Some people consider dumpster diving a sport. It can be done by organized crime or individual thieves, as well as individuals curious enough to be willing to get a little dirty in exchange for finding something valuable.
Dumpster diving is a term used for searching through trash or garbage looking for something useful or valuable. Something useful or valuable could be information, products, parts, etc. Dumpster diving is legal in some countries, such as the UK and thee USA, but illegal in other countries such as Italy, Sweden, and Germany.
Trash Inspections
TAPA has recognized trash security as being a risk to logistic service providers such as warehouses and transportation companies. The FSR says that internal and / or external warehouse main trash collecting bins and compacting areas are to be monitored by CCTV. It also requires that clear plastic bags be used if the company is FSR B certified. Clear plastic bags are a good practice for any company despite the FSR level being certified.
Intent of the requirement
The intent of the requirement is that the trash collection points inside and outside the warehouse or facility are monitored. Operational documents in the work place contain a lot of information regarding the company, products and services, commercial partners, and customers.
Knowledge is Power
Commercial espionage is illegal in most countries as is trespassing on private property to get useful operational information. Discarded operational paper trash may include information related to employees, contractors, customers, suppliers, drivers, products, services, prices, and other confidential information. Information is sensitive and belongs to the company. There is no useful purpose in providing competitors with information regarding your company.
Products in the Trash
One of the ways a thief will remove products from the warehouse is to put the product in the trash and recover the stolen property later after the building is closed. This is the main reason for the CCTV coverage on the internal and external main trash collecting bins. If a person is seen dumpster diving in the main trash collection bins and removing product, an investigation can be conducted to find out more.
Besides theft, companies also lose money by not recycling waste products. There are a number of waste products, if recycled properly, have some value. Packing material such as paper and cardboard, plastic materials such as bottles and wrapping material, and scrap metal are all products that are valuable when recycled.
Other Liabilities
Compromised information and stolen property are only part of the company’s lose with regard to dumpster diving. If the dumpster diver is hurt, the company could be liable. If the trash is consumed, eaten, or used, and the dumpster diver gets ill, hurt, or injured, the company might be liable and have to pay a penalty. Sometimes it doesn’t matter that the dumpster diver was conducting an illegal act when the person was hurt.
Ridiculous?
If a pharmaceutical warehouse disposed of outdated medicine or medicine that had damaged packaging, and a person found the medicine and used or sold the medicine illegally, the company could be accused of negligence because the medical trash was not disposed of properly.
Granted, any reputable pharmaceutical company will have preventive measure implemented to preclude this type situation. The point is to illustrate possible liability.
The same could apply to products found in a dumpster. Perhaps the products were not stolen, but rather industrial waste of defective material or parts. The use of the defective parts could be life threatening. The industrial waste might even be hazardous and not properly marked or disposed of properly. If something happened, this could be a nightmare for the company.