With miles worth of perfectly usable goods being thrown away regularly, finding unique and oftentimes expensive items feels like a million bucks.
Posting in the r/DumpsterDiving subreddit, one Reddit user detailed how they found a 500 euro (about $590) espresso machine while taking out their trash.
Though they weren't actively searching their apartment dumpsters, the fact that such a pricey and easily serviceable apparatus was thrown out shocked them. The machine became their newest, prized household appliance, and it was the envy of many other Reddit users on the thread who had paid hundreds for the same product.


Items like the espresso machine are consistently being tossed away by those who no longer want them or don't want to spend time fixing them up.
Though the machine needed a bit of fine-tuning, the OP was able to find the right parts for a fraction of what it would've cost to buy the whole thing brand new.
Oftentimes, trashed products that could go to someone who would need or want them instead go to landfills to rot, taking up more space and making more unnecessary waste as a result.
Stay warm all winter long with the Apple of intelligent space heaters![]() Kelvin is the Apple of space heaters, designed for energy efficiency and maximum comfort. It's completely silent and intelligently controlled, with setup taking just 5 minutes. Built from premium materials like aluminum and glass, Kelvin works beautifully as a full-home heating system or as the perfect solution for that one room that never feels warm enough. |
Even if taking a dive straight into full-on dumpster searching isn't applicable to some, simple searches around apartment trash areas or even neighborhood curbs can yield profitable results.
Beyond the aspect of those who could use others' unwanted items, throwing away things that are still salvageable contributes to the growing amount of unneeded waste constantly being produced.
Consumers are only a small part of the problem as well, in comparison to large companies that frequently toss out brand-new stock by the truckload.
This is usually because the products had gone out of style, the company had too much inventory, or they wanted to get tax breaks.
TCD Picks » Stasher Spotlight
💡Stasher's reusable food storage options make it easy and affordable to live life with less plastic
|
What's your primary motivation in shopping at thrift stores?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
It is crucial to hold corporations accountable for such waste and to help keep goods out of the trash and put them into the hands of those who'd use them. Supporting ethical, eco-friendly brands is a great way to contribute to the growing movement of changing how the world approaches waste disposal.
Users flooded the comments of the original Reddit post, with some poking fun at their own jealousy: "Imagine my surprise when I JUST ordered one yesterday … then [OP] finds my wishlist machine of 3 years in the trash with an easy fix."
Others congratulated the OP, saying, "I've got one of these and it's used daily. It's such a great machine," and "enjoy the premium coffee."
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.








