[LetaB]

Somebody on the previous page asked about dumpster diving for newspapers. We get the Sunday papers (with inserts) on Monday afternoons. I tried asking the store employees if I could just pick them up, but apparently that was too much of a hassle so we just dumpster dive for them.

DH works at a university, and we do some serious dumpster diving and trash picking when the students leave for the summer. This year, our friend got a really nice stainless steel microwave, we got a baker's rack and a shoe rack, we found boxes of CDs & DVDs, and several bags of women's clothing that was split between three of us girls. Everything that didn't fit, we took to a consignment shop and split the money three ways. We also hauled off everything metal and made $55 at the scrap yard.

DH also brings home stuff from work that would otherwise get tossed, like vanilla bean pods. They had taken the beans out, and were just going to throw the pods away. We used the pods to make homemade vanilla extract.

Even if dumpster diving is technically illegal, it's not a prosecutable case. You aren't stealing, since the property has been put in the trash, ownership has been relinquished. The reason that diving has been made illegal in some places is because people make a mess. As long as you are neat, the chance that you'll get anything more than a warning is very, very slim.

[babymk]

Originally Posted by Kim1114

I really wish I knew someone in my area to go with. It's safer for one and I want to share the msg and the goodies. We could end hunger in our country just from using food we found in dumpsters. And something I'm so excited about...the food I got from the dumpster is better than the food I can buy really. A lot of time the fresh produce is so expensive that we can only buy a few things and try to make them last. I love being able to eat more vegetabes and fruit. I wish I could shout from a rooftop that there's unbelievable waste going on and we can do something to stop it.

I would go with ya, but I doubt we are in the same state!

I have researched freegans when I was contemplating dumpster diving (which in my area is reaching for, not diving into) to get multiple coupons (no money to buy papers). There is a whole other world out there! I couldn't believe it! I get free coupons, free cokes points, there is a kellog's gas deal so I get free upcs for that, free magazines, free printer paper and sometimes end up with file folders, etc. Our recycling center is SUCH a GOLDMINE!

I don't know how I would feel about food from a dumpster, but it's worth a try! I may start gleaming fields for produce too - unless this #!*##! flood kills all the food!

for your post!

[Jenn0734]

I just had a pleasant/interesting experience. I was at work and a few co-workers started discussing cameras that have been placed throughout the lobby of our building. I've never noticed the cameras, and I was surprised to hear they were there. Then my heart skipped a beat. Are cameras watching me when I go pull newspaper inserts from the newspaper recycling bin? I was all of a sudden terrified. So I drove over to the newspaper recycle bin, and called the number listed on a sign over the bin. (In my line of work, getting caught for anything, can destroy my career.) The sign said "recycling call # for assistance." So I called and asked if I could get in trouble for looking for inserts in the newspaper recycling bin. The woman was super nice and said "No! We encourage it!" She even said she would hold papers for me when they come in, and to check in with her every Friday! What a pleasant surprise! Now I can enjoy my weekend. Phew!

[Kim1114]

That's really cool! I've heard of that happening to some people. I wish it happened more!

[daisybelle]

Just please be careful! My daughter used to work at a local grocery here and the manager would purposely put bleach and other substances on food that was thrown in the dumpster to stop people from doing this very thing. I think it was terrible, but that's what happened. I wouldn't want you eating caontaminated food!!!!

[Minijump21]

When I was about 10 our area (Colorado) expierienced a four state black out in July for 10-12 hours. When the power came back on mom drove us kids to the back of the grocery store and all but threw us in the dumpsters, . We filled the back of her blazer with produce and ice cream. We brought home maybe 30 of those big round plastic buckets of ice cream. Still sealed. Just the top had started to melt, maybe the first inch? We had a great summer! All the ice cream we could eat. Now I know why she had 2 chest freezers. And half the produce we ate, the rest went to our pigs.