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50 Times Folks Didn’t Regret Going ‘Dumpster Diving’ Because They Scored True Treasures (New Pics)
You’ve probably seen someone rummaging through trash in your neighborhood, maybe hunting for bottles to recycle. But here’s the thing—sometimes, when people go dumpster diving, they find things so amazing, you’d think someone tossed out a treasure chest instead of garbage. Over on r/DumpsterDiving, people are sharing their most unbelievable finds, and we’ve rounded up some of the coolest ones to show you, Pandas. Curious to see what gems might be hiding in the trash? Keep scrolling!
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#1
Found In The Dumpster Tied In A Trash Bag. What A Sweet Soul As Well. Poor Thing
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#2
Live Animal In Petco Dumpster
I found this poor baby last night in the compactor at Petco in Alexandria, La!!! I really pray that they accidentally threw him out as there was bedding in a trash bag in the bin as well. If they did it on purpose, they’re disgusting.
#3
Found On Top Of Someone's Garbage
I was walking my dog with my fiance and we both stopped and said "what's that?". I realized it was an enameled cast iron and I love cast iron. Immediately knew this was a $150+ pan.
Maybe the thought they ruined it? Whatever was cooked on was very burned.
Two rounds of oven cleaner and some bleach to fix the discoloration and it's good as new.
If you take a moment and think about how often you throw things away each day; you might realize how much we rely on the trash can. From food scraps to packaging, a lot ends up in our bins.
On average, each person generates around 0.74 kilograms of waste per day, but depending on where you live, that number can range anywhere from 0.11 to a staggering 4.54 kilograms.
#4
10 Days Ago, I Found A Schwinn Delmar Frame In A Dumpster, And Gave It To My Neighbor. Yesterday, He Showed Me His Little 'Fix Up'
#5
I Finished That Stool I Found
#6
This Should Be Criminal…
Taking some to a group home & woman’s shelter tomorrow, keeping a few for care bags my daughter & I put together for homeless people we come across.
In 2023 alone, the world generated 2.1 billion metric tons of municipal solid waste—just imagine that for a second. You could quite literally cover the earth with that waste! Imagine if all that trash were spread out evenly; it would be enough to blanket the planet in layers of garbage.
Now, if that sounds like a lot, brace yourself, because it's projected to skyrocket to 3.8 billion tons by 2050. That's nearly double the amount of waste.
#7
$200 All Going To My Local Shelter
All good through the next year, so sad to see it in the trash.
Zoe's Mom 2 months ago (edited)
Honestly, don't dumpster dive food. Many times, they are tossed because of recalls due to one thing or another. You may be doing more harm than good. Go online and check the code to make sure it's okay to donate, give away. Same goes for cosmetics. Just a side note for those in the U.S. Purina also owns Taco Bell.
#8
My Best Find Yet! Rural Area, State Park
We added a big stick so they could climb out.
#9
I Saw A Box For A $2800 Espresso Machine On The Sidewalk In Trash Day… Kicked It, And Realized It Wasn’t Empty. And Inside Was A $1000 Espresso Machine Of The Same Brand
Auntriarch 2 months ago
We've got the posh one! (My brother was getting a new one) (yes he's a coffee monster)
However, not all waste comes from our homes. In fact, there are many different types of waste out there. For instance, hazardous chemical waste like industrial chemicals, paints, and certain cleaning products could threaten our health and the environment if disposed of recklessly. They can be incredibly harmful, even in small amounts.
#10
Found A Giant Nutcracker Head. Left It In The Bathroom For My Husband To Find When He Gets Up To Pee
#11
This Wasn't Even All Of The Plants
Laugh or not 2 months ago
I don't have a car, but I would have taken as many as I could and probably broken my back trying to take some more.
#12
But Wait! There'sh More!
There's 27 Nike and Under Armor bags here. All of them still have their tags. Most have random embroidery on the front but besides that, they're clean and in perfect condition.
Kirsten Kerkhof 2 months ago
That is the trouble with club/school gear - once it's embroidered or otherwise marked, it is worthless to anyone not connected with the school. And often it's really good quality gear too. That's why I don't ask my dancers to get anything apart from a T-shirt - I want them to use their bags outside of dance as well if they choose.
Then there’s the growing problem of electronic waste. With the rise of new technology, we’re throwing out more gadgets than ever before. The world produces around 50 million tons of e-waste each year. From old phones and laptops to broken TVs and kitchen appliances, these items are becoming a huge environmental issue.
#13
Update On Imac Find
I found this last week, what I thought was just a Mac display in the dumpster when I was moving. Plugged it in and it needed a mouse and keyboard to connect. Fast forward to this morning as I connected some that I ordered on Amazon and it popped right on and asked me to setup as new iMac, only had to connect with my Apple ID! Looked it up earlier this week and it’s a 2021 iMac, so crazy someone would just leave in the dumpster in recovery mode, but new iMac for me!
Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa) 2 months ago
I'm moving right now and I have a whole pile of old tech I'm planning to donate to Free Geek.
