So, if you’ve clicked on this article, you want to find out if you can dumpster dive in Walmart. Is it illegal to dumpster dive in Walmart? Find out through the information in this article below.
Is it Illegal to Dumpster Dive in Walmart?
Even though trash that is not in a building that is awaiting collection is considered public or even public property in the eyes of the court, dumpster diving in Walmart has been made illegal as of 2022. It is not only illegal but also highly risky for individuals who are considering dumpster diving in Walmart or are already doing it or trying to.
The Risks of Dumpster Diving
In addition to being illegal, if you decide to dumpster dive, you can come in contact with poisonous food, food that went bad, harmful chemicals, and smells. Electronics can spew out mercury and this can get into food items that are also thrown in with the electronics and can cause mercury poisoning which can easily be lethal if consumed at a high dosage. Countless other chemicals and materials can also cause similar consequences.
The reason people dumpster dive in places like Walmart is because establishments like Walmart tend to throw out items with minimal damage that can be sold, used, or repaired. They also tend to throw out food that may still be edible and because of company policy, Walmart needs to throw out food items even if they are not expired if they lost power in the building for an hour or two even if the food is still perfectly edible.
These reasons might entice some people to go dumpster diving but again, there are countless dangers to dumpster diving. Additionally, for some of the reasons given below like harmful chemicals and poisonous food, most Walmart stores tend to lock their dumpster and those that do not usually use compactors, so it would be barely possible to even dumpster dive in such locations.
Why is it Illegal to Dumpster Dive in Walmart?
In addition to countless safety risks a person can face while dumpster diving, Walmart also has different reasons for making dumpster diving illegal on their premises.
Under trespass laws, dumpster diving is seen as trespassing and invasion of privately-owned space. Any attempt to remove waste from private property may result in the person getting arrested. Even if the items thrown in the trash will not be sold, they still count as property of the Walmart corporation and that fact may result in the consequence of the person caught dumpster diving facing charges for theft.
Additionally, just like shoplifters, caught dumpster divers can be banned from any Walmart location for life and may not be able to ever shop in those establishments.
Dumpster diving is also dangerous for security reasons as dumpster diving puts everyone in the company at risk.
Not only items that are sold but also personal information in terms of documents belonging to the company may be thrown in those same bins as well. If someone dumpster dives and comes across such documents, it might prove to be a danger in terms of security for the people that work in the company. Any lost items in Walmart may also be thrown in the trash and for that reason, can be found by dumpster divers. These items may include debit cards, coupons, documents with personal information, and other personal accessories one might have lost in the establishment.
Conclusion
Turns out dumpster diving at Walmart is illegal and for many good reasons, might I add. If you are considering dumpster diving to keep your situation going, don’t forget, it might be easy for us to say but things will get better, and you need to look after your health and not risk it by going through the trash of a company that throws out every possible thing they need to throw out in the same dumpsters.
For safety and health reasons, along with trespass laws, there are many good reasons to make dumpster diving illegal but the most important thing to keep in mind is to create a system where no one is forced to dumpster dive to get by another day. But hey, that is an article for another day, a much longer one.
Is it illegal in different companies?
Most of them, yes. Trespass law applies to any private property and dumpster diving is made illegal in many states.
What does Walmart do with its trash?
Walmart has set to achieve 100% recyclable, reusable, or industrially compostable packaging by 2025. Also, you can find out from Walmart’s website that a lot of different material thrown out is set to go for recycling and a zero-waste policy is put in place.
