Has anyone gone dumpster diving?

[AerisandAlex]

I don't know where I'd put this so I couldn't think of anything else but here... anyways...

Has anyone tried dumpster diving? I have been seriously considering it the last few months and I don't know... where to start.

Sounds silly when I think about it because if I saw this question I'd say, "Drive around and jump in the dumpster" but I've found through talking to people very vague responses and a lot of 'beware' statements.

My own mother won't tell me where the best places are, everytime I ask I always get the same question back, "Well what do you want?" sometimes I don't know what I want, I just want to look for something, and maybe I'll say, "Hey! I could really use that!" but then she goes into this who speech of where it could be bad for me... my mother found so much great stuff, she found one of the frugal coffee makers and BOXES of the creamers that were still good. She found three HUGE doll houses for my daughter which she keeps at her house and a TON of polly pockets and the accessories, all brand new!

I'd like to do something like this and find a treasure too but I just don't know where to begin and NO ONE will help me.

I know the law around here is, if it's locked or fence in, don't think about GOING in there or you could be arrested, other then that, it's all free game, but... are there certain STORES people go to more then others? I don't want to just look in and find nothing but spoiled food and nasty things...

So, does anyone have any advice in this area? Or any stores they would suggest that might be better then others? Something? Anything? lol

Thanks!

 

[Toms Mummy]

Not sure of the legalities in doing it, but when I wa sin uni we used to go behind supermarkets and raid the bins after closing time, as they have usually just thrown out that days supply of sandwiches stuff which sellbydates are that day but the use by dates are still okay x

 

[Blah11]

When I was around 12 or 13 we used to go to a dunkin donuts factory at night & raid their bins and find LOADS of donuts LOL I'd never do it now though, idea makes me cringe a bit.

 

[Ceejay123]

I've never heard of people doing this.. :s lol

 

[special_kala]

I can see why people do this.

The waste in shops is ridiculous! I know some small convenience stores that have a waste budget of £1000 a week!! Which they go over alot. I dread to think what the superstores is.

I remember having to throw away 11 bags of crisps because it was a multi pack and one went missing. We had to throw away the bakery at the end of the dayo matter how much was there. I used to think about the homeless shelter that wasn't far from where I worked and want to take it there but I would have been fired.

There are millions of people starving and shops chuck away food so easily. It's pretty disturbing really

 

[honey08]

when i wrked in a bakery end of the night everything was chucked, why cudnt it just be left outside in a box or dropped off at a night shelter

 

[babyerin]

We aren't allowed to sell anything O.O.D but we do knock things down to 10p the day it goes off.

I dont like the culture of waste we have though. Things like broken multipacks being binned infuriates me, why not reduce the price instead of binning it?
I think 'use by' items should be binned but 'best before' dates I think you can make an educated decision about whether you want to eat it or not.
I think in the UK you are allowed to go through peoples bins so long as they aren't on private property.

 

[Baby France]

Aren't they changing it though so everything is 'best before' rather than 'out of date'?

My FIL is a bin man for a council and collects things on his rounds...the amount of things that he's found. Gas bottles, bikes, computers, phones allsorts. He's a jack of all trades too, so if something is broken/something is missing, he can fix it.

 

[Liesje]

I'd do it. We also buy most of our toys from a toy factory in our neighborhood that sells the broken toys for like 90% less... Like they're not going to get broken when our kids play with them anyway...

 

[deafgal]

we did dumpster diving growing up. it is usually in the rural areas of U.S. (where I lived) where they don't pick up trash. it is illegal though but she did found some stuffs where she couldn't believe people would throw them away. They even belong to thrift stores

 

[CarlyP]

I did when I was about 10.

I never imagined adults doing it.

 

[xemmax]

I can see why people do this.

The waste in shops is ridiculous! I know some small convenience stores that have a waste budget of £1000 a week!! Which they go over alot. I dread to think what the superstores is.

I remember having to throw away 11 bags of crisps because it was a multi pack and one went missing. We had to throw away the bakery at the end of the dayo matter how much was there. I used to think about the homeless shelter that wasn't far from where I worked and want to take it there but I would have been fired.

There are millions of people starving and shops chuck away food so easily. It's pretty disturbing really

Ridiculous isn't it? Pret A Manger give their food away to the homeless each night which I think is amazing. Shame they can't all follow suit.

 

[omfgski]

.

 

[deafgal]

these days, these things go to Big Lots or even TJmaxx than being trashed.

 

[Bevziibubble]

I haven't done this but I can totally see why people do as the waste from shops, especially the big supermarket is ridiculous. In a world where so many people are starving, it seems wrong that so much is thrown away

 

[Ceejay123]

Completely agree - The waste from shops and restaurants is absolutely awful.

 

[leahsbabybump]

peopel called freegans live out of bins they eat and cloth there self from other people rubbish. In the uk it is illegal to take anything out of anyones bin was on the telly about it the other day. If its in their bin its their property you have to ask before you take a lot of places have also been soiling tings to stop this so be careful

 

[Sarahkka]

Is it just the risk that someone might get sick?
Because I don't understand why anyone would insist on tossing perfectly usable items. What is the reasoning? It makes no sense to me.

 

[tasha41]

One of the main reasons companies toss it (recorded, of course) rather than letting staff take it home themselves or donate is so that people don't make a habit of making too much, knowing they'll get to take it for free later.. and I assume so they don't have to deal with people coming around asking for the old food etc.

 

[sophxx]

We own a chain of convience stores we've tryed so many times to give our food tgat is out of date tgat day to homeless charities food banks women's hostels ect Ive rang every where no one wants it unless it has 4 data or more still left if the date. So we gave no choice but to bin it.