIM spend six months in the jail he's so eager to fill. We need to "make an example of him" to use his own words - for other officials that may have it in mind to misuse their power.

10 days in jail for dumpster diving? That's better than six months, but not MUCH better. It's wrong from the git-go.
If the residents of that area just let it go, they should be ashamed of themselves - because they'll regret it later when this type of misuse reaches them!


Hey Carolann,

I'll kick in a few bucks on a plane ticket if you want to fly up there and straighten that guy out!!!

;D ;D ;D

Snuffy

[bookwormom]

that should give us all something to think about, next time you are about to say it could not happen here. Unbelievable, someone with power is willing to lock someone up for 6 month for some overripe bananas (or whatever).

[cmdan]

I found this link and didn't see it on this site.

http://www.totse.com/en/bad_ideas/irresponsible_activities/advanceddumpst191375.html

[GoldenCityMuse]

Currently we live in an apt. complex. I have dived in the dumpster multiple times when people have moved out. Some of it is good, some is just particle board junk. Did get a great old cast iron bedstead though. Really nice!

[gregabob]

Around here, if you want to dispose of something just set it out next to the street (just don't block the horse trail). If it has any value at all someone will pick it up! On Sunday evening (Monday is trash day) there are pickup trucks driving around gettin' stuff. Twice a year we have 'Anything Goes' trash day--then the medium duty flatbeds are making the rounds, loaded with appliances and scrap. I've gotten rid of stuff and picked up stuff too! Used to 'glean' in the Salinas Valley after the pickers went thru--me and about 20 others---lotsa fresh veggies were brought home then!
This outta control joke of a prosecutor in Steamboat Springs needs to be gotten rid of--the shop owner stated immediately that nothing of value was taken and the men never entered the store--so why waste time and effort to bust 'em? Simple--the clown needs 'convictions' to make it look like he's 'tough on crime'......power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely--whether it's a small town prosecutor or national dictator.

[Dayzee]

OMG! This makes me as mad as #ELL! Why not let people who are down out collect throw-aways if they need them! I was not always thus inclined, however.

When in Calif, we had to separate our various kinds of trash. There was an old oriental-appearing lady who came around regularly on trash nite and looted cans and bottles that were set out on the curb. I wasn't too thrilled with the idea, I must admit. It was illegal, after all, but after awhile and running it past my conscience, I realized that she needed it a whole lot more than I did or the county collectors did (after all, I threw it away, right?) so I cooled it on my indignation and was glad to see her working her way through the neighborhood before dawn. Poor thing.

[Teg]

At my last base the BX threw out a couple of lawn mowers that were damaged in shipping and when this old fellow that used to hit the dumpsters on base took them out they tried to get us to arrest him for theft, we had to spend a good while explaining to the manager that once it hit the government owned dumpster they used it ceased to be their retail property and became trash, which this old guy had permission from the Base Commander to sort through. Never understood why someone would get all bent out of shape about someone finding a use for something they were throwing away.

[ol_hoot]

I had a buddy years ago that had lived around Palm Springs , California.
This was back in the 60's and I think his brain was running on some heavy duty addititives back then.
He drew out a large house in the dirt somewhere out in the desert and furnished the whole house from the Palm Springs dump ... he said a bunch of rich folk lived in that area and threw away nice stuff.

I'd like to have drove up on his place and seen all that furniture arranged out in the bare desert and him floating around there doing his thing.

[momma_to_seven_chi]

He drew out a large house in the dirt somewhere out in the desert and furnished the whole house from the Palm Springs dump ... he said a bunch of rich folk lived in that area and threw away nice stuff.



I have a burgundy leather oversized recliner in my living room that was a garbage-save. Hubby came home with it one Saturday telling me, "I found it on the curb. They were throwing it away!" It's his favorite chair.

[freebird914]

My work just threw away enough 1/2 plywood and 2x4 to build 3 big doghouses my dogs appreciate it.....

[Grizzy]

The other day I went in the back door to go into the man's house where I work. This... smell... just about knocked me over. It was AWful. Well I couldn't see the source so I began to open windows and spray Lysol etc. All morning he kept telling me to dry off the potatoes. Finally, breakfast was over and I was cleaning that up when I got to the two tater bags he had under the table. I got em out to separate the taters and wipe em off like he requested and most of em were just rotten... goooooo.... sigh

He tole me he and his new girlfriend had been dumpster diving at the grocery store and he was mad because two mexicans had gotten most of the produce.

The man I work for doesn't have to do this. Maybe the other man did have to in order to survive... who knows. But cool idea or not... I sure hope we're not in so bad a shape that we have to pull our food out of the garbage.


Be Strong
~Grizzy~

[MT4me]

The container sites here are called "malls" :D

A short list of the goods I have scavenged....... Yes everything works fine.

27" TV

2 dvd players and 3 vcrs.

camo netting

hunting saw and other misc. hunting stuff. Cabelas price around $100 worth

Fancy paper shredder

4 bicycles

spare tires for my Jeep

wood stove tools

tool box with 20 various tools inside

400 ft of soaker hose for my garden

posthole digger, shovel, and 3 rakes

2 metal file cabinets

box full of Disney videos, 15 or so

2 US Army arctic down sleeping bags.

2 kids tents

Kerosene shop heater.

