Dumpster diving (known as skipping in the UK) is the practice of sifting through commercial or residential trash to find items that have been discarded by their owners, but which may be useful to the dumpster diver.
Dumpster diving can range from a one time spontaneous seeing and retrieving of a useful item from the garbage, to an individual's preferred low-impact lifestyle, to a full time livelihood when economic opportunities are not available. Traditionally, most people who resort to dumpster-diving are forced to do so out of economic necessity. The karung guni, the rag and bone man, waste picker, junk man or bin hoker are people who make their living by sorting and trading trash. A similar process was known as gleaning was practiced in rural areas and some ancient agricultural societies, where the residual from farmers' fields were collected.
Others practice dumpster diving for various economic and personal reasons. For example, some dumpster divers or freegans aim to avoid a materialistic consumer lifestyle. Artists use discarded materials to create works of found art or assemblage. Students may use salvaged high tech items in technical projects. Still others may dumpster dive just to indulge in their curiosity for unusual items.
Dumpster diving, used in support of academic research, is a tool for garbologists, who study the sociology and archeology of trash in modern life. There is a major outpost of academic garbology at the University of Arizona, directed for some decades by William Rathje. Others, because of their profession, may use dumpster diving as a method of procedure for private investigators, police, and others seeking information and material for official purposes.
.................sound like a fun hobby?
Dumpster diving can range from a one time spontaneous seeing and retrieving of a useful item from the garbage, to an individual's preferred low-impact lifestyle, to a full time livelihood when economic opportunities are not available. Traditionally, most people who resort to dumpster-diving are forced to do so out of economic necessity. The karung guni, the rag and bone man, waste picker, junk man or bin hoker are people who make their living by sorting and trading trash. A similar process was known as gleaning was practiced in rural areas and some ancient agricultural societies, where the residual from farmers' fields were collected.
Others practice dumpster diving for various economic and personal reasons. For example, some dumpster divers or freegans aim to avoid a materialistic consumer lifestyle. Artists use discarded materials to create works of found art or assemblage. Students may use salvaged high tech items in technical projects. Still others may dumpster dive just to indulge in their curiosity for unusual items.
Dumpster diving, used in support of academic research, is a tool for garbologists, who study the sociology and archeology of trash in modern life. There is a major outpost of academic garbology at the University of Arizona, directed for some decades by William Rathje. Others, because of their profession, may use dumpster diving as a method of procedure for private investigators, police, and others seeking information and material for official purposes.
.................sound like a fun hobby?
but you need a lot of isopropyl and patience for cleaning.
