Nicole in TX
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Post by Nicole in TX on Feb 7, 2016 2:01:24 GMT
My dh and I have pulled a few items out of the dumpster area at apartment complexes. My oldest son lived in one of those ginormous student apartment complexes near a major university for two years. At the end of each school year, you could have fully furnished several small homes with the items left at the dumpsters. Everything from complete beds to kitchen appliances. Tons of food and liquor. So many clothes -- many still on hangers as if they just took armfuls out of the closet. Kitchen tables and chairs. More bookcases than a library could use. Really, just about anything you could imagine. I always drove by those piles thinking about the moms and dads whose money was sitting there. Lol. The kids just viewed it all as disposable. We have a friend who is a maintenance guy at a local university. He is amazed at what the kids throw away. |
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Post by elaine on Feb 7, 2016 2:09:58 GMT
I've thought a lot about this thread today given z*g's meltdown, and what I don't understand is the uber level of defensiveness.
It isn't inconceivable as to WHY someone in Western society would find digging through trash for food or make-up icky. It goes against a whole host of societal norms.
For the past 2-3 Christmases, when I share here that we give packets of edible insects - crickets, grasshoppers, scorpions, spiders, ants and larva - as stocking stuffers, my posts about it are ALWAYS met with multiple Ewwwwww! , NO WAY!, gross and disgusting!, you've got to be kidding! posts. Now, I could get all defensive, get angry, and start trying to convince everyone that insects are actually a great source of protein, that many many cultures around the world eat insects, that it is a much greener form of protein than beef, poultry, and pork, and that if people care about the environment, they would eat insects regularly.
But I don't. I laugh at the comments and plan which bugs I'll buy my boys next year. They don't bother me at all, in the slightest.
Why? Because I totally understand how eating bugs goes so deeply against Western Culture that I understand why people don't eat bugs, won't ever eat bugs, and will always find it gross and disgusting. I have no interest in trying to convince people otherwise. It is no skin off my nose if others find me and my family disgusting for eating bugs, and if they never eat one.
If someone wants to dumpster dive and is fine with using whatever they find in any way they want to - more power to them. But to get defensive and try to convince others how great it is, indicates a lack of understanding that at a basic level it goes against cultural norms.
Some people dumpster dive for cosmetics, and I find that gross and would never do it myself. My family and I eat bugs, my husband and I enjoy shopping for them online from Thailand, and my boys run to dump their stockings Christmas morning and eat them first, ignoring the chocolate in there until the bugs are consumed. Other people find that gross and disgusting, would never eat them, and feel free to tell me about it.
People will always be grossed out and/or disturbed by things that go against cultural norms. If you are comfortable breaking a norm, more power to you, but don't get defensive when others tell you it grosses them out.
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Post by elaine on Feb 7, 2016 2:16:05 GMT
I don't know elaine . I haven't been in the closest Ulta so I'm not sure if they do hair. If not, the closest gross thing would be Petco. I'm thinking they'd have their own, right? Maybe I can score me some clothes from Old Navy too.  Go for it! I've been getting my hair cut at my local Ulta for the past 12 years - that is how I am familiar with the salon part, and the waxing room. They use good products and are reasonably priced. In in terms of Old Navy, at least they try through clearance to sell everything. I can't tell you how many times I've bought a stack of shirts for my boys at $2-$4 a piece on clearance there. But free is always better - and you can sanitize in the wash. |
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Post by stampinfraulein on Feb 7, 2016 2:20:24 GMT
When I was moving I tried to dumpster dive behind Ulta for boxes out of their cardboard recycling bin and got caught by the mall security and told to stop. For empty boxes. I can't imagine the fit they would throw if I was in the real dumpster rooting around for cosmetics!
