At a favorite search spot, one lucky dumpster diver struck gold … or rather, struck computer screens.
"Not bad for a day at ye olde gettin' spot," they posted on the subreddit r/DumpsterDiving, including a photo of the multiple Apple computer monitors they had found. "Thunderbolt Display, 27" Cinema Display (cracked), and 2 24" cinema displays."
Commenters were impressed. "Holy cow!" one person said.
But the best part, the original poster shared, was this: "Annnd they all work," they boasted.
"That's wild!!" one commenter enthused.
For many, the words "dumpster diving" might evoke images of rooting through disgusting trash bins — but that's far from the case. In fact, the experience of this dumpster diver is much more common than you might think.
Office buildings, college campuses, and major retail stores are all notorious for having plentiful offerings when it comes to snagging free finds. Searchers have shared stories of finding everything from minifridges after college move-out days to an abundance of holiday-themed pet items after the holidays. And often, these finds are simply sitting on a curb, rendering the "diving" portion entirely metaphorical.
But the benefits of dumpster diving aren't just limited to big finds, like furniture or computers. Many people reliably find clothing and even food that's been discarded. And because many stores and grocers actually toss food prior to its best-by date, much of this food is still perfectly good and would otherwise go to waste.
That's another reason dumpster divers love what they do: Not only is it cheap and affordable for them to refresh their home decor or stock up on nonperishable food items, but it keeps all of those items from going straight to the landfill. And considering how incredibly pollutive landfills are — releasing tons of planet-heating gases, microplastics, and other chemicals into the air, soil, and water — anything that can be done to keep landfills smaller is a boon to the entire planet.
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Cheaper clothes 🤑 But if dumpster diving still feels out of reach for you, check out secondhand marketplaces and resources like clothing reseller ThredUp, Facebook Marketplace, or local thrift stores. Or simply try going for a walk or a drive around the neighborhood on large item pickup day … you never know what you might find.
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