Dumpster diver shares photo of surprising discovery in store trash: 'Keep some for yourself'

"One man's trash is another man's treasure" is one of the most famous aphorisms in the English language. 

It's usually used metaphorically. But on occasion, its original, literal meaning still rings true, as was the case in a recent post on the Dumpster Diving subreddit.

"Snack time," read the caption of the post, which displayed a picture of the OP's haul— featuring dried meat, a dog pillow, soft drinks, detergent, and more.

The dumpster diving subreddit can be a useful resource. It documents divers' finds and highlights the large amounts of perfectly good food and materials stores throw out regularly.

These goods are at risk of ending up in landfills, exacerbating an already horrendous trash problem in the U.S.

The Environmental Protection Agency has stated, "U.S. landfills released an estimated 119.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent of methane into the atmosphere in 2022; this represents 17.1 percent of the total U.S. anthropogenic methane emissions across all sectors."

The Environmental Defense Fund also reported that methane has 80 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide. This makes methane a huge factor in the rapid rise of global temperatures and increased extreme weather conditions.

Dumpster diving is one way for individuals to combat the scourge of landfills, overconsumption, and general waste. But the practice can have legal consequences, particularly if it occurs on private grounds. 

For those who follow best practices, however, dumpster diving can provide diverse benefits — including reducing waste and sourcing free items. 

Commenters were very excited about the OP's haul.

Would you be more likely to shop at a store that paid you for your old stuff? Absolutely 💯 Only if they make it easy 😎 Depends on the store 🤔 Nope 👎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"Pass some around to everyone on the street! Even keep some for yourself," one user wrote. "That big haul of beef jerky/sticks I would be stoked to find that's a fav snack of mine."

"My God that's one heck of a haul," a jealous commenter responded. "Wow"

"Free dried meat would make me happy," read another top response.

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