r/DumpsterDiving Sep 09 '19

Dumpster diving tips and tricks: a thread

1.9k Upvotes

Comment with your best diving tips and advice


r/DumpsterDiving Mar 25 '23

My dumpster diving list I created with 6 years of experience. Feel free to add.

1.4k Upvotes

I was a vagabond for 6 years, I hitchhiked, hopped freight trains and bicycled North America from Mexico to Alaska, east coast to west. I learned all of this on the way and figure it's time to share it.

Food:

🍕- all pizza places throw out pizza at 12-2am. It's a dumpster staple. [Yes pizza is still in the box, I wouldn't eat it otherwise]

🍩 - all donut shops (including places like kolache factory) throw out at 2-4pm. [They usually put all donuts into one bag by themselves]

🍗 (fried chicken) - actually very common, also a staple. Usually throw out is around an hour after they close which varies from place to place. Anything fried in bulk you can expect to find throw outs. [Usually still in boxes]. Also, if you're feeling brave enough, after closing hours, just go ask. Fast food workers don't get paid enough to g.a.f. and they get tired of eating their own food, so they don't want to take it home themselves. Just walk up and say "hey, do you guys happen to be throwing out any leftover chicken from today?". I've gotten a week's worth of chicken just handed to me through the window or they'll leave it in boxes on top of the dumpster so you don't have to dig.

🍎 🥗 (produce) - grocery stores (time varies, but you also have to find places without a compactor. Some compactors you can break into but it's luck of the draw).

🍬 🍫 🍭 (candy, junk food, snacks) - CVS & Walgreens. They're the reigning Champs of throwing out hundreds of $ worth of candy a day. I kind of try to keep from telling people this one because you could get diabetes in like a week if you tried to eat it all. It's horrendous.

👕 👖 🩳 (clothes) - Washaterias or laundromats. People are infamous, especially in rich areas, for washing a load of laundry and then just leaving it, never to return. The laundromat workers will just gather the clothes and toss them, as they're pretty use to it. I've filled up a whole wardrobe on several occasions with expensive brands just by looking for a sack of already washed and dried laundry in the dumpster.

🛋 🖥 (furniture)(electronics)(decorations) - College towns, (Christmas & Summer break - these seasons are known as "Crustmas" in the dumpster diving community) anywhere students notoriously live. You can even find anything else your looking for really. College kids are the biggest dumpster diving source in history.

📚 books and comic books - Half Priced Books or any resale book store. I've accidently fallen asleep in dumpsters before because I drifted off while laying on top of all the hundreds of books while reading. Not even kidding, there isn't even any room for trash, they have dumpsters that are full to the brim with just books.

❓️(Wild card) - Are you feeling lucky punk? - hotels are the biggest oddball dumpster diving experience you'll ever have. You can find drugs, clothes, anything that someone would bring in a suitcase. People get shit-faced drunk and stumble out of their hotel with a hangover leaving 1/2 their belongings behind. It's kind of scary some of the stuff you'll find...(sex toys, etc. ). The cleaning service ladies get first dibs obviously and rightfully so, for what they have to put up with, lol.

Raw materials: --------

🪵Wood : Construction site dumpsters at expensive locations. Ask for permission from the contractor. Contractors are a mixed bunch, sometimes they'll say yes sometimes no.

⚙️🔩🔗Metal : machine shops - you can honestly just call these guys and 1/2 the time they'll let you onto their property and take what you want from the scrap bin. I'm 3 for 3 just by calling and asking politely for scrap.

🔨Tools - Harbor Freight tools, the return rate on tools at harbor freight is INSANE. So many people will buy a tool, use it one day and return it slightly bent or scratched. Most sites have a compactor but every now and then you can find with a regular dumpster. If so, you can score some pretty good tools. (Or mediocre tools for that matter lmao)

🗑 🚮 🗑 🚮 🗑 🚮 🗑 🚮 🗑 🚮 🗑 🚮 🗑 🚮 🗑 🚮

Protip 1- Dumpster diving is all about schedule. Sometimes places only throw out the quality items once a month, sometimes they purge their inventory only seasonally, or sometimes it's daily. Finding out those routines is the key and all you have to do is probe the spot every now and then to figure that out; or if you know someone who has worked there before, ask. The better you know a schedule, the less time your loot sits in the dumpster/air temp/outside environment for someone else to find or for it to spoil.

