If you're looking to curb spending, avoid adding to landfills, and bring home a mint-condition appliance, it may be time to consider dumpster diving. That's what one Redditor did, and they posted about their good-as-new Frigidaire can fridge that barely takes up space.
Now they can always have a cool drink on hand and do it in style. "Works good figure I'll use it for glass bottle cokes," they wrote. A commenter shared their similar luck: "I found a little Diet Coke one not long ago and it works but also does warming!"
Other people have had good luck saving appliances and tech devices from hundreds or even thousands of years of slow deterioration in a trash heap. An electric mini bike retailing for $379.99, a five-tray food dehydrator one would purchase for about $35 to $70, and a mini keyboard are just some of the usable discoveries that were discarded only to become a dumpster diver's treasure.
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Not enough time ⏳ According to the EPA's most recent information (from 2017), roughly 9 million refrigerators/freezers go into the trash instead of the recycling bin annually. Appliances contain toxic elements like Chlorofluorocarbons, lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium, etc., that harm the environment when sitting in a landfill, per sustainable service provider RTS. So, a dumpster diver can save some cash and the planet by salvaging one of these appliances.
Whether it's your first dive or you're an experienced collector, always do so safely. Protect your body with long sleeves and gloves. Instead of grabbing items with bare hands and risking cuts from sharp objects, use a grab stick. Wash everything off when you get home, and don't forget to scout your area for safety and better finds. College campuses — especially at the end of the semester — office buildings, and department stores are prime locations, according to many experienced dumpster pros.
Finding an abandoned fridge may be more common than one would think. One person said, "Sweetness. I found a much uglier fridge that was not working but the metal recyclers got excited when I brought it in. I wonder if they fixed it. I'm happy for you."
Another raved, "Looks mint new! Congrats!"
However, one person may need to reconsider their garbage-picking strategy. "I never find good s***," they lamented.
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