When a product has major defects, it's not surprising if it gets thrown away. However, some companies will toss items out for even the smallest defects, a wasteful practice that costs them and their customers money.
It can be a lucky break for anyone willing to sift through their trash, though, as this experienced dumpster diver just demonstrated.
What happened?
A Redditor posting in r/DumpsterDiving shared a photo of their latest find: a "$100 suitcase with tag still attached."
"Found this brand new Nicole Miller suitcase in one of my favorite dumpsters today," they said. "Tags attached, still full of tissue paper inserts."
According to the Redditor, the bag wasn't perfect. "I soon discovered the reason/issue — part of the zipper was stitched into the seam, keeping it from closing." But there was an easy fix: "A quick snip and it's good to go for my upcoming trip."
It's not clear whether the suitcase was thrown out by a business or an individual.
"Part of me loves this sub and all the great stuff we find and the other part is a angry at the waste of what is not found or simply what gets thrown away," one person commented. "Why just why but also YAY!"
Why does it matter if a piece of luggage ends up in the trash?
To stay profitable, businesses must account for any losses when deciding on their prices. That means that the more items they throw out, the higher their prices must be to compensate for it. Policies that encourage employees to throw out lots of products are inefficient and push prices higher.
Meanwhile, all the materials that went into the product will be wasted. Making a suitcase takes electricity for manufacturing, metal and plastic for the hard components, fabric, and more. Harvesting materials and generating more electricity can damage and pollute the planet, and the discarded suitcase takes up space in a landfill.
What is the company doing to reduce its impact?
According to the Good On You Directory, Nicole Miller is trying to use recycled materials to reduce its impact on the planet. Unfortunately, there's not much information available about the company's environmental policies or about the store where the original poster probably found this suitcase.
What can I do to help with waste?
Digging useful items out of the dumpster is a major help because you reduce the amount of garbage going to the landfill while reducing the demand for new items. Dumpster diving is legal across the U.S.
If you're looking for an easier alternative that still helps reduce waste, buying second hand and donating your old items to charities and thrift stores is an impactful option.
Finally, as this Redditor did, you can learn to repair your own clothing and other items so you can use them longer before throwing them away.
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