Christina Nellemann, is back with a new post. She wrote for Save Reno Dumpster Diving on 12/8/08 about the difference between dumpster divers and identity thieves. 

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Some things I have found in Dumpsters:

*Several boxes of tile, including a box of slate tile that I have used for art and house projects.

*Packages of dry grout for said tile

*A nearly new life jacket for waterskiing

*An antique chair that I painted and sewed a cushion for

*Electrical and lighting components

*Books and magazines (including a couple dozen Playboys)

*CDs and DVDs (even a batch of pornographic DVDs...is there a pattern here?)

*Some logs from a cottonwood tree that I use for outdoor "tables"

*A firepit

*Computer components (hard drives, external drives, hubs, CD burners)

*Clothes and shoes

*Stuffed animals

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Christina Nellemann has the design company Feline Design. You can read more about her design inspiration and dreams at her blog, The Nest Or view her professional organization and decluttering blog: www.declutterlife.blogspot.com. If you are interested in tiny houses, she writes a weekly post for The Tiny House Blog by Kent Griswold.

Tonight on the KOLO Newscast at 5:30PM there will be a report about Dumpster Diving. I just finished an interview with them and should be in the newscast. Check it out. Link to transcript of story here: http://www.kolotv.com/news/headlines/36083059.html.

Elsewhere in the mass media world, ABC's 20/20 had some dumpster diving shots in its profile of The Ultimate Cheapskate, you can catch a bit of it here: http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=6443605

As homo sapiens aren't the only dumpster divers, maybe instead of looking for the government to give you a sense of security over your discarded goodies, we would all be the wiser by looking to nature and how some communities have then dealt with the "problem".

Enter the Bear Box, built to government spec to keep dumpster diving bears at bay--modifying a few of this product's features to keep the human animal at bay might be a wiser move than outlawing trash scavenging, curb crawling, bin trawling, and other forms of refuse reallocation.

Those who feel threatened by the dumpster diving hobbyist and the economically marginalized can then meander on over to Walmart and pick-up their Dumpster Dive proof trash bin. That is the perfect future, but, in the mean time, the truly concerned individuals can at least head out to their nearest big box store--take some personal responsibility--and buy, as well as use, a paper shredder on their potentially compromising documents.

Laws or not, that is the wise action to follow--especially when there are potentially identity thieving bears on the loose, as this clip demostrates: Dumpster Diving Polar Bears Caught in the Act.

The New York Times ran an interesting front pager a few days ago about how Trash has Crashed, it examines how the global economic downturn has hurt the recycling industry and is causing some cities to abandon their city "curbside" recycling programs. It is becoming cheaper for many municipalities to dump than to recycle. From an environmental perspective, such a turnaround is abominable--economics clearly triumph over sustainablity again. Check the "Trash has Crashed" link above to get a grasp on how the tide has turned against recycling.

On a more appetizing note, The New Agenda has a new article that should be dear to any dumpster diving gourmand's heart, Revolutionary Dining: From Garbage to Gourmet? It covers some of the philosophical underpinnings of the Freegan lifestyle and its ecological imperative.

Moving on, to round out this post, the City of San Diego currently has a movement afoot: www.SaveTheFirePits.com. It is worth a look because, like Save Reno Dumpster Diving, it shows the style of another grassroots approach to influencing City Government policy as it pertains to the existence of particular cultures within a city.

The Mall is not the only place to go "shopping" during the holiday season. Some set their sights on dumpsters for their gifting needs, an NPR audio report attests to such, check it out: Forget the Mall: Dumpster Dive for Holiday Gifts.

Keeping with NPR's archives, I found a great report from August 2006 that could be as appropriate today as it was then--when Northwest Airlines laid workers off in 2006, included with the feared pink-slip, they provided a list of recommendations for saving money. One of those recommendations, which caused outrage, was dumpster dive. Hear the report here: Northwest's Advice to the Laid Off: Dumpster Dive.

Scavenging to reduce your evironmental footprint is explored in an experiment untaken by a Newsweek reporter, who took-up the lifestyle of a "freegan" for a month--listen to an interview with her here: Next Big Thing: Writer Becomes a Freegan for a Month.

Today, Christina Nellemann is our guest blogger. She lives in the Reno area and has written about Dumpster Diving in the past for the Sierra Club's Sierra Magazine. You can read the article she wrote for them here: Talkin' Trash: Down in the Dumpster.

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As someone who has Dumpster dived in the past and continues to look out for perfectly good items that have been thrown in the trash, I feel I can recognize a big difference between Dumpster divers and identity thieves.

While researching my article for the Sierra Club, I spoke to dozens of people who Dumpster dive and found them to be educated, bright, creative and entrepreneurial. Many Dumpster divers are sometimes able to furnish their home, feed their families and make money selling items they have found in the trash. I think it is brilliant when someone can fix and sell or reuse something that another person has no use for.

