Ivy Elaine

Freegans and frugal foragers, look lively. Dumpster diving—the practice of salvaging reusable or edible items from store and restaurant trash bins—is on shaky legal ground in Iowa. State statutes don’t expressly permit or prohibit the activity, creating ambiguity.  This article will examine the complex legal landscape around dumpster diving in Iowa, the Hawkeye State. We’ll … Read more

Dumpster diving has a growing community and culture in Manchester. Many people have discovered the rewards of searching through commercial and residential waste bins to find surprising treasures that have been discarded. From students furnishing their apartments with lightly used furniture thrown out at the end of term, to people supplementing their pantry with still … Read more

The search for free treasures can be thrilling, but in Michigan, it pays to know the law regarding dumpster diving before jumpin in a dumpster. While many might assume trash is fair game once it hits the curb, Michigan law includes some gray areas. This article will explain the legal standing of dumpster diving in … Read more

Minnesotans may be surprised to learn that ‘dumpster diving’—which means sifting through dumpsters for free items to salvage—is mostly legal in Minnesota. While dumpsters are often seen as belonging to the companies that lease them, once items are thrown out they’re legally considered abandoned property. This makes it legal for anyone to scour dumpsters for … Read more

Late at night behind supermarkets and apartment complexes, masked figures search through unlocked dumpsters, pulling out discarded items that are still usable. They call it “urban foraging” or “dumpster diving,” and despite appearances, many claim they find decent food and household goods that would otherwise end up in a landfill. But is this practice of … Read more

Searching for hidden gems? Many are hopping into dumpsters rather than scouring thrift stores for treasures, especially in Nebraska where dumpster diving laws are unusually sparse. Thrill-seekers and penny-pinchers alike are scaling chain-link fences under the cover of night, flashlights in hand. They emerge bearing all manner of discarded goods: clothes just taken off the … Read more

Dumpster diving, or seeking out usable items in commercial dumpsters, has grown in popularity in recent years as a means to reduce waste and find valuable goods. While not illegal in most areas, the legalities around dumpster diving can vary significantly depending on local laws and the context of where diving takes place. This article … Read more

New Hampshire may invoke images of quaint small towns and mountain getaways, but it also has an active and complex waste stream that attracts a little-discussed subculture – dumpster divers. Driven by financial necessity, environmental consciousness, or thrill-seeking, these urban foragers look to what’s been thrown out to uncover discarded treasures. In doing so, they … Read more

For many, the contents of a dumpster elicit feelings of disgust. Yet for a small but growing number of “freegans,” these trash receptacles offer a bounty of usable goods.  Dumpster diving, or rummaging for discarded food and items, provides an alternative source of provisions. Though the practice remains controversial, some claim New Brunswick offers prime … Read more

Dumpsters overflow with hidden treasures for those brave enough to go digging. While dumpster diving conjures images of grimy back alleys, it can actually unearth amazing finds if you know where to look. Though the legalities of dumpster diving remain hazy, plenty in the Newcastle area still partake in this unconventional treasure hunt. This article … Read more