unbelievable dumpster find!

[Lynn Kasdorf]

I work for a very large company (that shall go unnamed). Recently near the loading dock there has been a big rollback dumpster and I have retrieved a few interesting things from there (4 3'x3'x3' steel plant holders, brand new in box).

Last Friday, when leaving, I look at the dumpster and noticed a bunch of wheels poking up. What the ??

In there were something like 2 dozen commercial grade spreaders that they used for spreading salt. Nice one with pneumatic tires. And shovels. I estimate 150 snow shovels of all possible designs. Easily more that Home Depots stocks. Many nice Corona aluminum and heavy plastic scoop shovels, etc. Then there are about 2 dozen heavy duty plastic sawhorse barricade things that saw "sidewalk closed". These turn out to be really usable things around the shop- plenty strong enough to hold lumber.

Then, over in the corner near the door of the big dumpster there is a Honda all terrain vehicle with a snow blade on the front! Key in the ignition, tank full of gas! INSIDE the dumpster!

So- I got my neighbor to help me and we went there Saturday morning as early as we could and retrieved the ATV and as much other stuff as we could fit in my truck. I plan to basically take all this stuff home over the coming week.

We got the ATV home and rolled it off the truck. I figured for sure it would need a battery at least. Nope, battery was very strong. It didn't start tho. After a few minutes of debugging I decided to try a new spark plug. My wife was out doing errands so I phoned her and gave her the NGK number, and she picked one up.

I put in the new spark plug and SHAZAM! It started right up. It runs perfectly! I gave my little boys rides and they love it!

I have a small farm and have been wanting one of these things for doing various chores, herding cattle, and generally bopping around the pasture. What an amazing find!

I have no idea why my company would decide that they don't need to clear snow anymore. I know that they have a couple John Deere Gators with snow blades, so that's probably why they stopped using the ATV. It is a 1997 model and probably sat a while unused. I imagine they went to start it one day, and decide to just trash it. Most folks around at company live in suburbia, and would have little use for an ATV anyway I guess. And there would be liability worries if they gave it to an employee.

The level of waste in the country is just appalling! If you work at a big company, check your dumpsters!

[Ben Grunow]

I have seen a similar degree of wastefulness (sp? is that even a word?) at my local dump. THe only thought that comes to mind is that it is remotely possible that they were moving that stuff somewhere by way of dumpster?

I helped my uncle move his house using 2 40 yd dumpsters and we just left whatever he didn't want in there.

Lets hope they were being wasteful.

[Joe Mioux]

Your company needs to learn about Professional Liquidators.

[John Miliunas]

WHAT ATV??? I don't see no stinkin' ATV!!! (Ahem...That was a hint, Lynn! :D )

Yeah, kinda' sick how truly "throw away" our Society has become! :mad: It's encouraging to hear of folks like yourself who are doing their part in trying to reverse that! :D You lucky dog, you! :) :cool:

[Curt Fuller]

How close is Waterford VA to Washington DC? Sounds like it might be contagious.

[Carol Reed]

Sadly, you might want to polish up your resume. Any company that wasteful may not be able to stay in business! Unless its the government, in which case we should be equally outraged.

In any event, congrats on your 'green' attitude!

[John Schreiber]

Unbelievable. I just might start poking around.

[Charles McKinley]

Be careful in some states what is in the dumpster is the property of the garbage company and you can be proscuted for taking it out.

The only thing I miss about the old apartment was being close to the dumpster. The table for my router table came from there and 2 great floor lamps for the shop.

[Ed Breen]

One thing that comes to mind is a gang that operated in our Wally world some years back who would toss merchandise into the dumpster and after hours retreive and dispose of it. Could you have stumbled upon a theft ring???
Ed:confused:

[skip coyne]

One thing that comes to mind is a gang that operated in our Wally world some years back who would toss merchandise into the dumpster and after hours retreive and dispose of it. Could you have stumbled upon a theft ring???
Ed:confused:

I was thinking the same thing , for stuff that obviosly had value shouldnt a employee point this out to managment and ask for permission to take it ?

[Lynn Kasdorf]

Ok- busted by the picture police...

Here are the shots:

Here is the ATV, a sampling of shoverls and spreaders, and the sawhorses. I plan to get 'em all.

[Mike Cutler]

Nice haul Lynn. I think you have attained the rank of "Pro" in dumpster diving.

It doesn't surprise me at all that you found that headed for the dump. One thing comes to mind. Taxes. I also work for a large company, headquartered in Va. According to the bean counters, If we are going to keep inventory, and tools or machinery for more than a certain amount of years, it is more cost effective to toss it and buy new when needed than to keep it around and continue to pay taxes. Va. has some pretty, ahem... regressive tax laws shall we say.
Large companies do not like to liqudate through a second party. The liability doesn't completely go away. We we're sued for those cardboard 30, and 55 gal barrels. The disposal company was letting their employee's have them, and they were selling them at flea markets and such. It's a strange world. We used to be able to buy "scrap" material from the company also, but no more. sigh....

Nice haul. I could use a new snow shovel soon, like tonite.:eek:, ;)

[Al Willits]

Good find, great find come to think of it...:)

The morons I work for seem to throw almost anything and everything away if you keep a eye on the dumpsters...unfornately its against company policy to take anything out of them...go figure.

Thank you Houston....

Al

[Dennis Peacock]

Nice fine indeed.!!!!

I scrounge out dumpster behind the data center from time to time and I've scrounged up some nice computer rails, cable chases with rack-n-pinyon arms, and some $700 Sun rack drawers that will become part of my shop revamp one of these days.

[John Hart]

Ummm Lynn? Is your company taking applications?:)

Congratulations on a great find!!:)

[Greg Narozniak]

Nice Finds! being in IT for a large corporation it is truly amazing the equipment that gets thrown out. Really amazing!