i am a plimate but would like to remain anonymous.

i went to goodwill tonight. there was a trash compactor and around the trash compactor there was a lot of random stuff. goodwill has too much stuff and they cant put it all in their store so they throw it away. its amazing how much goes to waste. i found some shoes and a hiking bag in mint condition and some other odds and ends. i was thinking about doing this every weekend and having a yard sale every couple of months. there is a lot of really good stuff out there and its just going to be crushed into cubes so its not like im taking anything that they potentially could make a profit off of. im just taking their trash. i know this is trespassing but i dont think its a very serious offense. i wouldnt get caught twice though. i would appreciate different perspectives on this.

As long as Goodwill had trashed it, I think you're fine. Nice choice with the DIY section. Lol.

Quick Google search brought up these sites:






Those are probably worth a look.

I would agree with you. This however doesn't mean it's completely safe. In general, cooperations don't like people rummaging in garbages for legal reasons.

As long as anything is in a location that is considered it is considered trash it becomes public property. Useful knowledge when trying to get rid of anything incriminating. DON'T THROW IT IN THE TRASH! Anybody can take it then.

I refuse to give donations to Good Will because of their policies on getting rid of merchandise.

My mother wanted to buy a table that was outside waiting to be compacted and was willing to pay more then what they were asking when it was on the floor, but because it was set to be trashed they refused to sell it to her and compacted it while she watched. I'm sure somebody donated that table assuming it would go to a good cause - not the the landfill. I've heard similar accounts from other friends: seeing perfectly good donations being thrown away.

My family and I now only donate to St Vincent De Paul, which takes all extra merchandise they can't sell to Mexico and give it to poor families that really need it.

Long story short - if it's in their trash I think you have every right to take it, especially since they wouldn't take your money for it anyways.

I wouldn't dispute what your saying about St. Vinnies sending stuff to Mexico, but, I used to make regular runs to the dump with a friend that worked at a St. Vinnies, with a large van load of clothing and other stuff. I carried quite a few things home on most of the dump runs.

One thing to consider is the homeless people who use dumpster diving as a way to survive, They can become really territorial and you might find your self in harms way quite quickly.

this is a pity ... and at least the good will stores around here just can't tell the difference what is actually trash and what isn't. frequently, there is broken s**t on the shelves. it doesn't work, it's falling apart, it's filthy and rotting out. you want somebody to pay thirty dollars for this? the other week, my local goodwill had a lava lamp on the shelf. the top had broken off - meaning, an exposed sharp glass edge - and all the liquid inside had emptied out. it had a five dollar price tag. i s**t you not.

I think there should be legislation that if someone is offering to take and use your garbage THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED. your doing the world a good deed - all the best. if u selling it than maybe u owe the orignal owner some incidental cost like 20% - like for costs, security when u / others come inside their area to take away stuff.


keep it up but i suggest go legal even if it takes more time.

If their dumpster is in a private lot (behind a fence etc.) it's still theirs. You are trespassing and stealing. It doesn't matter if someone stores something in a dumpster, it's still theirs until the trashman cometh.

If they put their garbage on a sidewalk to be taken away, it's public property. Police, dumpster divers, journalists... all have found items in someones 'trash' at the curb and have used it for their own gains LEGALLY.

This is the reason most corporations keep their dumpsters under lock / behind a fence / inside their building until it's ready to go straight into a compator.

Don't do anything illegal, you never know when you might want to run for office. :)

You could always ask for their permission... but then again, my boss says it's better to beg forgiveness than ask permission sometimes. (He was referring to HIS supervisor, not mine. :^)

As far as garage sales go, I hope you have good luck with them. I never have and am about over the urge.

Most companies don't seem to mind people at their dumpsters, although some will not permit diving due to potential liability issues.

There are also dumpsters, usually rolloffs, solely for scrap. The scrap company comes by periodically and pays for the scrap. They get very upset if someone is caught stealing out of the scrap metal container.

There is a whole subculture that gets by this way.

I would really like to know what happens to those delicious cheesecakes that don't get sold. Haven't had the temerity to check Walmarts dumpster though, as I suspect they are the type of company that may frown upon such behavior.

Don't ask how I know these things.

I know Starbucks and some grocery stores, like Kroger, donate their unsellable-but-still-edible desserts and breads to homeless shelters.

I've heard quite a few times reports of Goodwill and Salvation Army etc. faced with huge garbage disposal bills because so many people dump their filthy, useless, disgusting, broken s**t off thinking some poor person wants their puke-stained tshirt and destroyed TV. It closed down one salvation army on Vancouver Island a few years ago. So I would think you would actually be helping them just a little bit in reducing their garbage bill.

Walmart uses a trash compactor, as do most of the mega corporations.

Yep

You need to read about Freeganism:

It's people who dumpster dive by choice to make a political statement about how much is wasted.

I would totally take it, IF the store was closed. But really, the people in there making minimum wage could probably care less about you taking something. It's less for them to throw in the compactor.

I think it's against their policy for liability reasons. But, your chances of getting caught or anyone actually doing more than asking you to leave are pretty slim. It's a shame how much is wasted and what lengths some will go to to continue wasting more.