Walgreen is a place where people go to buy stuff, including household items and some consumables. However, if you want them for free, dumpster diving at Walgreens can offer you a rich experience.
Dumpster diving is taking stuff from the trash that is of no cost to others, but it can significantly benefit you. However, before you begin with Walgreens dumpster diving, there are a few things you need to be very careful about.
Dumpster Diving at Walgreens
Walgreens is a pharmacy chain that has more than 8000 stores. It is a national organization in the United States with several health services and products. Additionally, they may offer you some beauty products, consumables, and other services.
In short, it is a perfect destination to get all the last-minute items at amazing prices.
What we are here for is dumpster diving at these stores, and this activity can lead you toward amazing savings and profits. Commonly, you will find something that you may find useful or sellable, but you need to be a little strategic with the dumpsters here. That’s the way you can make good profits.
Related article: All you need to know about Dumpster diving
Advantages and Disadvantages of Dumpster Diving at Walgreens
Like any other location, dumpster diving at Walgreens has pros and cons. So, before you begin with it, it is better to have an idea about both aspects. In this way, you can be much more efficient with decision-making.
Advantages
The top 3 advantages of Walgreens dumpster diving include:
· Free items
Even when Walgreens offers amazing prices and deals, if you still want those items for free, then the dumpster is what you need to look for. Usually, it will have that product that you need in immaculate condition.
· Lots of things to select from
Going for Walgreens dumpster diving will never make you leave empty-handed because these stores have multiple categories of products.
· Eco-friendly act
It is a great activity at your end because you are not only benefitting yourself, but you are also doing good for the planet. Your dumpster diving makes less trans end up in landfills.
Disadvantages
The top 3 disadvantages of Walgreens dumpster diving include:
· Legal issues
A huge disadvantage that you may face will be legal issues. You can face issues if dumpster diving is prohibited in your locality. Otherwise, you can also face legal issues if you are found on unauthorized private property, littering, or causing a disturbance.
· Unhygienic conditions
The conditions here are not always the most hygienic. So, you must be careful about what you pick and use/sell. It is because some items may not be good anymore because of germs.
· Injury chances
With sharp and heavy objects in the dumpsters and chemicals that may react with your skin, there are injury chances.
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Additionally, unlike other items, it is very comfortable, allowing you to take longer dumpster diving trips.
Lastly, this shirt allows you to spread a positive message about the importance of dumpster diving in your life and for others. The best part is that there are several variations that you can select from to enjoy the best experience and style.
Check this out: I Love Dumpster Diving T-shirt
How does Walgreens handle its waste?
Waste handling at Walgreens is pretty simple. The employees keep their trash in the bins inside for the day. When the store closes, they empty the bins in the dumpsters outside the store.
They do the same with the products they remove from the stock, the expired and bad items and all other waste. So, you must be very careful when dumpster diving at Walgreens as the good items may be mixed with waste containing germs and everything else.
How does Walgreens handle its returns?
In most stores, you find that they keep the good items back on their shelves when returned. That’s not the case with Walgreens stores because they have a policy to give away good items from customers’ returns in charity.
However, their policy is a little different regarding damaged, expired, or badly packaged items. Instead of giving them to charity or putting them back on shelves, these items go straight to dumpsters present outside the stores.
How do employees at Walgreens decide if something is going to waste?
Several conditions help Walgreens employees decide whether something is going to waste. The most important checks include the product’s expiration date, the product being intact, and the product having good packing.
If something is perfect in all the checks, that may not go to waste, and they will donate those to charity instead. However, the items that are not good anymore go straight to waste.
Dumpster Diving Laws at Walgreens
There are no specific dumpster diving laws at Walgreens stores, and these stores follow the rules of their locality. It means that if you are caught dumpster diving here while you shouldn’t be, the prison time, fine, or ban will be according to the law of the location where you are caught.
One of the most important things to remember is that these stores are usually on private properties, and you have to abide by private property regulations; otherwise, dumpster diving will be considered illegal.
Is dumpster diving illegal at Walgreens?
Is dumpster diving illegal at Walgreens? No, it is not illegal, but you will find the officials prohibit you from entering their property without authorization. The following things are commonly found here:
- Signs instructing trespassers to stay out.
- Fences and gates to keep unauthorized people out.
However, if the dumpster is on public property, you don’t need to worry about anything. Otherwise, if you want to dive into the dumpsters present on the private property, ask the officials for permission is what you need to do.
Even if they allow and later ask you to leave, you have no right to stay there and immediately leave; otherwise, you may face legal issues, including a lifetime ban.
What kind of items is present in dumpsters at Walgreens?
The dumpsters at Walgreens stores have items from multiple categories. They sell a variety of products, so when you dive into the dumpsters, you can find things like:
- Beauty and skincare products
- Cosmetics and makeup items
- Household items
- Food, etc.
So, while you dive into these dumpsters, be careful about what you pick, as the stuff in the dumpsters can be expired or spoiled, making it bad for personal use. You cannot even sell such items at good prices.
Is Dumpster diving at Walgreens profitable?
Dumpster diving here can be highly profitable if you know which products to pick and what to leave. Even if you pick items for personal use, you can save a lot of money this way by using them and not buying them. However, finding the right products is a factor that varies according to the following factors:
- Location of the store
- The time when you visit.
- Your knowledge of items
- The type of items you pick.
Now when you pick items that have small price tags, and they are in high demand, you can easily sell them online. On the other hand, picking something expensive may increase your profits, but selling that will not be easy. In either case, if you go for the right items and sell them efficiently, you can make a few hundred every week.
Can it replace your regular job? No, it is not a stable source of earning, so you better take it as a part-time source of income. If you want to make dumpster diving your primary source of earning, plan to visit other places and dumpsters.
Best time to dumpster dive at Walgreens
The best time to dumpster dive at a Walgreens store is at night. It is because they throw out their trash when the store closes. The trash stays there until the morning when other dumpster divers visit, and the garbage truck may empty their dumpsters.
The routine of throwing trash out is the same during weekdays and weekends. However, you can find more products on weekends because more people visit these stores then.
Tips for safety Dumpster Diving at Walgreens
There are several critical factors about Walgreens dumpster diving. So, if you want a safe experience, make sure always to follow the tips discussed below:
- Always be careful about your surroundings, and do not enter private properties that restrict trespassers.
- The safest way to approach dumpsters in private properties is by asking officials’ permission.
- Keep your smartphone with you so you can instantly search for anything about a product you find. Thus, you can skip products that are not safe for consumption.
- Always wear safety gloves, masks, and goggles while diving in these dumpsters because you don’t want anything sharp or reactive on yourself.
- Pay close attention to the consumables’ expiry date, as you do not want anything that is not good for usage.
- If officials catch you, but you took permission beforehand, cooperate with them and explain the whole thing. Do not resist, as that will result in legal charges.
- Wash and disinfect everything along with yourself when you are back.
And with these things, you will not have much to worry about while dumpster diving.
Related article: A complete guide on Dumpster Diving Tips that you never knew before
Final Words
Dumpster diving at Walgreens can be a great way to start your dumpster diving journey. However, sticking to one store only may not be good.
You must plan your trips strategically and cover as many locations as possible. Thus, you can find products that can be sold at great deals online or offline. Whatever you pick, be careful about personal safety and hygiene.
