Dumpster diving is the act of taking useful items out of the trash and using them. For some people, dumpster diving is a source of earning as they sell good items. However, for others, it brings huge savings.
Dumpster diving at Publix Super Markets offers a similar experience since you can find most day-to-day usage items here. However, it is not as simple since you must know all legalities.
Dumpster Diving at Publix Super Markets
Publix Super Markets is commonly known as Publix, and it is one of the fastest-growing supermarket chains owned by its employees. It has worked in the United States since 1930 and operates online and offline in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Virginia.
You can find grocery items, pharmaceuticals, liquor, and cafeteria items. The good thing about these stores is that they care a lot about their customers and offer top-quality products. That’s why the items that go bad or pass their expiry date end up in the trash. That’s where you can enjoy dumpster diving at Publix Super Markets.
The overall experience circulates things you can use for personal savings. However, sometimes some items can be sold for profit as well.
Related article: All you need to know about Dumpster diving
Pros and Cons: Publix Super Markets
Publix Super Markets dumpster diving is beneficial for many people in various ways. However, it also comes with multiple cons you must know before beginning.
A. Pros
The pros of Publix Super Markets dumpster diving include:
1. Opportunity to find free items.
Publix Super Markets provides you the opportunity to find lots of free items. These are the same items that you will pay for if you buy them from inside the stores.
2. Products from every category
Places like Publix Super Markets throw the trash inside dumpsters no matter how much value it holds. So, you can find items from multiple categories inside these dumpsters.
3. Better for the planet
Going to Publix Super Markets for dumpster diving means significantly reducing the waste that would otherwise end up in landfills. Additionally, you are stopping lots of usable food items from getting wasted.
B. Cons
The cons of Publix Super Markets dumpster diving include:
1. Chances of getting ill
Dumpsters with meat, seafood, and grocery can always get you ill. You can accidentally consume something that is not in good condition and welcomes multiple health issues your way.
2. Legal problems
If you go for illegal dumpster diving, you can face legal issues from fines and prison time to getting banned from the location for life. You never know what’s coming your way.
3. Unsanitary environment
These dumpsters have a very unsanitary environment. There are infinite germs and multiple insects and animals. You can find flies and rodents in most dumpsters that will spread germs everywhere.
How does Publix Super Markets handle its waste?
Publix Super Markets is a place where most of the items need to be fresh. Unlike electronics and furniture stores, Publix Super Markets cannot keep items on the shelves long. The only items that stay on the shelves for a long time are the packed ones, which also stay as long as their expiry date lasts.
So, whenever something is not good enough to be kept for customers, it is thrown away in the dumpsters. The employees are not allowed to keep anything or take it to their homes, so everything goes into the dumpsters at the location. That’s how you can find multiple items here.
Dumpster diving laws at Publix Super Markets
Regarding the dumpster diving laws at Publix Super Markets, things differ from store to store. It is because these stores are not always located on private property. Some of the stores are also present inside shopping malls and bigger complexes. So, when a Publix Super Markets store is inside a shopping mall, it uses the dumpsters of the mall.
Those are usually present on public property, so few laws apart from local laws apply to them. However, when a Publix Super Markets store is on private property, laws may change. Any dumpster present on their private property will not be legal to access, and taking anything from it will be known as theft.
Under such situations, the store can use gates, fences, and no-trespassing signs to ensure nobody gets inside the property. Not following these laws can cause legal issues against you.
Is dumpster diving illegal at Publix Super Markets?
Is dumpster diving illegal at Publix Super Markets? The answer to this question depends on multiple factors. Firstly, it depends on the local and state laws. Although most places allow dumpster diving, there are some localities where it is not allowed. Secondly, the store’s location matters since the stores in malls do not use their private dumpsters.
Only stores on private property have control of their dumpsters. Considering that, if you are caught dumpster diving illegally by any means, you may face the following:
- Fines
- Prison time
- Ban from the location.
- All of these
You face such a situation when you are caught and presented in front of the court. The judge then decides the charges against you according to the law.
What can you find in dumpsters at Publix Super Markets?
