Dumpster Diving

[nxwing]

I've overheard a conversation between two guys at my school and they were mostly talking about dumpster diving at a convenience store nearby. I've looked it up and I've seen some pretty neat videos of people dumpster diving and finding cool stuff.

So do you guys dive in dumpsters? What are the stuff you mostly find and where do you usually dumpster dive?

 

[Muffins]

I don't do it myself, but I've seen videos of a guy who does it outside a GameStop and has come out with everything from game cases to a PS3.

I'm just not courageous enough to risk it. I work in a big office building, I've seen what people throw away, and I don't wanna go anywhere near it.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

I have a friend who does it. He found a dumpster filled with TV dinners and sealed chocolate bars that were right on top of the dumpster and now he's hooked. I wouldn't do it myself though.
I know @Shadow#1 does it too and he's found a number of game consoles and games that way.

 

[nxwing]

As for myself, I'm cool with it. One man's trash is another man's treasure. But like doom127, it's a risky things since you can get caught and there are things in the dumpsters you don't want to see

 

[weatMod]

ive seen those videos of people doing it at gamestops
i wouldn't bother doing it
but you can always digital dumpster dive
go to craigs list and visit the free section
a friend of mine moved and i told her to go on there to look for a tv, i went and looked and i found someone giving away 42" flat screen
but it was a day too late
probably find some better stuff and not have to worry about being bitten by a rabid rodent

 

[FAST6191]

Food, clothes, household goods and such are not for me. If others want to that is up to them. Food wise if people have fruit trees/bushes and are not inclined to harvest them then I will appear and if I see some wild growing stuff (wild garlic, sloes, various nuts...) and have a need of it then I will also take a handful but nothing really beyond that.

However I do own a soldering iron, multimeter, screwdrivers, oscilloscope, drill... and as such electronics, computers, furniture, building supplies, wood, furniture I use for the wood it is made from, household electronics to strip for parts... all the time. Few people around here know how to fix things, consider themselves above such things, or if it is more than 3 years old will not want to, or even know anybody that does.

Strictly speaking it is not legal in the UK to fish in skips, bins and such (regardless of whether they are in the street or in a driveway) and I would not do it in front a police officer or anything but if you are not an idiot about it then nobody cares, you can always ask as well.

 

[Vipera]

I have the exact same feeling of dumpster diving as adblock plus.

You do it? It's not 100% right, but you are free to do it. Just... don't start spreading this, or you will soon have a lot of people just waiting at the dumpster for goods instead of just buy them. It may put a huge problem in some businesses, especially those who are gone bankrupt and are trying to sell everything before shutting down. They will start destroying the stuff instead of throwing it away untouched and you will all be screwed over because you couldn't stop bragging about it.

Also, the business near my house has dropped something like 30 CRT TVs on the street. They were stacked and took a little space between my house and the office. Four hours later, stupid gypsies/poor people made a mess by spreading the small space designed to dumpster to a dumpster itself, even breaking some of the TVs, or taking their own trash. If you are going to take stuff from the dumpster then please, at least have the decency of keeping the space clean like it was before.

 

[weatMod]

I have the exact same feeling of dumpster diving as adblock plus.

You do it? It's not 100% right, but you are free to do it. Just... don't start spreading this, or you will soon have a lot of people just waiting at the dumpster for goods instead of just buy them. It may put a huge problem in some businesses, especially those who are gone bankrupt and are trying to sell everything before shutting down. They will start destroying the stuff instead of throwing it away untouched and you will all be screwed over because you couldn't stop bragging about it.

Also, the business near my house has dropped something like 30 CRT TVs on the street. They were stacked and took a little space between my house and the office. Four hours later, stupid gypsies/poor people made a mess by spreading the small space designed to dumpster to a dumpster itself, even breaking some of the TVs, or taking their own trash. If you are going to take stuff from the dumpster then please, at least have the decency of keeping the space clean like it was before.

how is ABP not 100% right?
and for that matter what is wrong with recycling refuse? 100% NOTHING

 

[Adeka]

went twice. found garbage. Should have expected it.

 

[Vipera]

how is ABP not 100% right?
and for that matter what is wrong with recycling refuse? 100% NOTHING

ABP blocks ads and doesn't make any distinction between non-intrusive ads and intrusive ones (unless you pay, of course), and they are the majority of revenue for many free websites and artists. You are free to use it as much as you want, but trying to make everyone in the world use it is a terrible idea. That's my point of view.

As for what's wrong with dumpster diving, imagine a business that's going bankrupt or that needs clearance, selling stuff to a low price because the owner is trying to lose as little money as possible. If everyone were aware of dumpster diving, no one would buy anything. They would just wait for the guy to throw everything out and get whatever they want for free. Or with a regular business too. The owners will end up ordering the employers to destroy the stuff they throw out to discourage such thing. Then everyone will be screwed, because you couldn't stop bragging about it. And some of these people are rude and will make a mess out of everything, as I already stated in my previous post.

I'm only cool with it if the dumpster is not on private property. Even if they're throwing it away, it doesn't give you the right to trespass (unless you have explicit permission to do so).

That too.

 

[Haloman800]

I'm only cool with it if the dumpster is not on private property. Even if they're throwing it away, it doesn't give you the right to trespass (unless you have explicit permission to do so).

 

[mgrev]

i've done it twice at a container at my local electronics store, i found a crappy headset. there's really not much to find around here. i live in a little town/city in Norway, where only 4000 people live, so it's self explainatory

 

[x65943]

I've found a full croquet set, 20 boxes of tuna helper, a desk lamp, a new monitor, a trash bin for the kitchen etc.

Better it goes to a home then in the dump. Reduce, reuse, recycle.

 

[DinohScene]

I'd do it, I guess..

 

[shaunj66]

I made hundreds on eBay salvaging parts out of a skip out the back of one of my old places of work by selling them on eBay. What's better; having useful new equipment being used by people or it sitting in a landfill somewhere?

 

[duffmmann]

I made hundreds on eBay salvaging parts out of a skip out the back of one of my old places of work by selling them on eBay. What's better; having useful new equipment being used by people or it sitting in a landfill somewhere?

I agree with you, but that doesn't change the legality of the situation, someone in my home town got caught dumpster diving from a business that sold rugs and carpet and he got caught and fined, I think it may have even been a misdemeanor. I didn't know the guy, but I felt bad for him given that the stuff was literally only going to end up in a landfill if he weren't there.

 

[Jwiz33]

I once tried and found a couple of crates that I used for a bookshelf

 

[VinsCool]

I once found a fully functionnal, mint condition CRT tv, lying in the street during the garbage collecting day.

I mean, WHY? It still works, why did they trash it away?

 

[gamesquest1]

i prefer to salvage before it hits the dumpster, being the repairer type, i have had plenty of decent sized LCD/LED TV's ranging fro 20" to 42" inch that were repaired within 10 minutes and resold, or used for myself........better than them ending up in a landfill.....but personally i wouldn't really go diving in dumpster, but if i see something decent sitting in a skip i would probably ask the owner of the house/business if they are ok with me taking it

 

[cracker]

I've done it — mostly for shits and giggles as I didn't expect to find much besides trash... and my (lack of) ambitions were fulfilled.

I always pick up PCs I see at the curb for spare parts. There's no grey area when it's at the curb.