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Post by Zee on Feb 7, 2016 3:11:12 GMT
When I was moving I tried to dumpster dive behind Ulta for boxes out of their cardboard recycling bin and got caught by the mall security and told to stop. For empty boxes. I can't imagine the fit they would throw if I was in the real dumpster rooting around for cosmetics! Thank God you weren't in their pubes and lettuce bin!  |
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Grom Pea
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Posts: 2,944
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Post by Grom Pea on Feb 7, 2016 6:15:20 GMT
When I was moving I tried to dumpster dive behind Ulta for boxes out of their cardboard recycling bin and got caught by the mall security and told to stop. For empty boxes. I can't imagine the fit they would throw if I was in the real dumpster rooting around for cosmetics! If you ever need free boxes for moving just ask at a liquor store, they generally have tons and will give them to you or save them for you so you don't have to dive into a dumpster for them. |
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Post by M~ on Feb 7, 2016 16:43:09 GMT
Just no.
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tduby1
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Posts: 2,979
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Post by tduby1 on Feb 7, 2016 19:52:37 GMT
Not saying it isn't a bit gross, but makeup artists use their products on hundreds of clients. They must have some way of disinfecting eye shadows and lipsticks? What do they do, and wouldn't the dumpster makeup be okay after doing whatever that is? I wonder how much of that stuff ends up on eBay. I would imagine they use disposable applicators. |
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grinningcat
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Jun 26, 2014 13:06:35 GMT
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Post by grinningcat on Feb 7, 2016 20:14:04 GMT
Not something I am remotely interested in. I am very finicky about my makeup. I've shopped the seconds at my grocery store as I am not picky about the appearance of produce, but I draw the line at dumpster diving. For anything.
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AmeliaBloomer
Drama Llama
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Jun 26, 2014 5:01:45 GMT
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Post by AmeliaBloomer on Feb 7, 2016 21:07:09 GMT
Related: I have several pieces of furniture in my house I picked up in alleys behind people's houses. Most recently: a way cool upright radio circa 1930s that I'm now using as an end table.
When I was growing up, when my father would put furniture, appliances, sundry gadgets out in the alley, he would attach a note about what the next owner should know and attach a ziplock bag with any manuals, screws, parts, etc.
So, being my father's daughter, I have done the same thing when putting stuff out in our alley. At first, my husband was horrified...but not as horrified as the first time I yelled, "WAIT! Stop the car! I want that rocking chair!
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trollie
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Posts: 3,580
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Post by trollie on Feb 7, 2016 21:13:06 GMT
I have taken items out of bulk pick up in my neighborhood. I figure it's better than going to the landfill. I've gotten all kinds of perfectly good items. Not quite the same as dumpster diving.
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msladibug
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Post by msladibug on Feb 7, 2016 23:18:53 GMT
elaine
OMG I want to do this so bad , who do you order from? PM me please
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Post by elaine on Feb 7, 2016 23:34:06 GMT
elaineOMG I want to do this so bad , who do you order from? PM me please PMd you.  |
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Feb 8, 2016 16:48:58 GMT
My oldest son lived in one of those ginormous student apartment complexes near a major university for two years. At the end of each school year, you could have fully furnished several small homes with the items left at the dumpsters. Everything from complete beds to kitchen appliances. Tons of food and liquor. So many clothes -- many still on hangers as if they just took armfuls out of the closet. Kitchen tables and chairs. More bookcases than a library could use. Really, just about anything you could imagine. I always drove by those piles thinking about the moms and dads whose money was sitting there. Lol. The kids just viewed it all as disposable. We have a friend who is a maintenance guy at a local university. He is amazed at what the kids throw away. have none of the college kids ever heard of Goodwill? I think most of them do actually *shop* there... how do they think the stuff gets *into* the store, except by people donating it?? |
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luckyexwife
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Post by luckyexwife on Feb 8, 2016 17:02:45 GMT
I don't know the specifics, but I recently toured a non-profit, and their waiting and client rooms were very stylishly decorated. They said they have a partnership with the local Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and they donate unsold merchandise to the non-profit. I wish more businesses would do things like that instead of throwing usable items away.