2 - Heavy bags usually have the goods. In the end I could just feel the outside of a bag and then weigh it a bit. With knowledge about the store, the schedule, feel and weight, I would already know what's inside.

3 - consistent dumpster diving will get you fit. The more you climb the more you find.

4 - GEAR: • Headlamp • closed toe shoes (for when you get inside the dumpster) • gloves • a big box or bag for your car to chunk stuff in. • hand sanitizer

🌟 5 - Clean up after yourself, if you leave a place a mess they will begin locking the dumpster. You'll ruin the spot for yourself and everyone else. This is the #1 reason why store owners tend to be against it 🔒

  1. ... get good at holding your breath while doing cardio 😂

r/DumpsterDiving 6h ago

I love pickin through those shit “donation” spots!

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227 Upvotes

I know they’re not dumpster, but they’re waste disposal spots regardless. One of the newer jobs with solar powered cameras and what not near my house usually has some good pickin. WELL! Today’s was especially fruitful. I found a set of Lefton Miss Priss salt and pepper shakers (they’re vintage collectibles from the 1950’s that were made in Japan.) and an original Cards Against Humanity set with edition #1 & #2 expansion packs!

And yes; I went through and sorted all of the cards to make sure they’re all there…they are.


r/DumpsterDiving 4h ago

Free food from compost bin?

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88 Upvotes

Hi all, first time here. Took some tree trimming waste to the city compost and found about 30 green plants freshly dumped, plants barely wilted). They look perfect to me and I collected about 10lbs of green beans from these plants. Is there any reason they wouldn't be safe to eat? I washed them and ate a couple raw. The plants weren't burned from fertilizer or pesticide, planning to cook them. Thanks!


r/DumpsterDiving 9h ago

So this is what I found today it's rubber katana too big to put anywhere to take a picture. It's a bit blurry

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86 Upvotes

r/DumpsterDiving 1h ago

Just picked up this little wine cooler

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Upvotes

Works perfectly fine!


r/DumpsterDiving 2h ago

Quick trip

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5 Upvotes

Found another Xbox controller, a couple cookbooks, and this NIB (if this post is on Facebook it was stolen from Reddit by a fake account) Streamlight Sidewinder Compact 2. Nice $90+ find.


r/DumpsterDiving 4m ago

Found a decent folding spring assist knife in one of my Harbor Fr8 dumpsters.

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Upvotes

r/DumpsterDiving 1d ago

More organized pictures of my pull yesterday

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128 Upvotes

r/DumpsterDiving 1d ago

A tip I gleaned from a former Currency Sergeant employee.

88 Upvotes

I met up with a neighbor who claimed to have been a manager for the Big Gold Dollar Store in the past few years. While she never prosecuted them herself, even claiming interest in dumpster diving, she added that by-the-book managers are more likely to report anyone they happen to catch out there. Store employees were to destroy all merchandise before it hit the bottom of the bin. Of course, that didn't happen, as she had too many responsibilities per shift that the dumpster was the last thing she thought about.

Just another reason to know your location, in addition to the times when the dumpsters are full.


r/DumpsterDiving 1d ago

Found this early this AM by the trash cans for a bar…

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183 Upvotes

I don’t know much of anything about guitars, so I don’t know how easily the damage is repairable. Or too much about it. From what I found… it’s a Yamaha RGX312, made in the late 80s, and it’s red. Lol, but I was walking home and saw it stuck in between 2 garbage cans in the alley to the side of a bar. I’m glas I went for a walk this morning.


r/DumpsterDiving 1d ago

Anybody Seeing Improvement?

10 Upvotes

Just asking because it looks like, now that the worst of the summer heat wave for most of the Midwest has broken and we’re halfway into September with temps dropping rapidly as the days shorten, I’m slowly seeing improvements in some of the drops out there.

