17 May 2002

Outfitting Your Laboratory. Part ll : More Dumpstering Trivia

By David Dechant

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Now that you have been made aware of the potential dumpstering has for providing you with science-related raw materials and equipment at a reasonable cost (free), it is time to really think about why you might want to do this. I dumpster because I like to build or create things, I fix my own tools and equipment, and I make my own tools for special needs. I do not consider myself overly gifted in the creativity area, and I have wasted a lot of circuitry "experimenting" but most of the components were free so the learning was not expensive. If I had to run to the hardware or electronics parts store every time I needed a washer or a resistor it would nickel and dime me to death, plus I would not get much accomplished and probably not have such fascinating hobbies, in short, I have more flexibility. In a rare burst of creativity it is nice to have everything I will need at my disposal to at least get the fundamental idea rolling and into some semblance of reality. So dumpstering and its time investment is worthwhile for me.

However you must figure into the "free" part of the equation the time spent recovering, processing, and storing the material until you need it (if ever). I recommend that you clearly evaluate your needs and set some goals as to what you would like to accumulate. It is not likely you will ever find a company disposing of unbroken laboratory glassware in a dumpster. I have found laboratory glassware in medical waste dumpsters but chose to buy new glassware until I found a better and less expensive way to get even that (you’ll hear about that in a later installment, so hold on). You will probably be limited to finding electronic items that are frequently discarded and fairly easy to get home. Discarded photocopiers have some pretty nice optics in them and almost anything electronic has something useful that can be pulled off of it. And remember again, that your time is money, and if you are willing to accept the fact that you may not hit the jackpot each time you go out, that's great. But, if you really have a need that simply may not be met this way, spend the money and save yourself some frustration by buying what you need. Please try not to spend too much time attempting to get that scrap computer or any other piece of old equipment you may find to operate. It has been my experience that most of the time this stuff really is junk and you can waste many hours tinkering with it (fun but very frustrating).

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For those who do not know what an industrial park is a little background is necessary. Industrial parks are typically a group of warehouse type buildings strung out in a row. There may be a dozen or so small businesses in each long building. There is a front door (front side) and on the other side of the building are the shipping/receiving departments and the infamous dumpsters. The industrial park will have a sign on the main road near it that reads "Stone Mountain Industrial Park" and a number of entrances into it. These parks will be located on the outskirts of just about every city that has some sort of industrial or service based economy. Many industrial parks are listed on community maps. Once you have located a place to ply your new trade, scope out the area, I personally do not like being out of sight of a main road. Even though I am with a partner I feel more secure when I am not hidden behind a building and you can never be too careful. Really isolated places can be frightening at times (remember -bullet riddled dumpsters).

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If you are working the area after business hours (which you should be), turn around at the far end of the parking lot so you are facing out when you start and one by one check out the dumpsters (always wear your gloves, even when just opening a door). As I was on a tight schedule the photographs accompanying this installment were taken about 2 PM on a weekday, some places were empty and others busy, but even though I was doing a slow cruise and stopping frequently to check out the dumpsters nobody seemed to notice me. I was perceived as just another worker in the area and I just tried not to be too conspicuous with the camera. I did not venture into some dumpsters I would have liked to have since the back doors were open in many of the facilities and I did not feel like being scrutinized too closely. These would be dumpsters I would go back to after hours and see what they contain. I did find a dumpster that was easily approachable since no one was around and it was full of plastic drinking cups. They were brand new and in the dumpster loose and by the case. I picked up a case of plastic shot glasses, as they did not have a tapered shape so could take a standard cork. I think they might be useful as small test tubes or for soil sampling vials (there are 540 of these glasses to a case). If they are autoclavable, they will make good bacteria culture tubes. So on one run I could have picked up a potential lifetime supply of drinking cups for personal use or to sell at a yard sale and did pick up a mess of potential test tubes. And this was only one dumpster on one day in the middle of the afternoon.

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There are a wide variety of dumpsters that you will encounter out there. Some will be easy to get into and others more challenging. I stick with the easy stuff. After all, why make it hard? It is supposed to be fun. Typically, on the front upper left corner of most small dumpsters will be a letter code that stands for the day of the week. These are the days that the dumpster is emptied and some are emptied more than once a week so you will see more than one letter. Of course if you go on the day it is dumped well I guess you know what you find "NOTHING." Visit it the evening before it is dumped and you may get lucky.

After a few weeks of regular visits to some dumpsters you will have either become totally frustrated at finding nothing but trash (imagine that) or will have hit upon some really cool stuff. Not finding anything can be very frustrating but if you are in a location where you really think good stuff should be thrown away just be patient. Some times companies have to get an o.k. to dispose of certain items, so when the decision is made to throw out that pallet of junk you want to be there, and only going religiously will net the big payoffs.

Then there are the companies that seem to throw everything away including the kitchen sink on a regular basis as can be seen in this roll-off type dumpster. It has a potential work surface with a sink already installed in it. You can approach companies that regularly toss materials away that you can use. I advise you avoid doing business with someone at the back door as you may be dealing with a disgruntled employee wanting to do his or her company harm. To approach a company, be as presentable as possible, remember, you are businessmen or businesswomen and are selling yourselves as honest people who are recycling to keep recyclable materials from going needlessly to the landfill. Try to have a business card made (on your computer is fine) with your name and phone number on it. Go in the front door and ask the receptionist if you can speak with the manager who oversees the trash dumpster and state the purpose of your business. Do not be afraid, if you are asked what you are doing behind the building; simply explain that you are a hobbyist looking for materials needed to defray the expense of your hobby and that you occasionally look into dumpsters to find such materials.

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When you get the appropriate person, explain once again your needs, why you are there, what you have found, and could this company possibly allow you to remove recyclable material from their premises before it goes into the dumpster. Do not make an agreement with any company if you do not intend to uphold your end of the bargain. You not only spoil it for yourself but for any other industrious person who may one day approach this company for the same reason. If you get overloaded tell them you need to pull out and thank them for their generosity. Don’t just disappear. Remember that nobody has to do you any favors for any reason, so take care of those one or two special contact people at the companies that really are helping you out. My favorite people always received some occasional gift whether it was organic produce from my garden or free movie tickets to the local cinema. You do that and boy will you be surprised at some of the stuff you'll wind up bringing home.

Remember courtesy should be your watchword and environmental correctness your attitude. Next time I’ll discuss what can be found in salvage stores, antique shops, and thrift stores. I’ll also talk about curbing, what it is and where to do it. Keep in mind that your personal safety always comes before the "stuff" in the bottom of a dumpster. Set a goal and have fun.