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ginacivey
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refupea #2 in southeast missouri
Posts: 4,685
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Post by ginacivey on Feb 8, 2016 17:10:20 GMT
pubes and lettuce - my new catchphrase
gina
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Rhondito
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MississipPea
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Post by Rhondito on Feb 8, 2016 17:21:34 GMT
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Rhondito
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Post by Rhondito on Feb 8, 2016 17:29:32 GMT
I worked as a manager at Bath and Body Works about 20 years ago. Anything that was returned to our store was damaged out - we didn't resell or reuse as samples. We had to dump all of the product out of the bottles (and then the bottles were recycled). The reason for this practice was that we could not guarantee that anything that left our store hadn't been tampered with, and that's how I still view it today. You never know if some whacko has put something toxic in bottle.
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tiffanytwisted
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you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave
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Post by tiffanytwisted on Feb 8, 2016 17:34:38 GMT
No, I wouldn't do it. 90% because I find it a little gross (have you actually looked inside one of those things?!), 2% because I'm pretty sure it's illegal & 3% because I couldn't physically get myself in or out of a dumpster!  Can't speak for what goes on now, but as of 4 years ago, the strip mall where I worked had a few dumpsters to be shared by a bunch of stores. While most were clothing stores (Stride Rite, Children's Place, J Crew), I can assure you more than our inventory went into those dumpsters. Just think about what you've heard employees say they find in their changing rooms & bathrooms . . . |
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Post by genny on Feb 8, 2016 17:49:09 GMT
This is true. I had a friend that worked at Ulta. They would throw away returns, things that were discontinued, samples etc. I was astounded by the amount! What waste! I suggested they donate it to a women's shelter, girls club or something like that. They couldn't make that decision in-store, it had to go through corporate. I think they probably got a bigger write off for the loss than for a charitable donation, otherwise I hope they would have been doing that all along. Surely little old me wasn't the first genius to have the thought to donate the perfectly good stuff.
If an employee got caught taking something out of the trash they could be fired for it. Also, they are supposed to destroy the item so no one could use it if they did get it out. Kind of crappy if you ask me.
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Post by papersilly on Feb 8, 2016 18:06:15 GMT
My dh and I have pulled a few items out of the dumpster area at apartment complexes. My oldest son lived in one of those ginormous student apartment complexes near a major university for two years. At the end of each school year, you could have fully furnished several small homes with the items left at the dumpsters. Everything from complete beds to kitchen appliances. Tons of food and liquor. So many clothes -- many still on hangers as if they just took armfuls out of the closet. Kitchen tables and chairs. More bookcases than a library could use. Really, just about anything you could imagine. I always drove by those piles thinking about the moms and dads whose money was sitting there. Lol. The kids just viewed it all as disposable. we live near an expensive private university where many of the kids rent homes around the campus. when they move out at the end of the year, you will see the curbs piled high with practically brand new furniture and appliances.
the last couple of years FIL was alive, he had a house full of girls living across the street. I swear, come May, it was Christmas for him. the girls would put a giant pile of stuff on the curb and he would drag it over to his house and just marvel at what the little rich kids couldn't or wouldn't fit into their cars or on the plane ride home.
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Post by crimsoncat05 on Feb 8, 2016 18:18:56 GMT
This is true. I had a friend that worked at Ulta. They would throw away returns, things that were discontinued, samples etc. I was astounded by the amount! What waste! I suggested they donate it to a women's shelter, girls club or something like that. They couldn't make that decision in-store, it had to go through corporate. I think they probably got a bigger write off for the loss than for a charitable donation, otherwise I hope they would have been doing that all along. Surely little old me wasn't the first genius to have the thought to donate the perfectly good stuff. If an employee got caught taking something out of the trash they could be fired for it. Also, they are supposed to destroy the item so no one could use it if they did get it out. Kind of crappy if you ask me. ^^^ this really isn't so crappy if you look at it from the actual manufacturer's point of view-- for example, if someone took an