Login

u/Wise_Environment_290

▲ 24 r/DumpsterDiving

A recent find

A fully working Philips 190SW (without a stand, though) salvaged from communal waste. While I was rummaging further along, a woman was repeatedly bringing new black trash bags. In one of them, I found some vintage school utensils, pencils, Pelikan ink, rulers, and a pair of compasses. At one point, she came out empty-handed and started to silently root through one of the bags she had recently discarded (one I hadn't checked yet) and rescued a tablet computer from it and hurried back. A change of heart at the last miment, obviously! :-))

u/Wise_Environment_290 — 7 days ago
▲ 60 r/DumpsterDiving

A Heartbreaking Loss, a Drunk Pa, and a Literal Miracle in the Trash

I'm well aware that "show us the pics of your finds" is the name of the game, so I'll try to curb my verbosity this time :-) Although, there is an uncanny story about this find that needs to be told.

Recently, our housecat lost two of her kittens during delivery, and three more a few days later. The kid (12) was devastated. Right around this time, she came home from school and told me that they had read a poem by Sergei Yesenin, "A Song About a Dog," which moved her deeply, especially given recent events.

That same evening, I was walking home from her granny's. I was slightly drunk and did something I never do: I stopped by the garbage bins near the building, far from the streetlight, and randomly thrust my arm into the trash. In the midst of orange and potato peels, I felt something thick between my fingers and rescued a hardback book. I tilted it toward a ray of streetlight and opened it to a random page. And there it was: Pesma o keruši (A Song About a Dog), a Serbian translation of the poem I mentioned. The book was an anthology of verses by various poets.

u/Wise_Environment_290 — 7 days ago
▲ 44 r/DumpsterDiving

Random rants and reflections from a Serbian dumpster diver

In our homeland of Serbia, a country severely stricken by poverty, dumpster diving is yet to be perceived as an environmental or lifestyle choice, but rather exclusively as a sign of economic necessity. Hence, there is a strong social stigma around it, which is amplified by the sheer scale of hardship that creates a palpable tension between social strata. Those who practice garbage rummaging are considered unclean, invisible, or both. This is especially true given that the largest portion of communal waste is not separated, meaning you often really do get your fair share of dirt while trying to salvage a worthy piece. Consequently, this endeavor is reserved mainly for the already marginalized Romani population and other castaway individuals living off the main pathways of economic exchange, such as informal recycling collectors gathering cans, PET plastic, and paper. Although I am by no means wealthy, my main motive is not economic; unlike many of my dumpster-diving peers, I have a home, hot water, and some income, mainly from freelance welding and blacksmithing. What I look for is a specific frisson in salvaging household items, family memorabilia, and all the debris of lives reduced to waste. I like to tell myself that I am something of an artistic soul; one of those who can feel a distinct, melancholic thrill in being a modern-day archaeologist of everyday life, rescuing forgotten heirlooms, vintage ephemera, and discarded treasures from the relentless churn of consumerism. That being said, I do not flinch from being pragmatic from time to time either. Occasionally, I sell a worthy find online that I do not need. Just the other day, I found a Casio G-Shock in great condition, replaced the battery, and sold it online for the equivalent of forty bucks. (There is a poignant story about this particular find, but I have digressed too much already).

reddit.com
u/Wise_Environment_290 — 7 days ago