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HUDSON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The old saying of "another man's trash is another man's treasure," is the mantra of the "Dumpster Divers Massachusetts," as members dig through dumpsters for some rare (and free) finds.
Diane of Marlborough is a member of a similar group, and took WBZ's Kim Tunnicliffe along for the ride for one of her dumpster diving escapades at a shopping center in Hudson. She says rummaging behind a local pet store had led to some pretty big finds.
"[I found] an entire fish tank and the setup, I got 12 bags of dog and cat food, about 25 pairs of blue light glasses— and I looked them up and they were actually worth $35 a pair," Diane said.
Her outing on Tuesday led to the discovery of bags of barely expired premium pet food that had been slashed open. Diane says it's a common maneuver from retailers who don't want people going through their trash.
"They will go out of their way to destroy perfectly good items, they don't want you to get anything for free. The waste coming from these stores is disgusting, there are people who are barely getting by, if there's a way to give them a little help by doing this— why not?" Diane said.
In fact, Diane typically gives away all the treasures she finds to people in need.
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As far as the legality of dumpster diving goes, it's a practice that's allowed in Massachusetts— though trespassing is not, and can lead to substantial fines. The law can also vary at the local level, many dumpster divers advise their peers to check their municipalities rulebook before heading out for a haul.
WBZ's Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) reports.
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