Dumpster Diving Tips

Here are a few of my techniques on getting good quality things out of the garbage

Cardboard

• Look for a covered dumpster/recycling bin
• Start looking around where you work or live – often you can find some great stuff close to home
• Don’t be afraid of security – they probably aren’t going to bother you (they haven’t bothered me yet)
• Only take what you can carry easily
• Neighbourhood recycling bins are good for lightweight cardboard – but aren’t so great for large pieces or heavyweight cardboard
• Stores are the best places to find good cardboard –the best place to check is behind sports stores and appliance stores, they often have large pieces of cardboard which aren’t too banged up, and usually there isn’t the food residue problem.
• You can always ask store staff for extra boxes – usually they will give them too you.
• The best time of day to get cardboard is late in the afternoon – the stocking of shelves and opening of deliveries has been done and the stuff outside is nice and fresh
• Rain is your nemesis  - so try to get some on a nice clear day
• Smell it before you take it home
• The best stuff is usually on top -  the stuff underneath is usually quite crushed or might have some old yucky residue on it from the garbage bin
• Go out the night before recycling is collected… there is bound to be some fun stuff in people’s recycling bins

Other Items

• Go for a walk and look around your neighbourhood – there is often lots of great stuff lying out by the garbage – yours for the taking
• For furniture start looking around the end of the month – especially in and around apartment buildings (people abandon some really great stuff)
• if your neighbourhood has a ‘large item’ pick up day – go out the night before and scoop up any wonderful things that would go to landfill
• Take a friend who is equally excited about dumpster diving – taking someone who thinks its ‘gross’ will put a damper on the fun!
• If you are uncertain if you want it – take it anyhow and live with it for a little while and if you then still don’t want it – put it out for someone else to discover or post it on your local ‘freecycle’ noticeboard
• If you are putting things out for other people – put it out the day after garbage day, and put up a little sign which notates that it is free for the taking