The dumpster gods smiled again

[toxcrusadr]

It's raining insulation!

I'm a big recycler as some of you know. For a year or two I've been working on a new shop building, and it's about time to insulate above the ceiling in the closed in part of it. So last night I stopped by a nearby commercial building remodel with rolloffs outside.

Between last night and tonight, I brought home 4 pickup loads of huge black plastic bags of blow-in insulation. 30+ bags. I know it's only 2-3 years old because they just built the place. Nicely bagged up and free for the taking! Plus a few other goodies, including a couple hundred feet of network cable still on the spools, partly used paint, drywall edging in the box, etc., all in the trash.



If I'd found all this in the summer it'd just be in the way. I am blessed! :thmbsp:

 

[spaceman]

Right on. :thmbsp: They do say, the best things in life are free.

 

[VinylHanger]

Especially when they don't cost anything.

 

[toxcrusadr]

Wise beyond measure, you AKers are.:tongue:

 

[Arkay]

Right stuff, right place, right time... it's so NICE when it all comes together like that. CONGRATULATIONS! :thmbsp:

Not only do you get what you need/want, but you also help keep the stuff out of the landfill, helping society as a whole. Win-win for everyone (except whoever would have sold you the stuff for a higher price... but someone sold it new in the first place, so to some extent they won, too).

 

[Sandy G]

Never ceases to amaze me to see what we, as a society, throw away. Somethin' VERY soul-satisfyin', too, about trampin' thru a dump & finding all manner of goodies...

 

[Fred Sanford]

Never ceases to amaze me to see what we, as a society, throw away.

I worked for a big, global corporation for a while, and a few times they'd close up office/retail/tech locations and instruct me to simply empty the places into dumpsters, with no regard at all for what other locations might have use for. I'd hire a crew & a dumpster on the company's dime, and another crew & a trailer on my dime. The corporate crew would first place all the stuff I didn't want into the dumpster, then they'd place everything I DID want into the dumpster very carefully (thereby doing what I was instructed to do).

Then, my crew would come in & fill my trailer from the dumpster. :yes:

je

 

[usedto]

You being the avid recycler that you are, I'm sure you got permission first.

If I caught someone stealing MY garbage, they'd be laying spread eagle face down on the ground with a 12ga. pointed at the back of their head, waiting for the sheriff to arrive. Unless my dog got to them first.

 

[electroking]

I worked for a big, global corporation for a while, and a few times they'd close up office/retail/tech locations and instruct me to simply empty the places into dumpsters, with no regard at all for what other locations might have use for. I'd hire a crew & a dumpster on the company's dime, and another crew & a trailer on my dime. The corporate crew would first place all the stuff I didn't want into the dumpster, then they'd place everything I DID want into the dumpster very carefully (thereby doing what I was instructed to do).

Then, my crew would come in & fill my trailer from the dumpster. :yes:

je

You did the right thing, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

 

[toxcrusadr]

You being the avid recycler that you are, I'm sure you got permission first.

If I caught someone stealing MY garbage, they'd be laying spread eagle face down on the ground with a 12ga. pointed at the back of their head, waiting for the sheriff to arrive. Unless my dog got to them first.

Well, I didn't, actually, and given the type of bureaucracy this entity represents, it would likely be difficult to obtain due to generalized liability concerns. One of the workers did come out last night - I was surprised they were doing sheetrock at night - must be trying to get the place back up fast - and I said Hi, just doing a little recycling, and he said Hi, and headed for the porta potty. Technically I could claim that constitutes permission.

As an accomplished curbside recycler and dumpster diver, my approach is always to evaluate the situation first, ask permission if it makes sense (particularly at a house with something on the curb), and in any case always have a hello and a smile for anyone who shows up (employee, fellow diver, cops, whatever). If it's an employee I will say I'm looking for a cardboard box, is it OK if I take one? Makes a good cover story and sometimes a low level employee will say OK with a twinkle. I am very fast, neat, discreet, respectful, and in the rare cases I've been asked to stop, I say thanks and make an immediate exit, and sometmes say something polite about wastage of resources. I never take things that are not in the trash. I often leave a place cleaner than when I got there. I often Freecycle things I find that I don't need. I would never think of suing anyone for twisting my ankle. Nor would I attempt to return discarded broken items from a retail store for a free refund. I am not interested in identity theft so I never pick up mysterious garbage bags from residences, but mainly stick to certain stores and the occasional construction dumpster. I'm a very ethical garbage picker.

[Note to self, do not poke in Bentpencil's garbage unannounced].

 

[Sharpstik]

Sounds like the proper way to go about it.

11 bucks a bag at Lowes today.

I'm having my attic done and those bags surely would have helped...

 

[toxcrusadr]

Wish I could toss you a few bags Dave, but it'd be a long toss!

I was thinking about loading it all on my trailer and finding somewhere to weigh it so I could estimate the retail value. Much of this building is stuff bought used or found. I'm looking forward to doing a photo spread on AK when it gets a bit more done.