Is Dumpster Diving Illegal In New Jersey?

"One man's trash is another man's treasure." We've all heard the saying.

Have you ever taken something from the curb that someone in your neighborhood was throwing away?

Maybe you passed a bike, lawn mower, dresser, or chair on your way to work and pulled over to put it in your car to bring home.

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There are many reasons someone may consider seeking out someone else's trash.

Some people take things as a hobby or to resell the items and make money, others do it out of necessity.

But, what about going through a dumpster in New Jersey, is that legal?

What is Dumpster Diving?

Dumpster diving is searching through dumpsters or trash cans for items of value or edible food.

You have to be so careful when dumpster diving because you never know what's in there.

There could be broken glass, or nails sticking out of wood, among many other things that can be very dangerous.

It can be dirty, gross, and extremely unsanitary.

Can you Legally Dumpster Dive in New Jersey?

The answer is YES.

There are no laws against it. However, you have to be very mindful of trespassing laws and ordinances.

You obviously can't go on private property and look through someone's trash or rummage through trash near a retail store that's on private property.

You can get in trouble for trespassing.

According to moneyworths.com, there are certain areas of the state where dumpster diving is more popular.

The article states that the wealthiest areas of the state are more popular for dumpster diving which include North Caldwell, Haddonfield, Rumson, Allendale, Westfield, and Ridgewood.

Again, just make sure you look for "no trespassing" signs and that you're not on private property.

Before you go digging through trash, check out these weird laws here in New Jersey.