dumpster diving

Dumpster diving: it's not just for hobos! In fact, a growing community of freegans and environmental activists have taken to foraging for their food, clothing, furniture, building supplies, and everything else in lowly (but frequently fruitful) garbage receptacles. In this way, most hope to make better use of items that would otherwise be wasted, while gaining access to things they might not otherwise be able to afford.

Dumpstering is illegal in some parts, and carries a strong stigma in most cities; nonetheless, it is widely practiced and in some cases welcomed by businesses. While most dumpster divers simply wait until a store or bakery has closed before surreptitiously plundering their refuse, some have entered into agreements with local businesses, who donate their day-old, damaged, or expired goods willingly.

Still, this lifestyle is not for the faint of heart. If you want to eat for free, you'll most likely end up climbing inside a dumpster or two. In urban areas, things could get dangerous. Do your research, understand the limits of legality in your area, and find other freegans to work with; once you know how to begin, you'll be pleasantly surprised to see how much is available to those in need.

by Jessica Reeder Are you a writer, passionate about this or any other topic? Join Blogcritics!

Latest blogosphere posts tagged “dumpster diving”

• Big Government: Hey, guess who dumped 20K documents in a dumpster?

  
  Moe Lane — Authority: 667
  Nine days after there was an announcement that their group was going to be investigated?  Yup, that’s right: ACORN.  San Diego office – just before California AG Jerry Brown came to visit.  Alas, if only somebody had had the foresight to wait for this sort of thing to happen, and retrieve the documents… ...
  4 days ago

• Big Government: Hey, guess who dumped 20K documents in a dumpster?

  
  RedState — Authority: 814
  Nine days after there was an announcement that their group was going to be investigated? Yup, that’s right: ACORN. San Diego office - just before California AG Jerry Brown came to visit. Alas, if only somebody had had the foresight to wait for this sort of thing to happen, and retrieve the documents… Oh. ...
  4 days ago

• Pursue your happiness. Government is NOT there to give it to you!!

  
  InvestmentWatch — Authority: 156
  “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”. This is our U.S. Declaration of Independence almost completely written by Thomas Jefferson, July 1776. ...
  1 week ago

• #48: Mini Holiday Cabin

  
  Fine Diving in Chicago — Authority: 120
  There are societies and groups around the country devoted to miniatures of everything from teeny baskets of flowers to books no larger than 3 inches in size.  When put together, some of the miniatures resemble those Swiss chalet barometers, where the milkmaid comes out to indicate sunshine, and the lederhosen-clad ...
  1 week ago

• Boston’s Best Thrift? $1-A-Pound at the Garment District.

  
  Uprooted, an eco-travel blog — Authority: 411
  By the time I reached Boston, I’d been on the road for ten months. I’d already worn through a pair of boots , and repacked my entire bag with summer clothes. But one thing that happens when you’re traveling is that clothes just don’t last as long. Part of it was due to the fact that I was washing things ...
  2 weeks ago

• Dumpster Diving for Twilight

  
  MuchMusic.com | Blog — Authority: 443
  I don’t know about you guys and gals, but If I found the sequel script for Twilight , I would have not returned it without full benefits. (cough, what would you do?) But it seems like Casey Ray is paying much more for her ‘good’ deed. Owner of a beauty store in St. Louis, Missouri, Ray was waiting around for ...
  2 weeks ago

• Jewels from the Sidewalk

  
  Ornamento — Authority: 110
  I walk to and from work every day and I constantly scan the sidewalk for treasures I can use to make something. Trash day is the best day of the week!!! Awhile ago, I wrote about making lampworked beads from glass I found on the sidewalk . Now I have added brown beer bottles to my cobalt blue wine and aqua Bombay ...
  2 weeks ago

• This Mans Only Savior Is Death

  
  Gucci Little Piggy — Authority: 131
  In this neck of the woods, its commonplace to assume that only the younger generation of men - those in their 40s and below - suffer the brunt of dilapidated marital conditions and evil wives. This news story from the NY Daily Observer shows that men of all ages are doomed. Beefy shrew fingers Angelo Percolo ...
  2 weeks ago

• So the Thing That Separates Me From Fred Sanford is What?

  
  An Inch of Gray — Authority: 117
  My name is Anna See and I have a problem with CHAIRS. Today we will take a tour into the seemy underbelly of the See household to discover just how many chairs Ive accumulated over the years. Prepare yourself for lots of dog hair, Legos, bad paint jobs, bad judgment and even worse photography. Note: no dust ...
  2 weeks ago

• City-dwellers can find adventure in dumpster dining

  
  The Temple News — Authority: 560
  From the Center City high rises to the sidewalks of North Philadelphia, columnist Sarah Sanders thinks there’s a thrill to be found in the quest for second-hand food.
  3 weeks ago

• Oh how I love the gree paper dumpsters

  
  WeUseCoupons.com — Authority: 513
  Oh my goodness what a jackpot we hit last night. We have one in town and the lady that delivers our early papers dumps them there. Man did she have extra this week plus she dropped 2 bundles from last week. So more meter coupons. Yippeee thats 50 more coupons. For this week there was 6 bundles which means 150 pg ...
  3 weeks ago

• The Long, Long Coffee Table

  
  Fine Diving in Chicago — Authority: 120
  Found Item: Wood coffee table close to five feet long Where: In the alley across the street from me.  Some ambitious decorators live in the vintage condo building up the block.  They move furniture in and out, carry up boxes with new kitchen cabinets and lumber possibly to make their closets more ...
  4 weeks ago

• OMG yeah baby!! ty ty ty dumpster gods!!

  
  WeUseCoupons.com — Authority: 513
  i got over 40 redplums from 10/25 ALL with meter coupons in them!! :atnight: i am soooo set!! yeah:superhero:
  4 weeks ago

• Three New Finds

  
  Fine Diving in Chicago — Authority: 120
  Three possibilities for a makeover this week. This chair was found in the alley behind a hotel.  It was discarded because of the worn spots on the arms, so it needs a new cover but the springs and stuffing appear sound.  An Ikea cotton print or a mohair remnant salvaged by Modern Fabrics ? This one ...
  4 weeks ago

Comments about dumpster diving