What I did not find from these people was the desire to steal personal information. In fact, most of them who had found personal information such as credit card or bank statements were shocked that people were not shredding their statements. As a sometime diver, I have no desire to steal someone's personal information or participate in any kind of identity theft. I wouldn't even know how to start!

In short, Dumpster diving is for environmentalists and identity theft is for thieves.

Please, rather than throwing out items you don't want, take them to a local thrift store, give them to charity or take them down to the Really, Really Free Market in downtown Reno. Someone is sure to get some use out of what you don't want.

Really, Really Free Market Link:

http://tinyurl.com/6e52sw

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In addition to being a sometime diver, Christina Nellemann has the design company Feline Design. You can read more about her design inspiration and dreams at her blog, The Nest Or view her professional organization and decluttering blog: www.declutterlife.blogspot.com. If you are interested in tiny houses, she writes a weekly post for The Tiny House Blog by Kent Griswold.

The Reno Gazette-Journal's front page article, Reno neighbors ask for law against trash-can diving, quotes individuals supporting the ban. The reasons put forth for the enactement of an anti-"trash-can diving" law, by those quoted, stem from unpleasant encounters these neighbors have had with trash scavengers--trash scavengers who clearly aren't schooled in the ethics of Dumpster Diving. For that reason, today's post will share some of the diving cultures ethos, which can be easily found around the web.

From All Things Frugal:

Dumpster Etiquette & Rules
Don't go behind a closed fence to reach a dumpster. Don't leave a mess. Leave the dumpster better than you found it so those who enjoy this hobby can continue. Don't take paperwork with people's confidential records. Take only what you can use, and leave the rest for someone else.

From Wikihow

Clean up after yourself. If you’ve thrown garbage all around, pick it up and put it back into the dumpster. While you’re at it, throw away other nearby trash that’s on the ground. Leave the area as clean or cleaner than you found it—don’t give dumpster diving a bad name.

From LarynAndJanel.com

HOW TO BE A GOOD DUMPSTER DIVER

--Be quick

--Go after hours so customers don't see you when they come to shop (and to give them some time to dump the "Sell by's" for that day.)

--Keep the area clean (Don't leave trash outside the dumpster and don't pile up bags of food--I recommend working in a team with one person in the dumpster and one person moving them to the car more or less as you find them just in case a store worker comes out. Garbage bags look like garbage bags and if you're piling them on the ground, it would be easy for them to assume you're making a mess that they will have to clean up.)

--Be polite, not antagonistic to store workers (if you encounter them). A number of times I have even gone and asked permission at the loading dock, but normally we don't even see anyone around. If you have a distribution system (friends, workplace, church, Food Not Bombs, etc.) take more than you can eat and share it freely with others. The more you take and can actually use, the more environmental side benefits you reap by rescuing it from the dumpster and the more resources you potentially free up for other good causes. For example, when we find a big haul of bread, Ryan sets up a table at work where people can take bread and drop a donation into a bucket which goes to Bread for the World (he calls it "Bread for bread for Bread for the World").

--When you need to supplement your diving for nutritional or other specific needs, try to buy local. In the summer we joined a CSA as a supplement, and now we try to find any extras we might need at the local food Co-op.

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These are just a few of the sites that promote a dumpster diving ethic. Most of it is common sense.

From the Reno Gazette-Journal article, it is clear the individuals who were leaving trash around, getting in arguments with people when confronted, etc. need a little education on the ethics of their practice.

But, a law is not what is needed.

If people are out throwing trash around and making a mess, I believe any competent police officer could rightly apply litter laws to such behavior; when people are getting in arguments with the residents of a neigborhood about bin-diving, I'm sure one could apply laws regarding disturbing the peace or something similar.

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Below, is a good report. I found the video on the LarynAndJanel.com dumpster diving page. Enjoy.

Inspired by a true story, today  the Hallmark Channel aired an original movie called The Christmas Choir. In the film, there is a dumpster diving scene. The characters are diving for thrown out clothes. They need the clothes so that they can be presentable when they have their Choir performance.  It is a curious story, if you missed it and want to see a positive example of Dumpster Diving--it airs again on Dec. 12th, 18th, and 23rd at 9PM; Dec 24th at 5PM and Dec 31st at 11PM.

Since we're talking TV and Dumpster Diving, last week on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Sally, a Master Dumpster Diver from Nevada City proved how, "One person's trash is another person's treasure." You can check out, a bit about this Master Dumpster Diver here:  http://www.oprah.com/slideshow/oprahshow/slideshow1_ss_decor_20071113_350/6

Hi I am Jon Epsteyn. Today I've been invited to contribute, as a guest blogger, to the Save Reno Dumpster Diving campaign. Some of you may remember me as the host from the Reno themed adventure show Keep'n it Reno. In this post, I'm just going to contribute my two cents--Dumpster Diving can be an adventure sport.

Check it.

One man's trash, is another man's retirement fund...

...and food for the month. 

