Dumpster Diving UK Laws

[Tired Seeker]

Hi. I would like to go dumpster diving and I would like to stay on the right side of the law.

The first one is trespassing... I understand that trespassing is a civil matter and not a police matter?

What is private and public land... for example Argos is a public store but if one goes behind it where the dumpsters are is that still public land?

Many stores have a recycling policy that they do not stick too and chuck things like batteries into the dumpsters that end up in landfill. Does this give the public a right to remove illegally wrongful disposed rubbish?

Is it theft to take things from dumpsters?

Having to type this out again because the first post vanished... just a side note.

[EXC]

Hi. I would like to go dumpster diving and I would like to stay on the right side of the law.

The first one is trespassing... I understand that trespassing is a civil matter and not a police matter?

What is private and public land... for example Argos is a public store but if one goes behind it where the dumpsters are is that still public land?

Many stores have a recycling policy that they do not stick too and chuck things like batteries into the dumpsters that end up in landfill. Does this give the public a right to remove illegally wrongful disposed rubbish?

Is it theft to take things from dumpsters?

Having to type this out again because the first post vanished... just a side note.

Your post was unapproved by our sometimes over-sensitive spam filter, so I've approved it.

I doubt anyone here would advise that you wouldn't first need the consent of the business.

[dslippy]

Trespass is a civil offence until it is allied with an intent to do something unlawful - then it can become criminal.

The car park is all private land.

No it does not create any such right.

Yes, it is theft. Property in a dumpster is still property. There is a phrase 'theft by finding' which describes this.

[atticus]

Argos is private property. The public are permitted onto certain parts of that property at certain times.

There have been cases where people removing items from skips have been convicted of theft.

Proceed with care.

[EXC]

Trespass is a civil offence until it is allied with an intent to do something unlawful - then it can become criminal.

The car park is all private land.

No it does not create any such right.

Yes, it is theft. Property in a dumpster is still property. There is a phrase 'theft by finding' which describes this.

This got caught by the spam filter too. I think it's the 'dumps' in 'dumpster' that the spam algorithm picked up. It's a commonly used reference associated with the marketing of stolen credit card information.

[Tired Seeker]

Can';t reply

[Tired Seeker]

Somebody needs to do something about this bloody spam filter its making the forum unusable

[atticus]

Try using the word "skip"