Trash Pickers Anonymous

[crtrlovr]

Quote:
wow, that was a great find indeed!

 

[thechickenchick]

I think its awesome! Also nothing wrong with teaching your kids the thrill of recycling!

 

[Laurieks]

poor DH & DS finally got used to me saying, then grabbing, 'goat food' if we were out and saw good tree trimmings or produce; Now I say 'chicken food'! And there's a lot more of it around

 

[Ms.FuzzyButts]

Sheepishly raises hand.

 

[FrenchHen]

see my signature.

 

[Goose and Fig]

You're actually "upcycling"

Just make sure to put the stuff to use in good time, or you might end up on Hoarders

(I've been thinking about calling them on my dad

)

 

[92caddy]

Im a Hoarder, for sure, so was my mom and her mom..........

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

My dad has found some neat things along the side of the road! Once we found old wooden crates filled with junk. The crates were antique and went beautifully in my basement! We just dumped the junk into another box and took them home!

A few other times he has found some great scrap wood, as well as lots of cabinets and shelves. He is pretty talented at turning junk into nice western furniture pieces! Most of our pieces in the basement have been made by him. They are simple, but fit great! Next time I am home, I will try to snap a few shots of what he has made!

 

[ranchhand]

I'm in, bigtime!

I used to drive small delivery trucks and was always scouting the parking lots behind businesses. Before so many companies started locking their dumpsters I would go home with something almost daily. One day another driver and I found a dumpster behind a wholesale florist just crammed with beautiful roses- we both filled our trucks and distributed them all over the office and our neighborhood and still had a zillion for ourselves. They lasted for weeks, too. Heavenly!

A couple of things I've learned- there's a difference between packrat and hoarder - you have to use some self control to avoid living in the dump. Think "can I use this? WILL I use this?" Don't think well somebody might want this someday..............
Leave it for someone else if you don't know exactly what you want it for.

Also - make sure it is legal to take it! I will often ask a store manager if I can take something from a parking lot. Sometimes they say no, that display or crate or whatever belongs to the distributor and they will be coming to get it later. Most store have cameras behind them now, and you could be charged with theft.

Just a head's up from a longtime collector of good stuff!

 

[LarryPQ]

It is good to know I am not alone! More stories, fellow pickers!

I am NOT a hoarder, for sure.

I never pick up or save anything unless I have a specific plan for something. Well almost never. Sometimes I see something, and it triggers the "oh! useful!" button in my brain, and I will get it if I have space for it. Example: my company gets bagels on Fridays. The come in GIANT heavy paper bags with handles. I keep a few on hand at XMAS for sorting presents for the 12 houses we have to go to, craft projects, and others.

The lettuce boxes from COSTCO make perfect brooder boxes or temporary nesting boxes when you have to crate a sick/injured bird. Plus you can just recycle it when it gets poopy. I try to keep ONE (not lots

) on hand at all times, but sometimes the kids find it and play "whitewater rapids".