A dumpster diver doing a regular search was thrilled to unexpectedly strike gold — or, at least, gold-logo Adidas sneakers.
They shared a photo of the sneakers, which appear in excellent condition, on the subreddit r/DumpsterDiving. Along with the photo, they wrote: "They ain't perfect but they sure as heck weren't trash either."
"Those are slick," one commenter enthused. "Mind-boggling that someone threw those away."
There was one more heartwarming aspect to the story, too.
"They didn't fit me but they did fit my coworker, and he was thrilled when I brought 'em this morning," the original poster said. "I'll share what I find with him bc he's an older gent who's genuinely surprised what good stuff we find in the trash and thinks it's cool we dumpster dive to save money."
Other commenters were similarly thrilled by the discovery and the decision to pass along the gift.
"Nice save from the landfill and so lovely that you get to share the wealth," one person said.
While the name may sound somewhat unsavory, dumpster diving is a reliable and effective way to find everything from food to clothes, electronics, home goods, and more — completely for free.
Not only is it a fantastic way to save money, as the OP mentioned, but it's also a great way to keep perfectly usable items out of landfills, where they pollute the air, soil, and water.
🗣️ Should it be illegal to throw away old clothes?
🔘 Heck yes 👍
🔘 No way 👎
🔘 I'm not sure 🤷
🔘 Only if it's free to recycle them 🤌
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
"Wastefulness drives me bonkers," the OP wrote.
According to the nonprofit Feeding America, nearly 40% of all food in the U.S. goes to waste, and around half of that comes from the food industry. Many grocers and big-box retailers toss products while they're still perfectly good, including to clear room for even fresher products.
These things can be found completely for free — all you have to do is buy a pair of safety gloves and spend a little of your own time.
But food is hardly the only thing that gets tossed while it's still perfectly good. People have found everything from live plants to cleaning products, mini-fridges, skincare products, and more.
And if you're not ready to try dumpster diving just yet, shopping at thrift stores will also save you a ton on everything from kitchen mixers to jackets — though of course, no price is better than free.
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
