What is Dumpster Diving?

Throughout the years and centuries, human population has created an immense industrial system that has a sole primary goal – providing the sustainability for the ever-growing human population.

The industrial system produces unimaginable amounts of final products that are necessary for human consumption and viability.

However, as a side-effect of industrial activities and human consumption, large amounts of diverse waste products and leftovers get created also.

Recommended Read: top 10 metal detectors to buy in 2020.

The waste management has become very hard task, where many materials get discarded, although they often represent hidden treasure in a full meaning of the phrase.

Commonly known as salvaging, scavenging, totting, dumpster skipping, trash digging, dumpster dive represents any activity related to modern-day waste reprocessing and/or recycling any primary or secondary waste.

It is a very common phenomena in agglomerations, big cities or densely populated centers. The phenomena have multiple positive and negative repercussions.

Positive Repercussions

When talking about the positive repercussions of dumpster diving, the first thing that crosses an average person’s mind is – Recycling the materials.

Recycling represents a complex procedure where waste is managed in a specific way, regulated by distinct laws and guidelines, in order to transfer the garbage into reusable materials.

The economic benefits of recycling represent potentially very large market for reprocessing the PVC, metallic, biomass and other materials.

Ecological Benefits

Moreover, even more, important positive effects are ecologically related ones. We have all witnessed that even young kids know the facts about the devastation the industry of raw materials has done to our planet in the last 100 years or so.

With dumpster diving as the first step in recycling the materials, the entire industry could potentially be grown on it. In order for the dumpster diving processes to take the full shape of a regulated employment activity, many laws and guidelines have to be edited.

Negative Side-Effects of Dumpster Diving

Many people whose main occupation is illegal dumpster diving behave in a very negligent way, causing the situations where potentially dangerous and hazardous waste gets released into the environment.

The effect is most noticeable in densely populated areas, where the risk of contagion may be very high if the waste is not handled in a regulated and appropriate manner.

The appropriate handling requires specific official procedures, tools, and equipment, that is usually not affordable to the homeless people – The people that make the most of the dumpster diving individuals.

Metal Scrapping

The phrases scrapping, metal scrapping or metal collection covers a wide variety of activities with the primary intention of recycling waste metal or metallic raw materials.

Since copper, iron, aluminum, brass, cobalt and other metals have a decent/high price on the secondary raw material market, metal crapping can be a very high-income occupation.

 Food Gleaning

Food gleaning represents a wide variety of procedures intended to recycle the scrap food products. Some of them are pastry, fruits, vegetables, meat, and others.

10 Best Places to Dumpster Dive

In a hypothetical situation where the dumpster diving is clearly regulated by law, and if the person gets an official permission to dumpster dive along with the necessary tools and equipment, the best places to do it would be the following:

1. Rich Neighborhoods

Since wealthy people show a tendency to refresh their living areas with up-to-date and newly designed appliances, throwing away decent and reusable assets.

2. Mega Markets

The mega-market store corporations manage very large amounts of food and other products that get thrown away even though they can be used as the second class products.

3. Electronic Markets and Factories

Due to the technological growth, any technology that is not up-to-date gets thrown away since there is no one interested in buying it.

Considering that the introduction of outdated technology into the poor classes of population would be very beneficial, Electronic markets represent a great opportunity for dumpster diving.

4. Infrastructural Building Sites

When a road is built or reconstructed, many building materials get thrown away. However, creative individuals can, for example, use asphalt chunks to make very expensive and beautiful mosaic pavements.

5. Florist Shops

Many second class flowers and plants can be used creatively to make expensive decorations.

6. Construction Lots

Places, where a private owner or a company is constructing a building, represent a true treasure hunt place since much of ceramic, metallic and plastic waste can be reused.

7. Demolition Lots

Many owners that wish to deconstruct a degraded building offer the deal – “Destroy for free – take the materials for free.” The deal represents an agreement where a company deconstructs or demolishes an existent building, cleaning the lot for the future purpose. In return, they can re-purpose the scrap materials.

8. Grocery Markets

Corner-markets that usually throw away second class fruits and vegetables in a decent way, ready to be used by the low-income people.

9. Bakery Stores

Since most of the bakeries are proud on their fresh and frisky products, at the end of the day, large quantities of the second class pastry is at the giveaway.

10. Wood Processing Plants

Wood waste represents a potential heating source for the low-income families. Moreover, creative individuals use the wood leftovers to make unique and expensive artistic products.

Important Notice – Legal Status

 We noticed lot of people asking questions such as this on forums and other social sites.

Is dumpster diving illegal in Texas?

According to the The Texas Trial Attorney

It all comes down to Texas court rulings, which state that an object thrown in the trash is not truly abandoned until it is collected by waste management.

In simple term, dumpster diving is illegal in Texas.

And if you are happen to asking this same question about your state and/or city, then better check your local regulations, few cities in United States of America have Laws that make dumpster diving illegal.

Recommended Accessories for Dumpster Divers

Proper Security measures should be taken while going for dumpster diving, apart from security there are some necessary and optional equipment are good to have with you. Listed below are some of the equipment you should consider buying.

1. Headlamp Flashlight – Use the head lamps to keep both your hands free when you’re working on a project in the garage. IPX4 water resistant, rechargeable headlamp for quick and fast turnaround.

2. Hand Gloves – Hands safety is utmost when you are going in garbage bins and other dirty places. This  is an excellent for outdoor dumpster diving.

3. Long Sleeve Coverall Work Suit – This is a perfect work suit built with thick breathable material for last long and you can go any dirty or grubby place without making your body/inner cloths pollute.

4. Plastic Bags – Useful for taking all the (valuable) items you found while searching.

In the End

In general Considering the modern layout of the neighborhoods, many dumpsters and dumpster designated areas are located within private properties.

Badly informed or negligent dumpster divers and scrapers unintentionally trespass into the private lots, what can be identified as a serious crime.

Ever-growing problem related to the dumpster diving is the vandals that create damage to the ones locked dumpsters and surroundings, in order to gain access to the regularly inaccessible areas.

It is worth mentioning that dumpster diving is legal in most parts of the United States of America.

However, there are certain local communities that outlaw it. Finally, trespassing into the private property is a serious crime, as is the negligent management of hazardous waste.

Recommended Read:  How to Find Gold in your Backyard.