JumpyTheFrog Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 http://www.wired.com/2015/02/high-end-dumpster-diving-matt-malone/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Work from home, take the kids! :D 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Serenade Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Wow! What an interesting story. Glad to see someone making use of "garbage." Less for the landfill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 Was anyone cringing at the wastefullness of lawn mowers and more being tossed in trash compactors? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 Work from home, take the kids! :D Yeah, we have a GameStop nearby and DH is getting ideas. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 It's actually very disturbing how much useful trash we generate. Throwing out stuff because the box was opened or the items are no longer the latest model/out of season. There should be a way to centralize pick up of perfectly good stuff and distribute/sell through some clearing house. Are businesses charged for how much garbage they generate. I know some private trash companies charge homeowners by how many cans they leave, doing so forces homeowners to think and act more carefully with decisions about what to recycle, what to compost and what to put in the trash. I'm glad this man has created a business for himself. I don't think I could do that. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2scouts Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 After my dh lost his job, he started dumpster diving for scrap metal to sell. You wouldn't believe the things he brings home! He's found brand new backpacks, an entire box of 3M sample stickers, unopened boxes of crayons, artist quality art supplies with only a few pastels or markers used, unopened packages of notebook paper, a brand new rain gauge, a binding machine, new football cleats, tons of half used spiral notebooks, plastic storage drawers of all sizes, new 3 ring binders, an entire box of unopened craft beads and other craft supplies, unsharpened pencils, and more. I rarely have to buy school supplies! Much of the stuff just gets donated because it's way more than I can ever use and I'm happy to save it from the landfill. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 It's so wasteful! I'm glad for everyone who keep stuff out of landfills! I wish I had the guts to dumpster dive. I don't understand throwing out and worse crushing usable items. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 I was aghast at reading about clothing stores that shred the unsold clothes rather than let someone get them from the dumpster (or sell them to TJ Maxx or some similar business). I told DH last night, "Dumpster diving is green." I have found that people on Craiglist will take almost anything, if you post it in the free section and put it out by the road. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpyTheFrog Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 I wonder how many business use trash compactors primarily because they are afraid of lawsuits from people dumpster diving. In the comments of that article someone suggested a group of dumpster divers form their own trash removal service (from retail stores, I assume). They could then sort through the trash and put anything usable in a warehouse. Real trash would go on to the landfill while the public could come in and buy the salvagable stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I first heard of dumpster diving when I read The Tightwad Gazette. It's intriguing but I also don't have the guts to do it. Plus I imagine you'd have to do it mostly at night which makes it feel shady. But think of all the craft supplies I might save from the dump. :D Too bad Michaels actually has a lock on their dumpster. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I wonder how many business use trash compactors primarily because they are afraid of lawsuits from people dumpster diving. In the comments of that article someone suggested a group of dumpster divers form their own trash removal service (from retail stores, I assume). They could then sort through the trash and put anything usable in a warehouse. Real trash would go on to the landfill while the public could come in and buy the salvagable stuff. The business called 1-800-got-junk is built on this model. They not only get paid to haul away unwanted items, they often sell or use the cast-offs. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndOfOrdinary Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 My Work-from-home job is to go to the GoodWill Outlet store, sort through the giant bins of clothing to find high end stuff. Mend and wash the high end stuff, then flip it on Ebay. I make somewhere around 600 dollars a month doing it. It is a cleaner version of dumpster diving. My family is always amazed at what people will throw away just because it is missing a button or needs a new zipper. Some of it has barely been worn; it is just last years color. It used to make me sick to my stomach, until we started reselling it. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Would not work so well around here. I notice a lot of places lock their dumpsters or put them in locked pens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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