Found Treasures by Sarah VanTassel

My fiance, Jake, and I have discovered countless little treasures, all on the streets and near the railroad tracts of South Side in Pittsburgh, all free. Here is what we collect: Garbage. Everything that is on that chest (including the chest) was something that Jake and I found. I have found books, darkroom supplies, a guitar, food, an entire sewing kit, dishes, and more. Our little space is decorated with old bottles filled with feathers and flowers (that I picked from the wild, not purchased) and the skulls of animals that we have found on the railroad tracts that run behind our house. Every Wednesday night we walk down the sidewalks looking for good items that others have discarded. On the weekends is when we usually will actually dumpster dive for food at places like Trader Joes and The Bagel Factory. I have no shame in picking something out of a dumpster that is perfectly functional and using it. Some people have a problem with the idea of dumpster diving and trashing, but I feel like a lot of the time they are just unaware of how much the public wastes completely fine materials. I think that if people really knew, maybe some they would cut back on what they throw out. Or perhaps they would be more inclined to donate their unwanted items to organizations such as Good Will or the Salvation Army. There is a lot of need; many people look through what others throw out for survival. It is really sad to me that while that is going on people are either oblivious or choosing to ignore what they are wasting and I’m sure some are aware but don’t really care. If it doesn’t affect them, why even take it into consideration. A lot of people are blinded to the fact that they could one day be in want. The amount of waste in America is unreal. According to the Clean Air Council, in the U.S., The average person creates 4.39 pounds of trash per day and up to 56 tons of trash per year. Jake and I will be getting married and moving into our own place next June, and so we will be in need of many things such as furniture, dished and many other basic supplies. And the first place we plan to look is on the streets and sidewalks. We are not out to change the world by any means, but why not take advantage of others waste? I’m not saying that if you don’t dumpster dive or if you don’t get your furniture from the trash than you are a bad person, I am asking however, that you be more aware of what you throw out. If it’s something that could be used by someone else, than maybe donate it. Ya know as they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure.