Comments on: Beginner’s Guide to Dumpster Diving http://matadornetwork.com/life/beginners-guide-to-dumpster-diving/ travel culture worldwide Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:21:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Chris. http://matadornetwork.com/life/beginners-guide-to-dumpster-diving/#comment-53040 Chris. Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:13:39 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=809#comment-53040 Way to be cruel to another human being and eliminate one of the places he could find sustenance. Karmically, it might have been cheaper to invest in ear plugs. Way to be cruel to another human being and eliminate one of the places he could find sustenance. Karmically, it might have been cheaper to invest in ear plugs.

]]> By: Aleta http://matadornetwork.com/life/beginners-guide-to-dumpster-diving/#comment-56698 Aleta Mon, 14 Feb 2011 15:30:34 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=809#comment-56698 I like how much activity has arose from this topic. When "WWOOF"-ing (world wide opps on organic farms) in Spain, I had my first dumpster diving experience. We walked to a nearby town and raked through the local grocery store's dumpsters, they called it "food rescue". Although I was a bit weary at first, we returned to the farm pretty pleased with ourselves with several perfectly good loaves of bread to share with the others. One man's treasure... I like how much activity has arose from this topic.
When “WWOOF”-ing (world wide opps on organic farms) in Spain, I had my first dumpster diving experience. We walked to a nearby town and raked through the local grocery store’s dumpsters, they called it “food rescue”. Although I was a bit weary at first, we returned to the farm pretty pleased with ourselves with several perfectly good loaves of bread to share with the others.
One man’s treasure…

]]> By: Matthew http://matadornetwork.com/life/beginners-guide-to-dumpster-diving/#comment-56336 Matthew Wed, 29 Dec 2010 01:13:33 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=809#comment-56336 I'm surprised you were approached by a policeman. You'd think by now it would be obvious what you were doing in the dumpster. I've gotten smart about my diving, and for the most part (especially if it's a store or business I'm diving), I both save it for the weekend and do it before 12 AM. Most businesses are closed on the weekends, and if it's a store, you can still get there before they open to pick. I've found some great stuff in the dumpsters - the best being over 200 T-Shirts that were destined for a hipster mall clothing store. They came from the screen printing company across the street from where I work. I was able to move all the ones I posted on the Free eBay (see the link in my name) very easily. The rest are in a container, and I'll likely sell them at a Yard Sale or post them on that site as well. Mostly, I've moved toward just collecting scrap metal at this point, as well as Coke product caps and boxes. Easy to make a profit off of that, and the Coke gets me free Cokes and/or free T-Shirts :) I always have my eyes open for a good construction dumpster (not to mention store closing sales which always lead to full dumpsters of amazing product they couldn't sell). Wish someone would create a site that tracked them all :D I’m surprised you were approached by a policeman. You’d think by now it would be obvious what you were doing in the dumpster.

I’ve gotten smart about my diving, and for the most part (especially if it’s a store or business I’m diving), I both save it for the weekend and do it before 12 AM. Most businesses are closed on the weekends, and if it’s a store, you can still get there before they open to pick.

I’ve found some great stuff in the dumpsters – the best being over 200 T-Shirts that were destined for a hipster mall clothing store. They came from the screen printing company across the street from where I work. I was able to move all the ones I posted on the Free eBay (see the link in my name) very easily. The rest are in a container, and I’ll likely sell them at a Yard Sale or post them on that site as well.

Mostly, I’ve moved toward just collecting scrap metal at this point, as well as Coke product caps and boxes. Easy to make a profit off of that, and the Coke gets me free Cokes and/or free T-Shirts :)

I always have my eyes open for a good construction dumpster (not to mention store closing sales which always lead to full dumpsters of amazing product they couldn’t sell). Wish someone would create a site that tracked them all :D

]]> By: scott http://matadornetwork.com/life/beginners-guide-to-dumpster-diving/#comment-56337 scott Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:11:00 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=809#comment-56337 Great article. I'd never dumpster dive for furniture these days, considering the bed bug epidemic sweeping across big cities. Groceries are a different matter. I've been meaning to give it a try but haven't yet found the nerve. Great article. I’d never dumpster dive for furniture these days, considering the bed bug epidemic sweeping across big cities. Groceries are a different matter. I’ve been meaning to give it a try but haven’t yet found the nerve.

]]> By: D Wheeler http://matadornetwork.com/life/beginners-guide-to-dumpster-diving/#comment-56335 D Wheeler Thu, 18 Nov 2010 21:55:49 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=809#comment-56335 I took a friend diving with us one night. She was afraid of being arrested. We were behind a parts store in a strip mall when the police came up doing their rounds. She was scared to death, I just told her not to worry, that we weren't doing anything wrong. Well, we were pulled over. The officer asked for my license, but before he looked at it, he asked what we were doing behind the stores. When I told him sheepishly, "dumpster diving", he just laughed and handed my license back and let us go. I took a friend diving with us one night. She was afraid of being arrested. We were behind a parts store in a strip mall when the police came up doing their rounds. She was scared to death, I just told her not to worry, that we weren’t doing anything wrong. Well, we were pulled over. The officer asked for my license, but before he looked at it, he asked what we were doing behind the stores. When I told him sheepishly, “dumpster diving”, he just laughed and handed my license back and let us go.

]]> By: D Wheeler http://matadornetwork.com/life/beginners-guide-to-dumpster-diving/#comment-52088 D Wheeler Thu, 18 Nov 2010 21:49:58 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=809#comment-52088 I loved your article. I was a bit concerned about picking stuff up off the curb! I've done this numerous times and never dreamed I could go to jail because it belonged to the city! I have found some new mattresses behind mattress stores that have thrown them out just because they got a tear in the mattress during shipment! I loved your article. I was a bit concerned about picking stuff up off the curb! I’ve done this numerous times and never dreamed I could go to jail because it belonged to the city!

I have found some new mattresses behind mattress stores that have thrown them out just because they got a tear in the mattress during shipment!

]]> By: Chris http://matadornetwork.com/life/beginners-guide-to-dumpster-diving/#comment-56056 Chris Sun, 24 Oct 2010 03:12:23 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=809#comment-56056 Hey, great article. Keep diving. Hey, great article. Keep diving.

]]> By: A http://matadornetwork.com/life/beginners-guide-to-dumpster-diving/#comment-55957 A Fri, 01 Oct 2010 01:29:51 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=809#comment-55957 Watch out for bedbugs especially in furniture ... those things are everywhere. Watch out for bedbugs especially in furniture … those things are everywhere.

]]> By: Will http://matadornetwork.com/life/beginners-guide-to-dumpster-diving/#comment-55919 Will Mon, 27 Sep 2010 06:15:17 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=809#comment-55919 few weeks ago i read a story in Yahoo that a man in NYC took an a/c from the trash left on the curb... the owner told him to take it, but the police said it was on the curd and therefor the city owned it and took him to jail with a fine of 2,000 and the inbound of his truck. in SF you can also be held for 3 days( this done not include weekends , as they are not really days, ask the court!) so your could get stuck for 5 days. the trash in sf is some of the best I have ever seen and I am not a diver at all! few weeks ago i read a story in Yahoo that a man in NYC took an a/c from the trash left on the curb… the owner told him to take it, but the police said it was on the curd and therefor the city owned it and took him to jail with a fine of 2,000 and the inbound of his truck. in SF you can also be held for 3 days( this done not include weekends , as they are not really days, ask the court!) so your could get stuck for 5 days. the trash in sf is some of the best I have ever seen and I am not a diver at all!

]]> By: Christina http://matadornetwork.com/life/beginners-guide-to-dumpster-diving/#comment-55776 Christina Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:22:06 +0000 http://matadorlife.com/?p=809#comment-55776 I wrote a story for Sierra Magazine a few years ago on my Dumpster diving experiences. Since then it has gotten harder and harder to find places to dive. Most trash bins are enclosed and well lit. If you can find a good place, grab it! http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200511/tr6.asp I wrote a story for Sierra Magazine a few years ago on my Dumpster diving experiences. Since then it has gotten harder and harder to find places to dive. Most trash bins are enclosed and well lit. If you can find a good place, grab it!

http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200511/tr6.asp

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