24/7 Insights

• Garbage drivers with a sharp eye can find treasure.
• Some garbage treasures are mistakenly thrown away. 
• Thrown away electronics contain valuable metals worth salvaging.
• Also: 2 Dividend Legends to Hold Forever

By now, we should all be familiar with the saying that one person’s junk is another person’s treasure. While it’s a fun adage, there is also plenty of truth. There’s little argument that millions of dollars in valuable goods are accidentally and sometimes intentionally thrown out and picked up by garbage crews annually and sit undisturbed in landfills. While this might be the norm, there are some fun instances of garbage crews discovering treasures discarded by their owners. 

12. Landfill Gas Sourcing

When organic waste like food scraps and yard waste is buried in a landfill, it creates an environment that can produce landfill gas. This gas is around 50% methane, which can be converted into natural or greenhouse gas, serving as an alternative energy source. 

11. Salvaging Valuable Metals

Many people look through electronic trash that has been thrown away as it hides a treasure. For example, gold can be found in microchips and circuit boards, while silver is in switches and connectors. Copper is used in various wiring and electronic contacts. 

10. Dry Climate of Arizona

If you’re looking for treasure hiding in the trash, head toward Arizona and its dry climate. The state has some of the most arid conditions in the US, which slows down the natural decomposition process. In other words, paper, textiles, and other materials don’t break down as fast, and they have been found largely intact.  

9. Secretive Laptop

A discarded laptop, found by an unnamed person, led to the conviction of former Goldman Sachs trader Fabrice Tourre. Tourre was accused of defrauding clients and was found guilty of mortgage fraud. 

8.  George Washington’s Trash

Dumped between 1735 and 1765, archeologists could dig up the trash of George Washington next to his plantation home in Virginia. Unsurprisingly, the discovery was full of treasures, including coins, bottles, clothing, chamber pots, and more. 

7. Famous Cartoon Cels

A garbage driver in Los Angeles found Woody Woodpecker and Buzz Buzzard animation cels accidentally thrown away. This driver decided to keep the cels, which are likely worth a good chunk of change, and not tell anyone. 

6. Cold Hard Cash

Unfortunately, as awful as it might sound, sometimes money can be accidentally thrown away. One garbage driver found $4,000 in cash “hiding” in a used cereal box. The money was returned to the homeowner. 

5. Brand New Electronics

One anonymous garbage driver had a Walmart and a Best Buy on his route. Among other treasures he would find were brand new electronics accidentally tossed away, which he would then sell on eBay and make a small fortune. 

4. Lottery Ticket

Known for his dumpster diving, Edward St. John went through a dumpster in 2005 and found a $1 million winning lottery ticket. Although he ultimately had to share some of the prize money with the original buyer, there is no question that this was a lucky find. 

3. Savings Bonds

One unusual incident at a recycling plant involved a Kentucky man finding $22,000 worth of US savings bonds. Mike Rogers, the employee who found the bonds, was fortunate enough to track down the owners and return them. 

2. Ancient Mayan Artifacts

If one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, this is the case with ancient Mayan artifacts discovered in 2009. Nick Dimola and his company were hired to clean an apartment in New York, where Nick found a barrel full of artifacts, which he donated to a museum. 

1. Signed Yankees Baseball

Nelson Malina is the reigning king of garbage-driving treasure discovery. Among his many finds in New York City, Molina found a signed Yankees baseball, a book signed by actress Bette Midler, and props from the original Star Wars movies. 

 

 

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