eyeshadow out of the dumpster, garbage, etc. that might have been opened and then adulterated / contaminated in some way... Say the dumpster-diving person then decided to sell it at a flea market or eBay (someone up-thread said they knew this happened), and someone buys it from the flea-market seller. If the unsuspecting buyer of that contaminated product got an eye infection and decided to contact the manufacturer about it because all they know is 'hey, this purple Maybelline eye shadow is the cause of my infection' (because they don't know the seller got it out of the trash) then that's a HUGE problem for the manufacturer of the product. The FDA regulations say that the manufacturer is supposed to control their product so it can't be adulterated / contaminated-- destroying any unsold product is really the only way you can ensure something like that scenario can't happen. A manufacturer can't allow any possibility of their product being adulterated, because it could possibly cause harm to a consumer, etc. If that happens, it's a mis-representation of their ACTUAL products and safety practices. That sort of thing is a BIG PROBLEM for manufacturers of all sorts of products. I work for a nutritional supplement manufacturer, and we have to destroy all unused labels, dump out any unused samples of products, etc. because you just don't want the possibility of anyone taking it, selling it, and having something negative happen that could come back on the company. |
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Rhondito
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Post by Rhondito on Feb 8, 2016 18:23:02 GMT
This is true. I had a friend that worked at Ulta. They would throw away returns, things that were discontinued, samples etc. I was astounded by the amount! What waste! I suggested they donate it to a women's shelter, girls club or something like that. They couldn't make that decision in-store, it had to go through corporate. I think they probably got a bigger write off for the loss than for a charitable donation, otherwise I hope they would have been doing that all along. Surely little old me wasn't the first genius to have the thought to donate the perfectly good stuff. If an employee got caught taking something out of the trash they could be fired for it. Also, they are supposed to destroy the item so no one could use it if they did get it out. Kind of crappy if you ask me. That is a loss-prevention issue. An employee could damage out a new product, put it in the trash, and then collect it later. |
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Post by anniefb on Feb 8, 2016 18:53:44 GMT
Ugh no thanks!
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Post by jackie on Feb 8, 2016 19:12:08 GMT
I don't know elaine . I haven't been in the closest Ulta so I'm not sure if they do hair. If not, the closest gross thing would be Petco. I'm thinking they'd have their own, right? Maybe I can score me some clothes from Old Navy too. Go for it! I've been getting my hair cut at my local Ulta for the past 12 years - that is how I am familiar with the salon part, and the waxing room. They use good products and are reasonably priced. In in terms of Old Navy, at least they try through clearance to sell everything. I can't tell you how many times I've bought a stack of shirts for my boys at $2-$4 a piece on clearance there. But free is always better - and you can sanitize in the wash. I don't know. IMO if Z*G had a meltdown, then I would have to qualify yours as a meltdown as well--you were right in there with her. And honestly, I think your comparison is not the same. Yes, some people enjoy food that is strange or exotic to the rest of us, like your bugs. I'm sure people said "ew" and "gross" about your family and their love of bug eating and you laughed it off. I think I would have too. But your comments about the dumpster diving felt different to me--with all the gross, disgusting, I want to hurl, etc. It felt like you just kept hammering away, with like four posts in a row going after it--how Subways trash would be mixed in (no, it wouldn't) and then the pubes comment (although many Ultas don't have waxing). It didn't feel like "oh, this just isn't my thing"; it almost felt like a mission to shame people. I don't dumpster dive, but know people who do, and that's how it came across to me anyway. |
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Post by BoilerUp! on Feb 8, 2016 19:13:06 GMT
My dh and I have pulled a few items out of the dumpster area at apartment complexes. My oldest son lived in one of those ginormous student apartment complexes near a major university for two years. At the end of each school year, you could have fully furnished several small homes with the items left at the dumpsters. Everything from complete beds to kitchen appliances. Tons of food and liquor. So many clothes -- many still on hangers as if they just took armfuls out of the closet. Kitchen tables and chairs. More bookcases than a library could use. Really, just about anything you could imagine. I always drove by those piles thinking about the moms and dads whose money was sitting there. Lol. The kids just viewed it all as disposable. I work on a college campus . . . These items are left here as well. Mostly because when they arrive, they buy things for their dorms, and then when they load up to leave at the end of the year, it won't fit. |