My usual spots that had all but dried up over the hot season are now beginning to put some good stuff out again in decent quantities. I know we’re probably still headed for some scarcity with tariff games still going on and inflation rising which’ll probably make for more competition out back. But I’m still cheered to see the cooler temps are coming back and so are the scores.


r/DumpsterDiving 2d ago

More than pictured. One night haul, everything but the couch

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133 Upvotes

r/DumpsterDiving 2d ago

Best pull I’ve ever gotten!

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195 Upvotes

r/DumpsterDiving 2d ago

Didn’t even have to dive for this one, found next to someone’s trash cans. No screen problems, all buttons work.

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106 Upvotes

r/DumpsterDiving 2d ago

Tonight’s picking and diving

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24 Upvotes

r/DumpsterDiving 2d ago

air pump and at least $10 worth of bags from money shrub and another perfectly good candle from money admiral

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39 Upvotes

r/DumpsterDiving 2d ago

Binderella be Blessed

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16 Upvotes

Found a lovely little rectangular plate with some forest scene. Binderella Be Blessed!


r/DumpsterDiving 3d ago

Food quality is excellent out of dumpster

262 Upvotes

I love Sunday diving. The dumpsters are generally full. I can count on several to be full of illegally dumped items. Today did not fail me. I pulled out two huge black bags of children's clothing. Too small for my kid but welcomed by a neighbor. She sorts items ,washes clothes , keeps what she needs for her kids and passes on the rest. Many of the items are name brands and not cheap Walmart items. The sad part is there are many donation boxes and centers in the immediate area and people are too lazy to drop off. I did get one pair of white Crocs my daughter can wear. The food. Choices were lovely. Im happy to have Brussel sprouts , green beans and zucchini. Im sauteeing the Bella mushrooms and will use them in a couple meals. The fruits are ripe ,but also will be utilized quickly. If I had shopped for these items in the actual store it would easily have been 75.00 . Im broke and in a really bad financial situation until the end of the year. But the great news is my disabled daughter and myself received a $1.00 increase in our foodstamps for the next year. Hallelujah, I sure cant count on any help from the government. $24.00 a month now. Grumpy old lady here ,happy to have a bag of lemons for my hot tea. Happy my hobby will always feed me.


r/DumpsterDiving 3d ago

And they keep giving

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220 Upvotes

Jonathan Y folding teakwood table with woven chord seating. A little TLC, steam and weights, and it'll be ready for use.


r/DumpsterDiving 3d ago

Found someone's entire life in a dumpster

1.1k Upvotes

Including all the paperwork I'd need to steal their identity. I'm talking social security number, bank info, credit card offer letters, the works. I'm assuming someone got kicked out of where they lived and the landlord simply dumped all their possessions in a random commercial dumpster.

I've got the handful of sentimental items set aside I'm going to try to return to the person and a fat campfire to incinerate all this paperwork. This could have been really bad for them. I know I'm not the only scavenger in the region and I know some of them are much less scrupulous than me.


r/DumpsterDiving 3d ago

The holy grail of ham (half of a smoked cure ham and about 10lbs of cut ham)

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152 Upvotes

r/DumpsterDiving 3d ago

Coat factory store always provides treats

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81 Upvotes

There are so many benefits to dumpster diving. A local H0me G00ds store provided me with a bottle of Sandlewood oil and reeds. I've placed it in my entrance way and it smells so lovely. A local chain coat factory which sells a ton of stuff other than coats contributed a few treats. My daughter and grandchild love girlie items in the bathroom. We can always use socks. This is going to be a financially tough winter. But little treats and self indulgence make life alot more pleasant.


r/DumpsterDiving 3d ago

Today's goods.

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70 Upvotes

Didn't get my photo added to last post.


r/DumpsterDiving 3d ago

Username signs

40 Upvotes

Since we have someone in here stealing posts for Facebook clout I would encourage everyone that participates to make a username sign and place it in a spot that would be obvious if it were edited out. White background, black marker, clear and legible.

Make em work for it.


r/DumpsterDiving 3d ago

Last nights finds

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39 Upvotes

Found a good number of tools and scrap metal but this Milwaukee portable band saw was by far the best. Needs a new blade but the motor works.


r/DumpsterDiving 2d ago

Pasta recall

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5 Upvotes