DUMPSTER DIVE (6 min read)
When I used to do alot of grass or should I say Landscaping and lawn maintenance, there was a particular store that I looked after that always had a gold mine. It never let me down and I’ve still to this day check out my secret stash. Well as you can tell by the title, they would have a 40 yard dumpster out back a few times a year. Now a 40 yard dumpster is approximately 22 feet long by 8 feet high and 8 feet wide.
Wow ! That’s a lot of garbage
Except it wast always garbage, the first time I seen it at the back of the store I was curious so I looked inside. And OMG , there was all kinds of items from inside this store. Still good and could have easily been donated or sold, even at a discount.
Some of the items I found and saved from the landfill are 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
BBQ -This BBQ was probably a floor model but other than a broken handle , that I fixed for $5 nothing was wrong with it. I used it for 4 years with no issues and gave it to a guy at work that loved it . Probably a $500 BBQ
YARD FURNITURE -I found 10 patio chairs with no issues what so ever. Patio tables maybe a chip or two but other than that, no issues and were a great patio set. Probably $1000 or more.
LAWN ORNAMENTS -These had no issues what so ever, they were brand new and STILL IN THE BOX . They were glass lanterns that you would put a candle in. About 2 feet tall with antique finish , I’ve seen similar ones for $150. I pulled 15 out of the garbage and donated some. Some went to friends and family and I kept some.
GARDENING TOOLS -where Oh where do I start, lawn mowera, weed trimmers, shovels rakes ect ... hundreds and hundreds of dollars in products
It just blows my mind the products that were throw out, why are we such a wasteful society. Why not donate more instead of just filling up landfills ???
To this very day, if I see a bin at these stores I stop and have a look. To my surprise I haven’t found anything the last couple times. Maybe they have cleaned up there act ? Maybe they donate to charity more ? Or just maybe I’m not the only one diving for treasures anymore.
I’ve noticed at the eco centres in town they have an area for items that are still useable, that people don’t want anymore. I see lots of people dropping stuff off. In this area all the items are free to take. I’ve taken some items home myself.
I’ve even taken apart decks and advertised in the buy and sell -free wood to who ever picks it up. This has saved me lots of money over the years, not only on dump charges but Gas and even labor to load it in a trailer and drive it to the dump and unload it all.
ARE YOU DOING YOUR PART ?
Thank you for reading ❤️ Until the next one