Dumpster Diving? Legalities?

IvanOpinion

I remember seeing a film many moons ago about peoples stuff in a dumpster. The film related to people who were obviously guilty getting off due to minor technicalities etc. The judges had formed a secret group that hired hit-men to get those that had escaped the law. Maybe someone can remember the name of the film (I think it was something like 'The Inner Circle'??).

Anyhows, there was a sequence where a man had shot someone and had fled on foot closely followed by the police. In the end he dumped his gun into a trash bin and ran into the house. One of the policemen went to get the gun but was told he could not because the contents of the bin were considered private and it would make the search illegal - they would need a search warrant and there was not enough time since the bin lorry was coming. Anyway the bin lorry arrived and emptied the contents of the bin into the back receptacle whereupon the police immediately retrieved the gun. It was however still ruled to be inadmissable because the rubbish had only been emptied into the outer receptacle and had not been mixed with any other rubbish and therefore was still deemed to be private ... whereas if it had have been mixed with all the other rubbish there would have been no way to prove that the gun came from the bin.

I know it was only a movie but I always wondered about the factuality related to the law on this.

Ivan

IvanOpinion

Jay-Jay wrote:

BTW Ivan...you are a thief!!!! :rotfl:

I like to plead ignorance in these cases - something DW says I am very good at :cool:

Ivan

PS: While it is funny, I have always felt bad about nicking the chaps wiper assembly.

Mrs_Wossinge

I'm not sure about taking stuff from residential bins/skips, but quite fancy the idea of raiding supermarkets' bins for (packaged) food. DH hates the idea and is convinced it's illegal. I think if you have to trespass or the bins are locked then yes, it's dodgy, but if they're in the street and are clearly heading for landfill then the criminal thing is letting it go to waste!

The Guardian and the Independent have had articles on the subject of dumpster diving with no mention of any legal implications - links are here.

I'd love to get in touch with anyone who regularly raids bins for food. Do you tell your family where their food has come from? Please PM me or contact me though my blog.

agal

IvanOpinion wrote: »

I remember seeing a film many moons ago about peoples stuff in a dumpster. The film related to people who were obviously guilty getting off due to minor technicalities etc. The judges had formed a secret group that hired hit-men to get those that had escaped the law. Maybe someone can remember the name of the film (I think it was something like 'The Inner Circle'??).


Ivan

I think it was The Star Chamber.

bakkah

Have to admit taking things from trash though never residential ones, always commercial bins/skips, when about 16 (mid 90s) we did this on a regular basis at commercial property usually looking for electronic/computer equipment (daring geek I guess). I actually used to travel about 80 odd miles for some good bins where they threw out computer parts and remember the fun of sitting sorting the bags of stuff out coming back on the train Did get a crazy chase from a security guard once hehe. Yes its not entirely legal but for the better part they were throwing out perfectly working hardware to go in to a landfill which should be illegal.

But taking anything from residential bins wouldn't appeal at all what with rotten food, sanitary stuff etc ewwwww!

Had the pleasure of having to go through my own bin a while back, lost my alarm fob for the car and by 2am (flight from international at 7am so had to find it) once I searched everywhere in the house a few times decided I had to look in the wheely bin as I hadn't used the fob in days and was lost for ideas. Went through all the bags on the back porch and on the third one I found it right at the bottom inside half a green pepper. Guessing I had put it on kitchen worktop and swept it away with the waste while preparing food at some point.

Had someone been looking through my bin for peppers one night they could have stolen my car! :rotfl:

Remember though that laws wont prevent people doing things for nefarious reasons, they only stop law abiding people, so every bad Tom !!!!!! and Harry probably is looking through your trash. I shred every piece of paper that has even my address on it just in case.

belfastgirl23

You shouldn't ever put anything out in a bin or recycling bin unless you're okay about people seeing it and potentially taking it. Dumpster diving is pretty rife around here, it only really annoys me if people spread the goods all over the ground and don't put them back in (no one likes seeing their old smalls spread over the place). Old receipts etc I tear up and then throw tea or coffee grounds on to make sure they're not readable.

I figure if it's rubbish anyway it's fair game. would much prefer someone got use out of my old stuff.

Robothell

IvanOpinion wrote: »

........had already removed the bonnet so access was easy). I carefully removed the wiper mechanism, the water bottle, the electrics (which were removed much less carefully). I also remembered my mums Allegro had a broken tail light so I removed this as well........

Ivan

That is singularly the funniest post I've seen on this page in a long time! Ivan, you're a genius!

Jayen4

Mrs_Wossinge wrote: »

I'm not sure about taking stuff from residential bins/skips, but quite fancy the idea of raiding supermarkets' bins for (packaged) food. DH hates the idea and is convinced it's illegal. I think if you have to trespass or the bins are locked then yes, it's dodgy, but if they're in the street and are clearly heading for landfill then the criminal thing is letting it go to waste!

The Guardian and the Independent have had articles on the subject of dumpster diving with no mention of any legal implications - links are here.

I'd love to get in touch with anyone who regularly raids bins for food. Do you tell your family where their food has come from? Please PM me or contact me though my blog.

Well,this is my first post on here (having just signed up),so Hello to everyone. This seems like a friendly place!
Anyhow....re 'dumpster diving'......It is technically classed as 'Theft by finding',according to a pollce officer that I encountered,one day !
And,yes,I AM a dumpster diver....and a food specialist at that ! It is NOT a good idea to ask the shopkeepers if you can have any 'waste' food from their bins......Certain stores get all childish and spiteful,deliberately destroying everything and spraying blue crap and/or bleach over everything. (Especially M&S !!) :mad: Their attitude really annoys the hell out of me.......I mean whatever happened to 'common sense' ?? Those of us who consider ourselves 'professionals',do not cause a mess or draw attention to ourselves,plus we consider that we are doing our bit for the environment. You would be amazed at the amount of food that is wasted ! Perfectly good,packaged stuff,tins etc..... I regularly have enough to share with my friends / neighbours.......the neighbours have no idea where it really comes from...lol. I've not poisioned anyone yet !
Just last night,after work (night shift),I came across one particular store that had thrown out about 15 or 20 4 pint bootles of milk....I took 2....what a shame !! The store before that had about 20 tins of peaches and about 15 tubs of 'buttery' spread... I got a few of each. And they would have you believe that the 'give everything to charity'.....yeah right !
Actually,I am a member on 2 dumpster diving forums.....and a mod on 1 of them. Oh and 'tresspassing' is a 'civil' matter.....all part of the game.

If you want to know anymore,just say so.....

miserly_mum

I love the concept of Dumpster diving but hate the term itself.....it's so Americanized.

Is there a UK equivalent? In Northern Ireland we call it Bin Hoking.

Jayen4 have you a link to the forums you mentioned?

yorkie98

miserly_mum wrote: »

I love the concept of Dumpster diving but hate the term itself.....it's so Americanized.

Is there a UK equivalent? In Northern Ireland we call it Bin Hoking.

Jayden4 have you a link to the forums you mentioned?

I think in the UK, the concept of "recycling" waste food is called freeganism, i.e, " I am a Freegan".
AFAIK there are some extreme freegans who eat pretty much anything including roadkill!!

Rabbit pie anyone?