An Excalibur type dehydrator.

Electric drill and scroll saw (craftsman)

hand vacuum for my car

Stainless steel cookware

Box of Tupperware stuff.

Pallet of 3-tab roofing shingles.

Sorrell pack boots for my son (like new)

Leather work boots (like new) for my son

400 ft of 6 ft garden fencing. new rolls.

$250 Sirrus satellite set up. (gonna sell, I'm not paying for radio)

Two BNIB ceiling fans. One cheapy and one really nice brass and hardwood.

Lots of misc. items (lamps, wire, lawn furniture etc.)

Oh yeah! Bunch of canned fruit filling. The expensive stuff like blueberry etc.

Yep. I have to say it is better than a "mall" Never knew shopping could be this much fun. All this in about a year and a half! :D:lol:

[Estrie]

My sister and her husband were incredibly angry when they DIDN'T get the job as garbage dump attendants because they wanted the gleaning rights!! My best friend used to be married to a guy who worked on a garbage truck and he brought home all kinds of stuff. She became an expert at repairing small appliances and disinfecting stuff!
It's a shame. You can't even go to the open pit dump and shoot rats anymore, that used to be the best target practice! An actual moving target! LOL! Spent many a Saturday afternoon doing that as a girl!

[poisonivie]

Here is a thought by useing others trash we are being Green.(Aint that what the goverment wants?) Oh and the other hand we might not be stimulateing the ecomey but the people that trashed it are. I was watching a tv show were people went in the trash everynite and got a lot of food that nothing was wrong with. The store just got a new shipment that food was feeding alot of people. It could go along way to feeding the hungry. This is why I dont like Good willstores we give them stuff they sell it or trash it. Thier dumpster are locked cause they dont want people to get in there trash.

[MT4me]

Went to the "mall" today. (see above)....
Found a box full of cutlery, half of which were German made Henckels.
Searched the internet and the total worth so far is over $450.00. No joke, this is a conservative #. The kicker was this..... http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Cutco-1063-Hunting-Fishing-Knife-W-Sheath-Minty_W0QQitemZ120487410588QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_D efaultDomain_0?hash=item1c0d9bfb9c

Without sheath...:meeting:

I am blessed to be surrounded by idiots that throw this stuff away.:D

[tufhelp]

You just might have intercepted some stock that a less than honest clerk intentionally put in the trash to retrieve later themselves or by a cohort... Pretty common theft technique, especially at bigger institutions like mall stores where most of the lost prevention is trained on watching customers not the employees.

[MT4me]

Not out here. Over an hour away from shopping. These are semi-trailer dumpsters. If you've read my previous post you can see I have made some pretty expensive hauls. :) Besides the cutlery is clearly used. Some of the knives are from the 80's. My guess is someone passed and the family didn't need the excess. They just never realized that there were a couple of collectibles in the kitchen drawer. :( Also a lot of the stuff was pure flimsy junk from some discount market. Bent and or dull etc. The serviceable stuff that was left I gave to my less fortunate neighbors.

[Deep South]

Nice haul, MT4me!

I have picked up a couple bakers racks, nice sizes that are sometimes hard to find.

In my populated area, people do some cleaning out of their homes and put stuff out by the garbage. Some of it is nice stuff. Almost always it is gone by morning.

[flatblack]

Yeah, some transfer stations and dumps are real down on people scoring shit from there. They don't want you doing it.

When I lived in Virginia Beach, I used to go to the dump to pick out
the bicycles to fuel my little craigslist bicycle sales. They didn't like you taking shit, but were willing to turn a blind eye if you were quick. If you brought them bribes, like cold soda pops, they'd let you go nuts for a little bit.

Still, that only goes so far, and their boss didn't play that, so you had to act real cool when he was around, like you're just a regular guy here to dump off some junk.

I wish I lived in a place that let you go nuts! That's an endless source of shit to resell online and locally.

[CapeCMom]

Our transfer station has a "Swap Shop". It is manned by volunteers. If the thing you are bringing is in good shape or if it still works-you just don't want it anymore you can drop it off. They constructed a small barn to house it all. There is a book section and everything. you can even drop off linens and things as long as they are in good shape and clean.
People wait for pick up trucks and will usually take the stuff off of the truck for you-sometimes it's the volunteers, other times it's the people who spied you coming in with that old dresser! Someone a few years ago a lady "found" a violin that was in beautiful shape and now her daughter uses it for music class. People here love it, and when the Town considered closing it down because the cost of running the transfer station, people protested angrily and the Town backed off. There's even an outdoor art gallery done by a local welding artist that has taken scrap metal "trash" and welded it into fanciful animals. It's pretty cool.

[MT4me]

Now this is an idea I could get behind! Tough digging through other peoples "trash" hoping to find something of use.

[MT4me]

A three cell maglite and two mirrors, 2x3 foot.

[Andy Jones]

I've gotten several good garden hoses,ice chests,chairs,good work clothes,building materials and 2 electric space heaters that just needed a little work.I can afford to buy the stuff new;but I can't see throwing something away just because it's used or needs a little attention.It's a shame to see the things people throw away that someone else can use.

[Boots]

I watched a show about people called Freegans about a year ago, they would basically dumpster dive and live off what the got..interesting..here is a link I found...http://freegan.info/?page_id=60