Dumpster diver hits mother lode with boxes upon boxes of unopened merchandise: 'This haul would last a family for years'

It's surprising to see how much food, clothing, and other products are simply thrown away. Grocery stores will toss items after their sell-by dates, even if the products are nowhere near expiration. 

One Redditor shared their recent dumpster diving haul on the r/DumpsterDiving subreddit. There, they posted pictures of dozens of containers of cookies, candy, granola bars, coffee pods, condiments, noodles, clothing, and more. 

"What a big waste," the original poster wrote. "Found cases upon cases of this stuff unopened yesterday. I didn't take a third of what was in there."

"I'm so glad you rescued all this. The amount of food waste from stores is insane," one Redditor replied.

"Not a waste if you grabbed it all. You're putting this stuff to good use," another person commented.

Dumpster diving used to be seen as something you only do out of desperation. But with the rise of awareness around how many perfectly good items are thrown out by stores, thanks to videos on YouTube and TikTok, everyday people are throwing on their closed-toed shoes and gloves and going treasure hunting in nearby dumpsters.

Dumpster diving has a few risks that are important to note. While it is legal in the United States and Canada, the dumpsters must be on public property. 

Regional trespassing laws also differ depending on where you live and whether you're diving at a mall or in an alleyway. Make sure you do your research before you attempt to dumpster dive in your area.

A few safety tips to consider are to never grab food that isn't in a sealed package, wear thick gloves to protect yourself from everything from mold to broken glass, and bring appropriate grabbing tools so you do not hurt yourself while digging in deep bins.

What's the most common reason you end up throwing away food? Bought more than I could eat 🛒 Went bad sooner than I expected 👎 Forgot it was in the fridge 😞 Didn't want leftovers 🥡 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

If you are looking to save money or reduce waste in your area as landfills fill up, dumpster diving is a great option. It has helped everyday people find quality furniture and groceries. 

If you get lucky, you may just find yourself in the same position as the OP, with months' worth of candy and snacks.

"This haul would last a family for years," one Redditor said. 

"Thanks for saving it all," another Redditor wrote.

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