Is Dumpster Diving Illegal in New York?

As Americans, we waste so much and it’s sickening. There are so many rules and regulations in place that oftentimes, businesses have no choice but to throw things away out of safety concerns for the general public, but other times, things are trashed just for the sake of being trashed.

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Big stores will go through inventory every so often and if something isn’t selling the way they want it to or if there’s a defect, small as it may be, the stores will trash the items rather than discount or donate them.

It’s heartwarming to see community members, especially in today’s economic climate, banding together to help neighbors who are struggling, especially when it comes to making sure they have the food they need to stay nourished, but that doesn’t change the fact that so much is thrown away each day that someone somewhere could benefit from.

People turn their noses up at others who crawl inside dumpsters to search for whatever is salvageable however, it is often the hunters who have the last laugh especially if they find their way into a dumpster after a store has tossed cases of laundry detergent simply because the manufacturer changed its logo or a slew of clothes the store was told from their corporate offices they couldn’t sell because they were out of season.

This brings us to the question – is it illegal to dumpster dive in the state of New York or, is it illegal?

According to Eco-Friendly Fact, dumpster diving is not illegal in New York however, there are some exceptions. A person is free to sift through a dumpster as long as they are not violating trespassing rules. What this means is if a business has signs posted where their dumpster is located telling you to stay out, you need to stay out. Additionally, if you enter someone’s private property to rummage through their trash, you are considered trespassing and that is punishable.

Eco-Friendly Fact suggests that if you do want to go dumpster diving, the best places to find good garbage are in the dumpsters located at clothing stores, cosmetic stores, construction sites, and at apartment complexes. However, remember if there are posted signs telling you that you shouldn’t be rummaging, leave.

Before you jump into a dumpster to see if you can find any treasures, you should call your town or village offices to make sure that there are no local ordinances forbidding dumpster diving but on the state level, there are not.