One company's trash turned into a payday for a dumpster diver — for at least one trip.
Before being kicked off the property, the lucky diver pulled in $600 from resales, plus a new iPhone 12 and other electronics, from a downsizing office. The post struck a nerve because it highlighted how much usable tech and office equipment businesses still throw away.
Here's what to know
On r/DumpsterDiving, the poster described their haul from an office that appeared to be an inmate transportation company.
"Here's what I got before being kicked off of the property," their post's title read.
The premises seemed to be staffed around the clock, which made another trip seem too risky because it could bring "a lot of criminal charges," they added.
That conclusion came amid a return visit they described on Reddit — during which a woman came outside and ordered them to leave as soon as they arrived.
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The replies reflected two views of the situation: anger over usable goods being tossed and arguments that businesses worry about trespassing and securing confidential records.
"This office is not even .4 miles from a goodwill," the original poster lamented.
"They actually have a legitimate reason for not wanting people digging through their trash — companies accidentally (due to negligence) dispose of tons of confidential/proprietary information that could potentially result in all sorts of trouble for them," another Reddit user speculated.
More background
In the comments, one user said they work in the IT asset disposition/recycling space — they were less concerned with data security and more with what was being discarded like normal trash.
"Throwing e-waste in the dumpster is actually illegal in 28 states now, and honestly for good reason," the user explained.
"Aside from the obvious environmental mess, lithium batteries are a nightmare right now - they cause fires at transfer stations and landfills all the time," they continued, referencing a massive ongoing problem in the waste collection business.
What can be done?
The user who warned about e-waste further asserted that properly sorting trash is crucial.
"If you drop it at a legitimate recycler, you get proper data sanitization and a paper trail so you don't have to worry about old hard drives floating around."
The original poster also said some businesses found dumpster divers useful.
"What's funny is some business[es] welcome me and actually call me to grab stuff because they'll [save] money by freeing up more dumpster space. Other corporations are just douchebags I guess," they added in a comment.
Commenters remained staggered by the haul's value.
"That chair is a Steelcase Amia and is worth about $1000 new. Crazy they just toss that stuff away. Legendary come up sir," a user stated.
Where can I learn more?
Cases like this keep popping up when businesses clear out usable goods during remodels, office cleanouts, and day-to-day operations.
The finds can include everything from pricey electronics to everyday products and food, reminding us why these hauls spark outrage over waste and debate over the rules around diving.
• During a store remodel, a diver found something unexpected in the dumpster instead of donations.
• Someone pulled expensive electronics trashed by a store from a commercial dumpster.
• A HomeGoods dumpster haul showed they simply discard goods despite obvious resale value.
• A cafe left a shocking amount of post-holiday items piled in the trash.
• At a Safeway, a massive food haul looked like months of groceries for one household.
That tension helps explain why abandoned inventory and equipment keep attracting dumpster divers even as businesses cite safety, privacy, and liability risks. Better donation and recycling practices would keep a lot more usable goods out of dumpsters in the first place.
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