Publix Super Markets do not deal in many things besides grocery and edibles. There are only a few categories in which you can find the following items in their dumpsters:
- Grocery
- Bakery
- Produce
- Deli
- Meat
- Seafood
- Floral
- Pharmaceuticals
- Café items
- Liquor store items
So, most items you can find here include those you can eat yourself. Some are good to take home to cook. However, it is crucial to check anything if it is good or not before you consume it.
How much money can you make dumpster diving at Publix Super Markets?
Dumpster diving and earning through it are two very different things. It is not true that if you find something in the dumpsters, you can sell it. When you dumpster dive at Publix Super Markets, the items you find are very limited. For example, most items you find here will go to your kitchen, and only a few, like liquor, are sellable (finding these is rare).
So, Publix Super Markets dumpster diving will not help you earn anything directly. However, it does bring some savings for you. Let’s say your monthly grocery expenditure is between $400 and $500. If you don’t have to spend anything for a month and you find everything from the dumpsters here, your grocery bill will be a flat saving.
While it does not create an earning opportunity for you, it does allow you to enjoy savings. Remember that it is not as practical as it sounds since you cannot find everything here, and not every day will be the same considering dumpster diving.
Can you make a living out of dumpster diving at Publix Super Markets?
No, leaving your main job for dumpster diving at Publix Super Markets is not recommended. Even if you get your grocery bills covered by it, there will be many expenditures you need money for. So, you either have to work as a full-time dumpster diver at multiple locations or take it as part-time work with your real job.
The best way to increase your earnings or savings is with dumpster diving
Planning your trips is the smartest way to make dumpster diving more effective for you. Every place has multiple locations that you can visit for dumpster diving, including:
- Retail stores
- Rich communities
- Malls
- Electronics stores
By adding popular locations to your route, you will find many valuable items in the dumpsters you can sell. That way, your earning could be much better than visiting Publix Super Markets alone.
Best time to dumpster dive at Publix Super Markets
The most critical aspect is the time to visit Publix Super Markets for dumpster diving. It defines what you find and what you miss. Publix Super Markets employees generally empty their trash twice a day before the store opens and at closing time.
So, for the best findings, visiting Publix Super Markets during these times is good. Otherwise, you will find a lot of traffic at the dumpsters, or the garbage truck will take all the valuable items.
The new Dumpster Diving shirt keeps you in style
Wearing different clothes for dumpster diving takes personal hygiene to the next level. However, it does not mean that you only have to wear old and boring clothes.
This “Dumpster diving is like a weed – Can’t Stop Won’t Stop” T-shirt makes a perfect choice for everyone.
It is a unisex product in different styles and offers over 15 color options and various sizes. It will be a perfect addition to your dumpster diving wardrobe.
Check this out: Dumpster diving is like a weed – Can’t Stop Won’t Stop T-shirt
Tips for safety Dumpster Diving at Publix Super Markets
Your safety matters a lot whenever you are going to dumpster dive at Publix Super Markets. Here are our top safety tips for you to keep yourself safe:
- Whenever accessing private property, ask for officials’ permission. However, you have to immediately leave if they ask you to.
- Never compromise on your safety equipment, which includes gloves, goggles, and masks. You can also wear some head protection.
- Always check the expiration date of anything before picking it.
- Refrain from picking items that are exposed or all their packing is open.
- Always check your local dumpster diving law since localities can update them, and you don’t want any uninformed issues.
- Be very careful about your hygiene. Always wash after you get home.
- Thoroughly clean anything you find from the dumpsters before you put it in your kitchen.
- Use disinfectants on yourself and the stuff you find after getting home.
With that, you can be safe from all legal and health issues while you dumpster dive at Publix Super Markets.
Related article: A complete guide on Dumpster Diving Tips that you never knew before
Final Words
Dumpster diving at Publix Super Markets is a new experience for many people. While it does not bring many earning options, you can enjoy many savings. However, the most important thing of all is your safety.
So, always be aware of your locality’s latest dumpster diving laws. Similarly, be careful about what you pick and consume from these dumpsters.