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Post by genny on Feb 8, 2016 19:47:53 GMT
This is true. I had a friend that worked at Ulta. They would throw away returns, things that were discontinued, samples etc. I was astounded by the amount! What waste! I suggested they donate it to a women's shelter, girls club or something like that. They couldn't make that decision in-store, it had to go through corporate. I think they probably got a bigger write off for the loss than for a charitable donation, otherwise I hope they would have been doing that all along. Surely little old me wasn't the first genius to have the thought to donate the perfectly good stuff. If an employee got caught taking something out of the trash they could be fired for it. Also, they are supposed to destroy the item so no one could use it if they did get it out. Kind of crappy if you ask me. ^^^ this really isn't so crappy if you look at it from the actual manufacturer's point of view-- for example, if someone took an eyeshadow out of the dumpster, garbage, etc. that might have been opened and then adulterated / contaminated in some way... Say the dumpster-diving person then decided to sell it at a flea market or eBay (someone up-thread said they knew this happened), and someone buys it from the flea-market seller. If the unsuspecting buyer of that contaminated product got an eye infection and decided to contact the manufacturer about it because all they know is 'hey, this purple Maybelline eye shadow is the cause of my infection' (because they don't know the seller got it out of the trash) then that's a HUGE problem for the manufacturer of the product. The FDA regulations say that the manufacturer is supposed to control their product so it can't be adulterated / contaminated-- destroying any unsold product is really the only way you can ensure something like that scenario can't happen. A manufacturer can't allow any possibility of their product being adulterated, because it could possibly cause harm to a consumer, etc. If that happens, it's a mis-representation of their ACTUAL products and safety practices. That sort of thing is a BIG PROBLEM for manufacturers of all sorts of products. I work for a nutritional supplement manufacturer, and we have to destroy all unused labels, dump out any unused samples of products, etc. because you just don't want the possibility of anyone taking it, selling it, and having something negative happen that could come back on the company. That makes complete sense, and I didn't think of it from that perspective, just looking at the charitable possibilities. Thanks for the insight! |
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Post by elaine on Feb 8, 2016 20:03:02 GMT
Go for it! I've been getting my hair cut at my local Ulta for the past 12 years - that is how I am familiar with the salon part, and the waxing room. They use good products and are reasonably priced. In in terms of Old Navy, at least they try through clearance to sell everything. I can't tell you how many times I've bought a stack of shirts for my boys at $2-$4 a piece on clearance there. But free is always better - and you can sanitize in the wash. I don't know. IMO if Z*G had a meltdown, then I would have to qualify yours as a meltdown as well--you were right in there with her. And honestly, I think your comparison is not the same. Yes, some people enjoy food that is strange or exotic to the rest of us, like your bugs. I'm sure people said "ew" and "gross" about your family and their love of bug eating and you laughed it off. I think I would have too. But your comments about the dumpster diving felt different to me--with all the gross, disgusting, I want to hurl, etc. It felt like you just kept hammering away, with like four posts in a row going after it--how Subways trash would be mixed in (no, it wouldn't) and then the pubes comment (although many Ultas don't have waxing). It didn't feel like "oh, this just isn't my thing"; it almost felt like a mission to shame people. I don't dumpster dive, but know people who do, and that's how it came across to me anyway. So, I just want to check. I posted two times on the thread, the second responding to z*g about how lettuce could in a dumpster - and yes, if you read, quite a few responses on this thread mention shared dumpsters at their strip malls, so not sure what your point is - and she raged at me about knowing I'd come back, having to always be right, blah, blah. After THAT personal attack, having nothing to do with the topic at hand, I brought up the waxing, which they do mine and others - so not sure why you have a problem with the veracity of that either. If you have a problem with me and how I post, fine, but please at least be accurate in your criticism. It feels personal when you, jackie, purposefully misrepresent things, like " 4 posts in a row" vs. 1 original post to the OP and then a second post that said, in its entirety - nothing more than this: My first post on the thread was to Annabella's post, z*g hadn't visited the thread yet, and my second one, that apparently started it all was this.