Dumpster diver shares photo of unbelievable find after first dive ever: 'I grabbed what I could'

A first-time dumpster diver took to Reddit to share the literal fruit — and veggies — of their maiden haul. 

"Took my first dive last night," the poster wrote alongside a photo of the box of produce. "Just a few bad apples per bag. The limes have some brown spots but are fine. Only one rotten onion. The oranges weren't in a bag anymore so I grabbed what I could." 

"Hooray for rescuing produce!" a fellow Redditor replied. 

"Great score!" another added. "FYI You can squeeze, strain, and pasteurize the lime juice, pour into small sterilised glass bottles while hot (the ones with metal, screw on lids, like old fashioned milk bottles but smaller) and keep it for months and months." 

Both comments hit on one of the main benefits of dumpster diving. Aside from providing goods for free, the practice can salvage what would otherwise end up in a landfill, potentially producing planet-warming pollution. 

Food waste is a particularly significant issue. Nearly 60 million tons of food is wasted annually in the United States alone, with global food waste at about  2.5 billion tons. Food is the most common item in landfills — even while millions of people suffer from food insecurity.

When done legally and with the necessary knowledge about health and safety precautions, dumpster diving can be a great way to keep perfectly good — even if not perfect — food out of the trash and on tables. 

While this diver didn't get a huge haul on their first attempt, others have had great success. It's not just food getting thrown out, either. 

Divers have found beauty products, pet food, electronics, and furniture. All perfectly good — all free. 

If you're not ready to dumpster dive, you can take steps to reduce waste at home, such as making the most of leftovers and food scraps, knowing your recycling options, and trading in old items. 

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Commenters on the first-time diver's post were full of encouragement. 

"Good for you — I'm still working up the nerve," one shared.

"You'll get there!" the OP replied. "I've been following this sub for a while and just finally did it. I'll be honest, if I had been alone, I probably wouldn't have. But now I know it's not a big deal and will go by myself." 

"Keep it up," another said. "There is so much to be [had out] there."

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