Dumpter Divers

Are there any laws regarding dumpters on a business property? We have two on the north end of our parking lot at Staples, aka " I get paid $6/hr to put up with your crap, that we throw funiture and other items we can't sell, because they're discontinued. We smash them and break them up first. There's been a couple times after we've closed the store we've looked out and have seen someone digging around in the dumpsters.

Now I know, "Why would she be curious or worried if the things have been broken up?" We don't need someone taking something out of the dumpster, and bringing it back to the store and saying they had bought it, and asking for a refund. I thought a couple guard dogs would be a good idea if we didn't feed them for awhile, or somehow marking the items we threw in the dumpsters.

I'd go with marking them. Just get the .99 can of orange spray paint and mark them as destroyed.

As for the laws, you'd have to ask your local police. Most laws regarding comerical dumpsters fall under local ordinance laws.

We have a local ordinance against it.

Thanks for the responses, I'll ask the local PD about it.

It's against the law here, but a lot of stores padlock their dumpsters anyway. Mostly to keep people from putting their personal garbage in them.

Snakes and rats work well.

:nod:

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Originally Posted by 1sgkelly

Snakes and rats work well.

:nod:

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I bet a dead body would work even better! :D

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Originally Posted by Elle

I thought a couple guard dogs would be a good idea if we didn't feed them for awhile, or somehow marking the items we threw in the dumpsters.

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Excuse me , do you have any animals ? I hope not , as for not feeding an animal to make it mean enough to attack someone ,putting them on a chain at a dumpster is ludicris , not only illegal and the most dumbest thing possible because it opens the business up for potential lawsuits . Even if someone does go into dumpster , they get bit or harmed , they will come back and sue Staples .

Spray paint the thrown out items is the best deterrent , put up signs of no trespassing , etc etc and when you guys are looking out the window , why watch ? Just call the police .

The general mgr should be handling this . Also call your local dept and ask them what the laws are in your town .

Here's an idea.

If the furniture is just discontinued, or has a minor defect, etc, why don't you take some initative and find somewhere to donate it, instead of destroying it?

For example, women's shelters, homeless shelters, group homes, transition houses, the salvation army, soup kitchens, churches, and daycares, all have a need for the stuff you're throwing away.

Many of them will even come and pick it up from you guys. And some will even do minor repairs and then sell it at thrift shops to fund their various programs.

Think outside the box and soon you'll be making more than 6 bucks an hour.

Good luck

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Originally Posted by SummerSunrises

Excuse me , do you have any animals ? I hope not , as for not feeding an animal to make it mean enough to attack someone ,putting them on a chain at a dumpster is ludicris , not only illegal and the most dumbest thing possible because it opens the business up for potential lawsuits . Even if someone does go into dumpster , they get bit or

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FYI I do have a dog, black lab cheseapeke cross that lives at my parents, because my apartment is too small to keep him in, also there is a no pets rule in my building. I would never starve my dog or any animal and I'd beat the crap out of anybody that harmed my dog, that comment was meant as a joke.

Since i dont know you , seeing that comment , and having dealt for so many years with people NOT like you and i ( i now see ) i hope you will understand my immediate reaction .. Thanks for clearing it up ...

No problem, as for just calling the cops that's something that may embarass the person and only the managers are allowed to do that, I can't even call the cops if a customer passes me a fake bill as payment, I have to call the manager and let them call the cops. I guess they think I'll stand there on the phone and try to order a pizza. Now if some one is doing something that might harm themselves or others then I would call.

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Originally Posted by Elle

No problem, as for just calling the cops that's something that may embarass the person and only the managers are allowed to do that, I can't even call the cops if a customer passes me a fake bill as payment, I have to call the manager and let them call the cops. I guess they think I'll stand there on the phone and try to order a pizza. Now if some one is doing something that might harm themselves or others then I would call.

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"This is a stick-up, give me all your money."

Excuse me I have to find a manager to call the police.

You get paid $6 per hour; so, your managers they make , what $4.93?

:yo:

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Originally Posted by 1sgkelly

"This is a stick-up, give me all your money."

Excuse me I have to find a manager to call the police.

You get paid $6 per hour; so, your managers they make , what $4.93?

:yo:

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In that case I'm too give them what they want, not volunteer anything, remember their description, what kind of weapon they had, what they said, and the type of vehicle they were driving.

It was a joke, guess it missed.

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Originally Posted by 1sgkelly

It was a joke, guess it missed.

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:rofl: yeah it did, but you know what they say Blonde is a state of mind, not a hair color.

Back in the day working 11pm to 7 am our shift did a lot diving solved some crime that way. Employees throwing good stuff out with the bad to collect later. Unless there is an ordinance against it once it's thrown away there is no expectation of privacey.

Once it hits the curb; or in your case the dumpster, here it is considered abandoned and public domain.

Unless it is in a recycling bin then it’s a crime.

The state makes money off recycling items. They take items like discarded papers and resell it back to the paper companies who then recycle it and put it back on the shelves for you to buy again.

It’s a vicious circle of profiting and the common person is prohibited from profiting.

As far as the dog idea. Not wise for a whole slew of reasons. Like others said deface the items with paint and or lock the dumpsters.