[TheForge] Dumpster Diving

[dann at wctatel.net]

I have heard that common practice in many cities is that unwanted items
are placed out by the garbage cans, sometimes with a "Free" sign on them,
some times without, but neighbors, or drive by people, can pick up the
"junk" bicycle, the "junk" chair, etc and haul it off for their own use. 
Recycling.

My local garbage man... works for a "waste systems" sub entity.   I had a
big 6 yard dumptser for debris disposal and asked about dumping the old
microwave, old 386 computer etc.  He said something like, "NO ! Those are
considered Hazardous waste, and must be set out on the side for special
handing as such".

Since then, I have salvaged a severely limed up, but otherwise good 20
gallon aquarium with pumps, a couple 300 mhz computers.  I did it
honorably and reformated the hard disk drives without trying to mine data.
 The guy with the aquarium happened to be in his front yard when I
stopped, so I asked the guym if he was really junking that.. he said
Yep... and that he didn't want to mess with a garage sale. "Yep", I could
haul it away.

On a garage sale once, I got a 4.5 foot tall blacksmith cone for $30 ...
full asking price: I knew what it was worth, so that troubled my
conscious: felt more like theft to me,  than hearing the story about
saving a school from hazardous waste desposal fee.

Dann