Dumpster Diving for Fun and Profit

[GrantRobertson]

Here is an article about a dude in Austin who is making a fortune on what he is finding in dumpsters behind retail stores.

[font=brandon-grotesque,brandon-grotesque-1,brandon-grotesque-2,HelveticaNeue,Helvetica-Neue,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif]The Pro Dumpster Diver Who’s Making Thousands Off America’s Biggest Retailers[/font]

Of course, as soon as people see this article, there is gonna be a mad rush to clean out all the dumpsters in the country. AND a mad rush for businesses to find a way to retain and profit from those items as well.

 

[gramakittycat]

Yes I have dumpster dived a number of times in my life. .My kids hate it but It never fails to amaze me what people throw out.So much wasted ;what ever happened to "use it up,wear it out,make do?

 

[Chancebond]

America throws out more than forty percent of food! And most of it is edible! Not to mention that as sone as something breaks, most Americans have the mindset of just throw it away, and buy a new one! So sad! One time I found a 55 inch flatscreen in the dump, just because it had a chip in it! A chip!!! So I fixed it up and sold it for £200! Just sayin, someone's trash...

 

[LeeRevell]

A guy at work was a master Dumpster Diver, and found some amazing things! He once brought me a nice lined nylon bag filled with .22LR and shotshell ammo. He had no need for it, and he knew I was into guns. Made my day! Figured it probably was thrown out by some guy's newly ex-wife.......
He would also get lead scrap from flashing of demolished buildings, and sometimes the thick glass window blocks - those sold well. The lead he used in metal casting. Iron was good too, for his casting hobby.

 

[jimindenver]

We use to follow the large item pick up schedule for the better neighborhoods and would have a yard sale every few weeks. We never made a whole section because our van would be full of what we had already found. Any more I check the free section of craigslist occasionally but you have to be quick.

 

[vanman2300]

Very surprising how much he finds. I always knew there were some items thrown away but never thought it would be so much. As for neighborhood pickups I knew someone that would go along the roads in our wealthy areas and treasure hunt successfully. In some areas if you leave something out on the sidewalk its gone within minutes.

 

[GrantRobertson]

Around universities at the end of the semester is also a good time.

 

[jimindenver]

One thing to mention is that some store consider the contents of their dumpsters their property still and can press charges if they catch you getting stuff out of them.

 

[GrantRobertson]

According to the court decision mentioned in the article, the stores can SAY anything they like but once it is in the trash it is fair game. The problem comes when they post "No Trespassing" signs. Then you can get in trouble for trespassing but not for theft. As the guy in the article says, he has almost never had any trouble, and if someone tells him to leave he just leaves.

 

[wagoneer]

some years back i was dumpster diving downtown San Francisco xmas eve in the alley in back of The GUCCI store while the xmas employee party was in full swing we were in a dumpster and found a box of sterling silver cases and pill boxes most had small dents. they were throwing away the near empty high end wine boxes and chocolate covered macadamia nuts. boxes of loot we were getting quite drunk don't remember how we got out of there but we were laughing all the way to the bank.

 

[LeeRevell]

There's a joke going around that if you dump something still useful on the roadside in front of your house and nobody takes it, just put a price sign on it (like "For Sale - $10"), and it'll be gone in minutes......
Works on the old "getting something for nothing" principle.
Helping my elderly Mom clean out some junk at her home, I got her a new bigger toaster oven (big enough for regular pots and pans), and put the still functional old one on the roadside. Had some old but still okay throw rugs too. All was gone quickly.
I had a computer/office chair for years that my late father had picked up from a roadside trash pile. Perfectly good and heavy duty - just had a small splash of white paint on the black vinyl! It finally broke, but it last longer than two chairs I later bought at Walmart.

 

[NWShortyFord]

I love a good dumpster dive. I too have had many finds. Back in AZ I used to "alley shop". Basically drive all the alleys in town and find all kinds of things, bikes, speakers, tvs, and tons of good stuff. Right now I ride a vintage Schwinn that I got in a "free" pile here in Seattle and refurbished. Here people clear out their yards and houses and put out piles in the front yars with "free" signs. I've gotten my grill, cooler, bike, sit down paddleboard, Bissel floor sweeper, two REI backpacks and tons of other stuff I forgot about.

 

[Scott]

This article was definitely a little annoying when it came out. I've had friends say dumpster diving might turn into the next TV show just like storage lot auctions have become popular. Part of me really hopes not because the dumpsters in my area are a major resource for me. Of course popularity would also reduce the waste of useful things that just go to the dump. Likely though I feel like an increase of divers would just push major businesses to lock their dumpsters more than they already do. For the legal side of dumpster diving, there are no laws against it at a federal level. The laws mainly come down to the city and county you are in. If you are interested in figuring out the local city laws I have a write-up over on reddit.