#14
Found In Neighbor’s Bagster
#15
Someone Threw Away This Huge Pack Of Toilet Paper!!!! Yes It’s The Cheapy Office Kind But I Literally Have None Right Now And It Is Such A Blessing 🤣
On a more natural note, we also have organic waste, which includes all sorts of biodegradable materials like food scraps, paper, and even some types of plastic. Instead of tossing these items in the trash, they can be composted to create nutrient-rich soil, which is great for growing new plants.
#16
Totally Pristine Box Set Just Sitting In The Recycling Bin At My University. I’m Amazed
Geoffrey Scott 2 months ago
College move out day can be pretty sweet. Golf clubs, furniture, grills...
#17
I’m Shaking Because I Feel Like I Did Something Illegal!
Got out the shower, looked out my balcony and saw someone had these by the curb. I’ve never run to my car faster!
Auntriarch 2 months ago
I'd dearly love a pair of these, they are such a price though, OP is a lucky bug indeed
#18
Tonight’s Find
We often forget about things that could be recycled or reused, like old furniture or household appliances. With a little creativity, household waste like an outdated lamp could find new life, reducing waste and giving us unique, repurposed items instead of more junk for the landfill.
#19
Found This While Dog Walking. I Have No Clue Why Somebody Would Throw Out A New Cast Iron Pan
Panda Pandemic 2 months ago
They probably didn't. I'm guessing with a lot of these items people accidentally threw them away and were not aware of what they were doing for whatever reason. The people that found them just got lucky to be on the receiving end of the discovery. I know I've throw away a few very important things in my life and didn't realize it until it was too late. I think that's the deal with some of these items being found.
#20
Somebody Was Throwing Out A Bunch Of 1973 Looney Tunes Glasses. I Couldn't Resist!
#21
Found This Perfectly Working Mini Fridge In My College’s Dumpster
I have a brother going to collage soon that will probably appreciate not having to spend 150$ for a new one.
So, we can do our part to minimize harm to the environment by reusing items in our homes instead of tossing them out. For instance, instead of throwing away glass jars, you can repurpose them as storage containers for spices or even as decorative flower vases. You could turn old shirts into cleaning rags.
#22
1970s Togo Sofa Set Found On "Large Items" Garbage Pick Up Day
Still can't believe it, especially because it's super clean with no rips, discoloration, tears and most importantly, it has no bed bugs haha! I left them outside for a close inspection and I vacuumed them, steam cleaned all the creases and folds and then did a preventive treatment with a product I got from a local exterminator!
For those who are not familiar, Togo sofas were launched by Ligne Roset in 1973 but are still produced and are in high demand.. a new set like this would cost north of $15 000cad with a long waitlist. It's definitely my best find ever!
#23
Over 330 Bars 😋😋
Only about 4 dozen are "expired" but who cares. I believe the worker or manager prob saw a couple exp in front and just dumped the whole row full assuming they were all out of date.
#24
1960s Viscol Bedroom Set Before And After I Found Them On The Side Of The Road!
In 2020, a staggering $252 billion was spent just to manage the world’s waste. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. When you add in the hidden costs—things like pollution, health problems, and the impact on our climate from improper waste disposal—the true cost was $361 billion.
#25
I Got 7 Kids So This Was A Score
#26
Would You Believe Me If I Said I Found All These Items Being Thrown Away On Trash Day In Rich Neighborhoods?
#27
Follow Up On The Lil Pig That Followed Me Home And Knocked On My Door
We all need to do our part to manage waste better. These posts remind us that many items don’t need to end up in the trash; if they’re still in good condition, they can be reused or repurposed! Which of these amazing dumpster dive finds impressed you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
#28
Found This 65” TV In The Dumpster In My Neighborhood
It wouldn’t power on. Took the motherboard out and baked it @ 400°F for 10 minutes. Works perfect now. Apparently this model has a solder issue that is solved by reflowing the solder in an over.
#29
Feeling Lucky Tonight…
#30
Gigantic Food Haul On One Of My First Dives! I Can't Believe My Luck, But Is It Safe To Eat The Meat, Milk, And Eggs?
#31
Sorry, Can't Type Much About Photo, Fingers Are Covered With Cheetos® Cheese
#32
Always Check Your Cards
#33
Laundry Detergent Score!!!
#34
A Year Ago I Found This 1950 Gm Frigidaire At The Dump
#35
Tonight’s Jackpot! 💸
5x 2x 200g Ribeyes from Free-Range Cattle, 8x Entrecôte from Free-Range Cattle, 3x 750g Buffalo Wings, 1x Pågen Loaf, & 10x BFree Gluten-Free and Dairy Free Bread! 🤩
I live in Denmark 🇩🇰, and it’s crazy that this kind of stuff gets thrown out! I’m a student, and I don’t have the money for that kind of meat, but the dumpster shouted for me, I went, and I looted!
Lara Verne 2 months ago
I'd be very careful with meat. It could be some issue with quality, and you don't know how long it was in the dumpster. Salmonella is not worth it.
