Dumpster Diving Tool Kit

[Kim1013]

I did my first dumpster dive last week and discovered that the gas station takes all of their leftover Sunday's papers there. I got a ton of q's and I'm going back today hoping to find this Sunday's papers in the recycling bin. I'm loving this new, exciting world of couponing and saving money!!!

[puakinikini]

Good for you - I have never done it - but if I had a location to go to - I would. We have curbside recycling here - so recycling bins are few and far between.

[queenofthehivemomof5]

Is it illegal....the laws will vary on where you live. To find out start looking for signs on the recycling bins that say that it is prohibited. If there is no signage on or near the recycling dumpsters you are probably OK to "dive". But to double check if you are concerened you can make a call to your city or county and ask (the worse they can tell you is "no" right?) and if you do not get an answer there find out who picks up the recycling bins each week and ask them (could be your waste management department). If you can not get a clear answer I would go ahead and dive and if questioned by a police officer or someone you can honestly say that you did not know that it was illegal and tell them what you are doing. All you are doing here is removing coupon inserts (which in most municipaities can't recycle anyways) and nothing more. But it is not like they will arrest you they will just tell you you can't dive.

[Sherry Moore]

I think its illegal to rummage through the trash at post offices. If unsure I would advise that you ask first and see if its OK or not.

I have always heard that when they throw it out it is ok for you to get. Isn't that what investigators do when they want some information on people and they see a trash can just sitting there waiting to be opened? Also instead of asking just be willing to apoligize when caught and say you didn't know if they say anything.

[AniGirl]

I don't know if this will help anyone else, but this worked for me! We live very close to a gas station, so my husband goes there a lot and has struck up conversations with a couple of employees--he's kind of a "regular" now! They sell papers at that station, so I had a bright idea! LOL! I asked my husband to ask the employees if it was okay to get the coupon inserts from the leftover/unsold papers on Sunday night. They said sure--they'd just throw them away anyway! They did need to tear the title section off of the front page first (to get credit from the newspaper co.'s), but that didn't bother me a bit--I don't need the actual paper, just the coupons! So I went through them on Sunday night and got at least a dozen or more of each insert--yay! There were papers from surrounding cities too, so I'm hoping that maybe there will be some different coupons in there that I might not usually get. This would be a simple solution to having to dumpster dive, and it doesn't hurt to ask if your local gas station minds if you dispose of their extra papers for them! (Just be sure to recycle--LOL!)

[karajo]

Did it last night! what a rush! i got about 10 inserts before it started to rain! boo rain!

[sbourland]

That is so funny! But while you say that my 10 year old daughter is over here screaming I'll do it!

[BabyBlissProducts]

Well I am going to continue to do it, there is no sign that says I cant do it around it, and my car plates are still CA plates so if I get stopped by an officer I am just going to say "I was dropping off my recycle paper and saw a few inserts popping out, saw no sign that said I couldnt remove them so i grabbed them" Which for the most part is true, I checked a few times now and there is no sign that says I cant remove anything, and do dump off my newspapers from sunday. I am going to make friends with the local gas station when I get out to Knightstown and try and get there sunday nights for their left over inserts... that sounds like a good idea as well. thanks for answsering my questions.

[MissKiki]

My son's father works for the post office. Let me ask him tonight and I'll get back with you when I find anything out.

[mec]

My neighbors already think I'm crazy....so what the heck!!!