It's often shocking how much useful material people discard. But it's a candle next to the sun compared to how many usable resources businesses throw out. A Redditor who posted a recent find on the "r/DumpsterDiving" subreddit is a prime example.
"That's a huge score" was one of many thunderstruck reactions in the comment section.
The number of snacks, pet food, canned goods, and treats is too much to list, all bound for a landfill while the homeless and less fortunate struggle to find meals on a day-to-day basis.
In a landfill, all of these things would have contributed to pollution and methane emissions, for no particular reason other than the business didn't see any value in them.
Dumpster diving may not seem appealing at first glance, but it can be quite a lucrative hobby, especially considering the sheer volume of waste.
Perfectly usable and consumable products often end up in a dumpster for every reason imaginable, such as packaging with a minor defect or a weed whacker with a faulty spark plug shipped to a local lawn retailer.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, municipal solid waste exceeded 260,000,000 tons in 2018, on an upward trajectory covering nearly 60 years.
The worst part is that "waste" often doesn't equal "useless." These potential resources could end up in a garage, pantry, an empty belly, or a landfill, where it does no one any good. Consumers can save a lot of money with nothing more than a passing glance at a dumpster.
Of course, dumpster diving is a gray area in terms of legality, depending on local ordinances or state laws. It pays to check laws and look for signs while avoiding locked or gated areas, especially those with "No Trespassing" warnings.
The benefits are certainly there for those willing to disregard social decorum. "I used to dive a Cost Plus World Market in Santa Barbara and get hauls like this on a weekly basis," one commenter noted.
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