"Dumpster Diving"...have you ever done it? - Page 2

[earthmama369]

Not for food, but when you live near a college campus, all sorts of wonderful, wacky things get thrown out. A friend of mine got a barely used drafting desk with a light box out of the dumpster -- was worth over $400. We've gotten sectional couches, futons, lamps, bookshelves. . . .

[momto l&a]

Sojh.

I got a really interesting pair of legs/supports for a glass or wood table top (coffee table height). They were made out of iron and looked something like rustic andirons.

Those sound like wood cookstove legs.

[Rhiannon Feimorgan]

I used to all the time. Mostly for stuff but sometimes for food if I found something good.

I used to work in a dougnut shop and when I was throwing out the day olds I would always put them in a clean bag seperat from the coffee grounds because I knew there were people who came and got them and I wanted them to be edible. There was always so much food getting thrown out. I asked the maneger if we could send it to the food bank but he said the head office wouldn't let us do that.

[passionfaerie]

I make a habit of it... I have ever since I was a kid. Its like treasure hunting!!

[root*children]

I have dumpster dived for several reasons and wish I could have voted twice. As a poor lil' dready travelling around the country in my VW van, I dove alot for necessity of food.

Now I dive for fun to see what I get! Although, unlike the old days, I don't just hop right into unknown dumpsters. I used to hop in my old subdivision's dumpster (bear issues, no individual trash cans allowed) and found great stuff! Lots to myself and friends, but also to Freecycle (I started the Freecycle in Durango, CO b/c of this) and even sold on eBay (heehee). I'll also dive if I can drive by and see great stuff just pouring out. I should dive more often, for food, especially, but that's HARD with little kids! Do I really want their grandma calling and the kids saying "We found SO much (insert yummy food here) in the dumpster today!!" no, I don't. So I limit dumpster diving to stuff nowadays.

[oldcrunchymom]

I have dumpster dived/trash picked many a time and would make a habit of it if I had my own transportation. When I was a kid we were dirt poor and would get awesome stuff from people's "trash." A huge ornate dollhouse, a good sofa bed, end tables, etc. My mom knows a guy who (legally) picks up the "expired" food from grocery stores and distributes it to homeless shelters and old people homes. He often has extra and gives it to us. It's incredible and very wasteful what the grocery stores chuck! Most of the food is good and is nowhere near to being truly unusable. I realize they can't sell things with past dates but you'd think they could set it out back or something for poor people.