Oh also I guess this is my first post, so Hello! New to the vandwelling idea, but it vastly appeals to me. I'll probably lurk overall and just absorb info for now. I tend to only post if I have questions I can't answer or if my thoughts actually contribute to the subject. I definitely can contribute to the dumpster diving discussion though. I really think living the "alternative lifestyle" of dumpster diving already is why I'm more open and in love with the vandwelling and TinyHouse schools of thought. Anyways see you guys around.

 

[compassrose]

Before you start bashing the stores that toss the food, stop and learn a little bit. My daughter is an assistant manager at a Family Dollar (this also applied to the DollarTree she worked at as well). When food hits its expiration date, the store is required BY LAW to toss it. Not donate the still good food to any organization or charity. Not give it to anyone. But toss it. They can be fined (and the manger/worker can be fired) if they give the food to anyone. It is ILLEGAL. They are not allowed to set it off to one side of the dumpster. Many of the managers will carefully "throw" the foodstuff away in a manner that does not spill them food and allows someone to retrieve the foodstuff from the dumpster without too much effort. The divers usually know about when this event will occur, possibly by overhearing the manager say the food will be tossed at closing that night. This is your beloved government protecting the unfortunate from unscrupulous big business. Aren't you glad that the government is taking such good care of you?

 

[compassrose]

... If you are interested in figuring out the local city laws I have a write-up over on reddit.

Oh also I guess this is my first post, so Hello! New to the vandwelling idea, but it vastly appeals to me. I'll probably lurk overall and just absorb info for now...

So you live in the Chattanooga area? We fulltimed in Hixson (Chester Frost CP) Harrison (Harrison Bay SP) and Tiftonia (Raccoon Mtn CG) for 1-1/2 years before buying a house in nearby Whitwell. Hubby worked in East Ridge. We lived in the area for 10 years (left in 2005). Semi small world. I guess you already know that Chattanooga has a rather large mobile population that bounces between campgrounds. I learned a lot from those people and also taught many others what I had been taught We spent the entire first summer in the area living at Chester Frost (28 days) and Harrison Bay (7-14 day) before moving to first the little RV park that is under the newish Wal-Mart in Tiftonia and then Raccoon Mtn CG.

 

[Scott]

So you live in the Chattanooga area? We fulltimed in Hixson (Chester Frost CP) Harrison (Harrison Bay SP) and Tiftonia (Raccoon Mtn CG) for 1-1/2 years before buying a house in nearby Whitwell. Hubby worked in East Ridge. We lived in the area for 10 years (left in 2005). Semi small world. I guess you already know that Chattanooga has a rather large mobile population that bounces between campgrounds. I learned a lot from those people and also taught many others what I had been taught We spent the entire first summer in the area living at Chester Frost (28 days) and Harrison Bay (7-14 day) before moving to first the little RV park that is under the newish Wal-Mart in Tiftonia and then Raccoon Mtn CG.

Used to live in Chatt for school. Love the city, but moved back to the Nashville area for work. I actually wasn't that aware of the mobile population. In hindsight I'm not surprised about it. If I persue the van life I will definitely be spending time in Chattanooga as work permits. Its funny moved back to Nashville for work but I'm currently contracted with a company based out of Chattanooga. Like any city there are some great places for diving in Chattanooga. The Aldi's in Hixon is a particular favorite of mine.

 

[Wabbit]

...I was doing my Neighborhood Watch drive one night and found a Gary Fisher mountain bike that someone had set out for the taking...

Not sure if it's just me or if anyone read that and didn't wonder at least a lil bit....lol.

 

[cdiggy]

Be very careful about the dumpsters you dive. I worked at a section 8 apt complex that people dove all the time. Somebody would throw out a piece of furniture and the next person would pick it up. Next thing you know they have bed bugs in their apt. 182 unit complex and we had 2-3 bed bug calls a month. They are hard to get rid of. Also (and I am not REAL sure about this) but I here people actually dispose of human waste in some of those dumpsters!!!

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

... I here people actually dispose of human waste in some of those dumpsters!!!

Are those the people living in their van in the parking lot?

 

[c_hasbeen]

I have done my fair share of dumpster diving, I have even been in dumpsters with a sign telling me it was not allowed and an employee caught me.
Thing is the workers at these stores are all strapped for cash themselves.
I have been kicked out of a lot of places but never asked to leave a dumpster.