Before knowing is dumpster diving legal in Oregon or not, we must know what actually dumpster diving is. So, dumpster diving is generally the salvaging from large residential, commercial, construction, and industrial containers for unexploited items discarded by their owners, but is considered useful to the picker or banner.
It is also called curb shopping or trash picking. Dumpster diving is sometimes considered a good, also a bad thing. Good in a sense, as it helps divert items from the waste stream. Many people put effort to give the merchandise a second chance before it makes its way to the dump. However, the worst possible result of dumpster diving is a serious injury such as cutting yourself on sharp pieces of metal or glass or even the death of participants.
In this article, we will cover all the good information about is dumpster diving legal in Oregon. All you need to know about dumpster diving is given below, so scroll the page down and read further.
Is dumpster diving legal in Oregon?
Now the question arises is dumpster diving legal in Oregon? Dumpster diving is considered an illegal activity in Oregon. Oregon law prohibits the picking of recyclable items from dumpsters without the permission of the owner, but there is no particular law about taking food out of bins. Dumpster divers, if caught inside a private place, are charged with trespassing and vandalism.
The pickers from dumpsters are the needy ones, who grab through the garbage of others for a meal. Taking food or trash that has been put out for collection must be legal all across the United States, including Oregon, as trash put out for collection is considered to be in the public domain. But the problem comes if trash bins are either private property themselves or located on private property. If this condition lies, then you cannot just hop in a dumpster without the owners’ permission on their property.
Apart from this, a few sources claim that dumpster diving is completely legal in Oregon and there is no law forbidding you to dive into dumpsters that are placed on public properties for example curbs for pickup.
OREGON DUMPSTER DIVING LAWS
There are some specific Oregon dumpster diving laws. A few of them are:
- It claims that a person may not take recyclable materials out of the trash bins without the permission of the owner if the bin is still in their house or any private place.
- The Oregon Supreme Court law also states that it is also illegal to even for police to search through people’s garbage without a warrant.
- Another law is the trespassing law. For instance, when you jump a fence or walk onto private property to dumpster dive, then this is considered trespassing. The back areas of stores and houses are the private property. Private property makes dumpster diving non-legal without the owner’s permission and you can be arrested.
- Proper signs and signatures can be used to warn banners and used in a case in court to show that the company took appropriate precautions. Some signs make everything that is inside the bin off-limits.
- Interfering with the lock of a dumpster is also prohibited and you can be arrested or fined.
- Parking the vehicle near the dumpster while sorting through garbage may worry owners. It looks like stealing if your car is loaded with electronics, food, or other recyclable items. If an eyewitness sees this, they may phone the police to report a theft.
Click HERE to learn more about Interesting Dumpster Diving Laws in Oregon
Best Places To Dumpster Dive in Portland Oregon
While dumpster diving, you need to be aware of the local laws and orders and obey no private property postings because private places are not the best places to dumpster dive, especially without permission. Some of the best places to dumpster dive in Portland Oregon are below:
Wealthy Neighborhood
Rich neighborhoods and communities are likely to redecorate often and throw out old appliances because they can afford upgrades whenever they want. You can try your luck at this sort of place. You must dive on before the garbage pickup.
Neighborhood yard sales are also a source of dumpster diving. Owners put effort and time to clean out their houses and prepare for garage or yard sales. Sometimes, they choose to donate some of these items.
Merchandising Stores
Retail stores are also one of the best places for dumpster diving. Almost every store throws away broken or slightly damaged goods. Moreover, talking about returned items, some store these products because their packaging is open and they do not reshelve it. These items go straight to the dumpster. So lucky for you, you can just check out the containers and find the item you are interested in.
Bakeshops
Bakeries are a good opportunity for the dumpster divers. Great bakeries are known to maintain freshly baked bread, cookies, and pastries. The unsold ones are just thrown to the garbage box at the end of the day to make room for the fresh items. Before dumpster diving, you should know the closing hours of bakeries.
Flower Store Shops
If you want to give something free to give someone special or want to find new home decoration, then you can go with flowers. Florists only use the freshest and undried flowers to design bouquets. Due to this, they throw away flowers that are just a little bit withered. You can use them or you may also find whole bouquets that are just a bit past their freshest state.
Building Sites
You will have various options at construction sites. If you are working on any construction project such as in college and want to spend less on materials, then you should go check into dumpsters near the construction area. These are definitely worth checking for. You can easily find paints, wood, bricks, and nails.
Electrical Stores
Electronic stores’ dumpsters are worth looking at. Slightly damaged, either used or returned products, damaging packaging can result in electronics being tossed. You can have a number of appliances such as cable modems, Bluetooth earpieces, hundreds of DVDs. Keeping metals out of the trash is good for the environment because they contain heavy metals and other harmful materials.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO DUMPSTER DIVE IN OREGON?
Is dumpster diving legal in Oregon? As you all now come to know dumpster diving is not legal, so divers do this in an illegal way. That is why a lot of people wonder when is the best time to dumpster dive in Oregon. The best time to dumpster dive in Oregon is just after the store closes and all the employees have left, most probably at night.
If you are a college student, you can pick up the trash at the end of a semester, when students just throw away goods when leaving for vacations rather than selling them.
Is Dumpster Diving Legal in Eugene Oregon?
Is Dumpster diving legal in Eugene Oregon? Eugene is a city in Oregon, so like other cities, dumpster diving is also illegal in Eugene Oregon. One of the Eugene Police Department Communication officers said that the dumpster diving act is a major policy concern.
Is Dumpster Diving Legal in Salem Oregon?
Is dumpster diving legal in Salem Oregon? Dumpster diving is illegal in Salem, Oregon. If you are caught red-handed, you can be fined or arrested charge of trespassing or stealing goods.
Conclusion
Is dumpster diving legal in Oregon? The simple answer is no. Dumpster diving is not legal in Oregon if the dumpsters are placed in private areas. They have to ask for permission from the owner to pick up the garbage from the dumpster. However, if the trash bins are in public places, then you can look for any reusable items.
