A woman who dumpster dives for a living recently filmed herself rummaging outside an Anthropologie store, and her discoveries were absolutely staggering. The bargain hunter, known as @glamourddive on TikTok, uses her platform to educate her 2.5 million followers about the problems with fast fashion. In a recent video, she climbed into a dumpster behind an Anthropologie in the United States and found countless discarded items.
What She Found
She claims large retailers often throw away old stock when it is not selling well, slightly damaged, or no longer trendy. In the video, she is seen going through candles, mugs, makeup bags, and other goods. Most items were in brand-new condition, though some were broken and unusable.
She exclaimed: "Look at this - it's a full candle set. These were $50 (£37) each. There's a dog candle, are you kidding me? This is so cute." She filled her bags quickly before a rubbish truck arrived to empty the dumpster.
Legal Status of Dumpster Diving
In the UK, dumpster diving, often called "skipping," is not explicitly illegal but falls into a legal grey area. Entering private land or taking items can lead to criminal charges. In the US, it is technically legal in all 50 states but heavily regulated by local laws, often leading to trespassing issues.
Public Reaction
The video sparked mixed responses. One commenter asked: "Why don’t they just gift it to their employees?" Another said: "I work at a sister store for Anthropologie and it is definitely not policy to just throw things in the trash." A third added: "The fact that companies throw out perfectly good items is disgusting. They should be paying fines for filling our landfills. These should be donated or put out on the curb for people to pick up. I’m so glad you were able to at least save some things!"
Anthropologie has been contacted for comment.
Fast Fashion Waste
Speaking about fast fashion, The Clothing Bank notes: "One of the main ways that retailers dispose of unsold stock is by sending it to landfill sites across the world. About 30% of the UK’s unwanted clothes go to landfill, with Brits throwing 300,000 tonnes of clothes into the bin every year. Meanwhile, less than a fifth of preloved clothing is ever recycled. For retailers, it’s often more cost-effective to send unused stock to landfill, rather than recycling, calling it ‘deadstock’ despite its quality being fine."