Listen. Let's get real here. NO, I'm serious.

Modern American society discards more food and functional items than anywhere else on the plantet--check it, America's trash is trea$ure RICH. Studies estimate stores throw away more than 55 billion pounds of food a year, and Americans waste $43 billion worth of food a year. This isn't even touching upon non-edible goods. With all this wasted food being thrown away on a daily basis--why go to a restaurant--bins of glory are lurking everywhere.

How can anyone think to outlaw "trash scavening". Get real people--you are telling me, the sofa I picked-up from the curb (that is oh so perfectly broken in) is a crime. Or going to be a crime. The "bruised" bananas aren't edible? Come on. Let's think about this smartly. Let's IQ it to the stratosphere... 

Ever wonder what it's like to Dumpster Dive?

Let me give you a few tips.

[Caution to newbies: If it is your first time, and you are feeling kinda weird climbing into a dumpster-- DON'T!!! Ask a bum for tips. If you are too shy to do that, here are my tips for successful adventures in salvaging science.] 

Mindset

1. Just think of it as climbing into a second-hand store with a slightly different smell. Personally, I like to wear my full piece Dumpster Man technical diving suit--cape-of-superness, breathing apparatus--think S.C.U.B.A. or aromatherapy--and all (I like fresh scents and so do the bikinied hotties I dive with).

Essentials

2. Water proof boots are key, never go in without a rubber. Better safe than sorry (hard-core divers should google trench foot if you doubt my hard won wisdom).

3. In winter, a good pair of ski gloves are excellent for snowball construction and, even more, they keep the fingy's safe from poky's in the bin. At other times, in warmer environs, desinger leathers are my favorite cover. 

4. This might not be a tip, but more a personal preferences--GO AT NIGHT: that way, less people are around to look at you funny and judge you. Isn't it funny the morals some attach to this pastime? Be a strong proud diver and resist their glares of indignition. By this method--diving can be a spiritual adventure--you serve the earth through commodity salvation (vis-a-vis consumption) and through participating in this activity you build a tolerance to social pressure. Do it. Feel it. Dive!!! Dive!!! Dive!!!

5. If you are still hestitant, my best ninja channeled super secret tip is: BE LIKE THE RACCOONS. Study their style, follow their ways, meditate on the raccoon-totem and earn your black belt in the kingdom of SUPER DUMPSTER DIVING GLORY.

6. Don't get overwhelmed or greedy. There is a lot, a ton, a freaking horrendous clusterfucking and outrageous amount of diving gold out there for the taking. Leave Walmart for the suckers. The only business model that will discount to zero is the trash. Always know this, grasshopper, there will always be treasure. Who needs a bailout when you can just dive in? SPLASH on that Wall Street, put your dumpster diving speedos on and let that DOW average plunge. 

6. Bring your date on a Dumpster Diving Adventure. If she/he/shim can't hack it--they ain't worth it. There is no better way to identify a gold digger. Unless you're bucks-up and a tool, TEST YOUR MATE IN THE DUMPSTER: this is hard won knowledge and the best dating advice I ever learned from the GREAT INDIAN DIVING GURU popularly known as Swami-Have-Big-Harem-Must-Dive-To-Feed-My-800-Offspring-Dumpster-Makes-Me-True-Man-Krishna; bless his enlightened buddha-being, he recently left this realm in an untimely manner, after diving at what he thought was an Indian Viagra factory. He wound-up overdosing on pills that were actually Gandhi evapo-sea-salt (Adios British) and baking soda. A tear drops; but, a smile lingers because my intimate s*xual relations have never been so fulfilling since I began practicing his gold-digger ident DUMPSTER DATE ADVENTURE method of soul mate salaciousness. As Swami always said, "You're never in the dumps when you're in love with a dumpster diver."

7. Finally, chill. Have fun. Take your time. Breathe deep and ponder. Expand your awareness; expel your consumptive habits. Reduce your ecological debt and feel good. Be proud. Sing the glories of the dumpster. Join a Dumpster Diving Choir. Reclaim the refuse. Dignify the dumpster. Because you are doing it, others will follow. Remember, we are the circle of life. Ignore the social conditioning that is the voice causing doubt in your head. Dive!!! Dive!!! Dive!!!....and leave the mass market behind. What????

Dive!!! Dive!!! Dive!!!

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ANNOUNCEMENMT: Come one and all--the curious, the hesitant, the sympathizers and the dumpster-diving hardcore to the Save Reno Dumpster Diving Party on December 14th. Stay tuned to get hip with the time and place to party, talk trash, connect and share Dumpster Diving Adventures. LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST.

Today, KOH Radio interviewed me--I'm not sure if it was broadcast or not--if anyone heard it, could you let me know when it was broadcast.

Here is a CNN report on Dumpster Diving and the "Freegan" (Freegan.info) movement in New York City. For anyone who thinks Dumpster Diving is for bums, this report will counter such misconceptions. Check it out.