#36
Brought This Home Last Night!
#37
Was Happy To See It Works! College Move Out Is Wild
Comment Deleted 2 months ago
I was not raised to toss stuff like this in the trash. We find someone in need or sell it.
#38
We Have Public Access “Convenience Centers” In My Town Where People Can Drop Off Whatever Garbage/Junk They Need To. Some Of The Things People Leave Behind Is Ridiculous Though
#39
$8,500 Meat & Cheese Haul
Entire car was filled to the brim with steaks, cheese, deli meats, and more. I could only haul about a 1/4 of what was there…
#40
Built The Kids A Village Of Playhouses, All Found On The Curbside, And Those Light Up Foam Batons Were Found Dumpster Diving :)
#41
Biggest Find I’ve Found To Date
Little back story/ I find things people are throwing out, clean them, and flip it for profit, we were moving out of our apartment and the last day I saw this and asked my girlfriend if she knew what a SNOO was she flipped when I told her what I had found. We picked it up took it home, got some swaddles to go with it to be able to test it and it worked perfect!! I took the entire thing apart cleaned it head to toe very thoroughly since I knew I could flip it for a big amount I’ve never made before on a single sell, I have it listed now and should sell between $600-$800.
Upstaged75 2 months ago
It's a bassinet that automatically responds by rocking/vibration when your baby gets fussy. They're super expensive.
#42
Found A Whole Bunch Of Old Fantastic Four Comics And Thousands Of Baseball Cards At My Local Malls Dumpster
#43
Before And After- All From The 99 Going Out Of Business
Also filled and rolled over a shopping cart of instant noodle soups to the Motel 6 many houseless people live in and stay near with a free sign.
There’s also another 2x3 box of coffee and cookie mix to fill the LFP again.
Mia Black 2 months ago
We have more and more of these sharing shelves in our area in Germany and I like it so much. Since I save for foodsharing i have a foldable box on my fence to put in what I want people to take. There are also several telegram groups to share saved or other foods like apples from your garden . I think this is fantastic. I still have to buy much food but the saved food dictates what to eat during the week and you have to become creative. And also more curious about food itself and when it goes bad (f.e. Joghurt is good even months after the printed date. You should look, sniff and taste first of course to verify but I always did this)
#44
About $1,000 Worth Of Electric Toothbrushes
#45
Found Two Wii’s, About 8 Controllers, Sleeves And A Bunch Of Other Wii Related Stuff At My Local Library
#46
Cats Eat For Free This Month
#48
Found $534.93 Worth Of Food!
#49
Found A Bunch Of USB, Sd Cards And Micro Sd Cards. Any Idea What To Do With Them?
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What do you think ?
Laugh or not 2 months ago
So much waste. I am glad some countries are passing laws that demand shops to give the food to food banks and the like. There are also websites where shops can post what they are going to throw away for people to collect and distribute.
BeesEelsAndPups 2 months ago
In the USA this is tricky. If anybody gets sick, there will be a lawsuit. It's why fast food places would rather throw away their leftovers, than give it away. They are afraid of litigation.
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PFD 2 months ago
I took out the paper recycling here in Prague and found the bin half full of bundled newspapers and magazines. I started to grab some for the fire and discovered a treasure trove of Czech(oslovak) curiosities. They included a couple of newspapers from the Russian invasion of 1968; a nearly complete run of the first 100 issues of Reflex, a political magazine; some scouting magazines from the brief period in 1969 when the scouts were revived before being banned again by the Communists; and various other bits & pieces. I guess someone died and their hoarded papers were just tossed out. I saved a bunch of the most interesting-looking stuff though there was far too much to keep it all. Pretty cool find though.
Freya the Wanderer 2 months ago
It's disgusting how much we throw away, especially food. What, I ask, is wrong with donating stuff you don't want to a reputable charity?
Laugh or not 2 months ago
So much waste. I am glad some countries are passing laws that demand shops to give the food to food banks and the like. There are also websites where shops can post what they are going to throw away for people to collect and distribute.
BeesEelsAndPups 2 months ago
In the USA this is tricky. If anybody gets sick, there will be a lawsuit. It's why fast food places would rather throw away their leftovers, than give it away. They are afraid of litigation.
Load More Replies... PFD 2 months ago
I took out the paper recycling here in Prague and found the bin half full of bundled newspapers and magazines. I started to grab some for the fire and discovered a treasure trove of Czech(oslovak) curiosities. They included a couple of newspapers from the Russian invasion of 1968; a nearly complete run of the first 100 issues of Reflex, a political magazine; some scouting magazines from the brief period in 1969 when the scouts were revived before being banned again by the Communists; and various other bits & pieces. I guess someone died and their hoarded papers were just tossed out. I saved a bunch of the most interesting-looking stuff though there was far too much to keep it all. Pretty cool find though.
Freya the Wanderer 2 months ago
It's disgusting how much we throw away, especially food. What, I ask, is wrong with donating stuff you don't want to a reputable charity?
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