Dumpster Diving is when people rummage through business or residential garbage and waste to obtain and use food and other materials that may be beneficial to them. This kind of garbage isn’t the usual Wax Packaging, Seafood Packaging or Poultry Boxes. Instead it’s food, clothing, furniture and other things that can either be used, recycled or sold for money to bring good to people in need. There are many dumpster diving organizations that do this activity to help the homeless people in their neighborhoods. What some people and companies consider to be garbage, dumpster divers turn it into profitable and substantial good for people in need.
Many restaurants and grocery stores have to, by law, get rid of food after the established date of expiration. This includes fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses and boxed food. Many times these items are still good, fresh and tasty. For instance, there was a grocery store in a big city whose General Mills cereal had a flaw in the cereal box. They had to dispose of almost 100 containers of cereal which had never been opened and was a fresh as can be. People retrieved this product from the dumpsters and took it to a nearby homeless shelter. This food fed over 800 homeless people breakfast. What is considered to be waste in this case proved to be extremely helpful for many people in need of food.
Lots of individuals when they move from one home to another will dispose of clothing, furniture and other household goods in an effort to make room for new things. When ‘dumpster divers’ locate this stuff in the trash, they will collect them, wash them and distribute them to people who can’t afford to buy for themselves. An old work blouse may be trash to one woman while being new work clothes for another. It’s this type of recycling that is good for individuals in need and gives them an opportunity to have new things to wear. Also furniture finds are often given to individuals who are just starting out in new homes or apartments. Dumpster divers help an old table and chairs find its way from a garbage can into someone else’s kitchen. Again, this provides needy people with things they otherwise couldn’t afford.
Some dumpster divers will take miscellaneous things they find in the trash and create artwork out of them. They then sell this artwork to raise money that’s donated to homeless people. For instance, there is a man who is part of a dumpster diving organization in Philadelphia who searches for stuff to make lamps. His lamps are one of a kind pieces of art that sell for a lot of money. While his investment is only his time in locating the stuff and the creation of the lamp, he is able to raise incredible amounts of money for homeless people. This type of recycling enables a single personto give back by being creative yet not having to dip into his own wallet.
Dumpster Diving isn’t for all people. However, the people who do choose to dumpster dive, have the opportunity to be very beneficial for people in need. The treasures, food, clothing and other goods that can be found in someone’s trash can turn into a meal, money or a benefit for another person in need.