A Brief History
We have all done it. At one point or another, we have all dug something out of the trash either because we wanted that particular object or because we had accidentally thrown it out. This list of 10 things commonly retrieved from the trash bin truly shows that what is one person’s trash might be another person’s treasure. To those of you who did not make it to the trash before it got picked up, better luck next time.
Digging Deeper
10. Newspapers
Technically not always trash, when finished reading it, many people leave a newspaper out for others to find and continue reading. Before the age of Smartphones, iPads and WiFi, people on their lunch break appreciated finding a newspaper lying around to read while they ate.
9. Recyclables
Perhaps the most obvious entry on this list, homeless people looking through trash for sources of scrap metal and plastic and for Coke cans for which they can get a deposit are a common site in larger cities.
8. Furniture (Junking)
In the author’s youth, her town had designated days on which furniture and other still usable odds and ends could be placed on the streets for pick up. On these days, it was common for bargain hunters to go “junking” to augment one’s own collection of household items.
7. Food
Since many restaurants follow strict guidelines regarding the preparation, holding time and storage of food, much perfectly good food is thrown out at the end of every day. Oftentimes, it is not just homeless people foraging for such food but also income earners who wish to save on grocery bills.
6. Store Samples
In a practice known as dumpster diving, some women are known to comb through the trash of department stores in their quest to find samples, make-up samples in particular, that are no longer being promoted.
5. Jewelry
Often during food and meal preparation in the kitchen, jewelry is taken off, and sometimes this jewelry finds its way to the trash with the vegetable peels. The author is probably not the only one who has frantically gone through her own trash after midnight when she finally realized her ring was missing.
4. Star Memorabilia
An unfortunate part of stardom is that many people want a part of you, and nothing is sacred anymore, not even your trash. Rumors that she suffered from genital herpes began to plague Paris Hilton after a tube of ointment to treat this venereal disease was alleged to have been found in her garbage.
3. Deleted Files
Though the author considers this a huge invasion of privacy and a definite breach of trust, many people regularly and secretively read through their partner’s deleted files, whether these be on the computer or on their cell phone, with the goal of finding incriminating information or as a means of control.
2. Condoms
It is unknown how often the fishing of condoms out of waste bins is practiced, but many men who have had children pinned on them claim this was how the woman got pregnant. A recent example is Olympic skier Bode Miller who, in the middle of drama with his “Baby Mama,” claimed this sort of deception.
1. Retainers
Even if you were lucky enough to not have been that kid who accidentally through his or her retainer out with the trash during lunch break in the cafeteria, you probably knew someone who did or, in the very least, made fun of that person. Retainers are ugly. Life is cruel. But we all grow up.
Question for students (and subscribers) to ponder: So, have you ever found a hidden treasure in someone else’s rubbish or regret having thrown something out? What are your “trash stories?”
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Historical Evidence
For more information, please see…
Novak, Jamie. Stop Throwing Money Away: Turn Clutter to Cash, Trash to Treasure–And Save the Planet While You’re at It. Trade Paper Press, 2010.