Is Dumpster Diving a Crime in Great Falls, Montana?

The definition of "valuable" can mean different things to different people, right? For some people, it's collecting sports memorabilia while others might be huge collectors of old radios.

As the old saying goes: "One person's trash is another person's treasure."

But what if you decided to go "treasure hunting" in Montana?

Dumpster Diving: Gross or Genius?

As someone who spent some years working in restaurants back in the day, I can certainly tell you that dumpsters get disgusting. But, how gross a dumpster obviously depends on where it's located.

A dumpster behind a fast-food restaurant will look much different than a dumpster behind an electronics store. Plus, there are all kinds of videos out there of "professional dumpster divers" and their unique finds. It's like a cool, dirtier version of Storage Wars.

Just try it! What I did was do a search of "crazy dumpster dive find" on YouTube and came across various videos of people finding everything from rugs, barely used kids toys, and even an entire set of vintage records ready to be sold.

Is It Legal To Dumpster Dive In Great Falls?

Now, don't get your hopes up because even though we found people discovering all kinds of unique treasures in dumpsters doesn't mean those videos are legit. How easy would it be to stage one of those? Also, where these people are looking, dumpster diving might actually be legal there.

But in Great Falls? Not so much.

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According to Municipal Code 8.8.190 for the City of Great Falls, dumpster diving is illegal:

No person may pick over, sort, segregate, or salvage any refuse deposited in an authorized disposal area, refuse container or refuse pile. A violation of this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a term not to exceed six months in jail, a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00), or both.

Now, it sounds like you might be able work something out with the property owner if you were really curious about digging through their dumpster but you'll probably want to get that in writing... and maybe let local enforcement know if you want to be extra careful.

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