Many people wonder the same question as many others who are wondering about whether or not it is illegal to dumpster dive at Walmart: is it legal to dumpster dive at Walmart? The short answer is yes, it is perfectly legal to dumpster dive at any location that is a public dump site. In order for the law to be broken, a person would need to trespass on private property and use the dumpster for personal items.
The City of Detroit has had many problems with its sanitation services in the past, and one of the worst is with the City of Detroit’s dumpster diving services. People have been charged with trespassing, littering, and using an unlicensed dumpster without first making arrangements to have it picked up. The charges often become more severe if no arrangements are made to pick up the waste, because the trash is supposed to be taken to a city facility for disposal.
Another problem with the Detroit city dumpsters is that they often have rotted and contaminated roots inside them. This means that when people go to pickup their trash at the curb, they are putting themselves at risk of contracting diseases from these roots. Some cities have also tried to fine people who are caught without picking up their trash on the correct date, like the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department. They have tried to send warning letters to customers who do not take their warnings seriously. The city of Detroit also threatened to sue people who did not comply with their warnings, saying that they were violating the law.
So, is it illegal to dumpster dive at Walmart? No, it is not. However, if someone were to go and empty a large dumpster full of food, household chemicals, and trash into a smaller dumpster, and then walk away, that would constitute dumping, no matter what the size of the dumpster was. Dumping things is never illegal, but it is important to be safe.
The fact is that Walmart is trying to be careful in the way that they handle their waste. For one thing, the amount of trash that comes in to their facility is much less than other large companies. For another, the workers are well trained and safe with what they are doing. Finally, city code requires that dumpster divers are given permission in advance to access any property, so Walmart can certainly comply.
That being said, there are some people who look at this as a free way to trash with no repercussions. This is especially true when dealing with large industrial sized dumpsters. If you are interested in getting into the act of dumpster diving, however, it is important to contact reputable dive shops and ask them to put you on a list to get divers from that store diving your site.