^^^^^ For the life of me, I don't see one single insult in that one, or anything worthy of the personal "you always have to be RIGHT" tirade I got in return. And people say here all those same things you mentioned - "gross" "disgusting" and "I wanna hurl" including even the green hurl-y emoticon - about eating bugs. I guess that I didn't make my point clear with that analogy, because it was that it shouldn't surprise you/one when you get those reactions to something that is clearly against social norms. You are going to get those responses, no surprise, so no need to get defensive. When multiple people on this thread have had the same responses - ew, disgusting, gross - and I'm the one you, Jackie, and z*g have a problem with, it is personal. When multiple people have now said that their strip malls share dumpsters, you still insist that I made that up - that is personal. And finally, to insist - both you and z*g, that I somehow lied when I mentioned the possibility of pubic hair in an Ulta dumpster, even after other posters verified that possibility through waxing and bathroom trash, feels personal. So, scratching my head why everyone else on this thread who have said things that either back up what I've said or have made similar gross and disgusting comments is being ignored - it feels like a personal attack. As I said before, you, z*g, and anyone who wants to should feel free to get their cosmetics wherever they choose, FOR ME, I couldn't do it because it grosses me out. I am not alone in that opinion on this thread - if you have a problem with that sentiment, it would seem much more even-handed to attack everyone who said it, and call them all self-righteous/sanctimonious/b&tches - quoting from memory because I blocked z*g liked she asked me to. |
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marimoose
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Posts: 3,282
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Post by marimoose on Feb 8, 2016 20:09:17 GMT
I don't know the specifics, but I recently toured a non-profit, and their waiting and client rooms were very stylishly decorated. They said they have a partnership with the local Bed, Bath, and Beyond, and they donate unsold merchandise to the non-profit. I wish more businesses would do things like that instead of throwing usable items away. Sometimes they can donate and sometimes they can't - it depends on the vendor. There are some vendors that give companies such as BB&B credit with the rule that they must dispose of the inventory, not donate it. It is cheaper for the vendor to nt have it shipped back to them. If they were to get caught not following the contract rules they could lose that vendor. I think it stinks that there is so much waste but sometimes it isn't something the retail stores control. People several years ago used to dumster dive at Michaels stores on a regular basis and many stores began putting locks on their trash recepticals. I wonder if that is why they now have their $2 grab bags, which seems like just a step above dumpster diving, as you never know what kinds of goodies you will find. The $2 is a pittance for avoiding the dumpster. As for dumpster diving for makeup or food, to me that is gross. There is a reason they are called perishable items. I can see why people might look for furniture and such, you can sanitize it. People put things out at their curbs with free signs on a regular basis around here, just cutting out the middle man called Freecycle. |
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Post by Zee on Feb 8, 2016 20:12:16 GMT
Go for it! I've been getting my hair cut at my local Ulta for the past 12 years - that is how I am familiar with the salon part, and the waxing room. They use good products and are reasonably priced. In in terms of Old Navy, at least they try through clearance to sell everything. I can't tell you how many times I've bought a stack of shirts for my boys at $2-$4 a piece on clearance there. But free is always better - and you can sanitize in the wash. I don't know. IMO if Z*G had a meltdown, then I would have to qualify yours as a meltdown as well--you were right in there with her. And honestly, I think your comparison is not the same. Yes, some people enjoy food that is strange or exotic to the rest of us, like your bugs. I'm sure people said "ew" and "gross" about your family and their love of bug eating and you laughed it off. I think I would have too. But your comments about the dumpster diving felt different to me--with all the gross, disgusting, I want to hurl, etc. It felt like you just kept hammering away, with like four posts in a row going after it--how Subways trash would be mixed in (no, it wouldn't) and then the pubes comment (although many Ultas don't have waxing). It didn't feel like "oh, this just isn't my thing"; it almost felt like a mission to shame people. I don't dumpster dive, but know people who do, and that's how it came across to me anyway. Yeah, I didn't go into it swinging. I was honestly wondering why there would be lettuce, and I know there wouldn't be pubes at my Ulta, but whatever, and I read the responses as "if you want to be disgusting, have at it, you're wrong, I'm right, blah blah blah" and then I'm accused of having a stick up my butt. Which I didn't take kindly to, had my say. The End. I'm surprised at the staying power of this thread, though. Maybe I'll go check out the dumpster behind Sephora and avoid all the pube controversy. |
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Time to get off the internet!
