When I see the amount of perfectly usable stuff that's sent to the landfill, I shake my head. Sometimes I do more -- I'm not above diverting and reusing good stuff.

I'm cautious, though. A very skeptical eye is necessary. You have to dodge toxic or contaminated stuff, faulty electrical stuff, potentially dangerous stuff.

I would be pretty darn leery of recycled food straight from a dumpster. There are too many things you don't know about it. On the other hand, if you chat up the staff and build a rapport so you know what you're getting, maybe grease the wheels with a nice bottle as a gift or sharpen their knives, I can see it.

On the other hand, there are many farmers who pick up scrap buckets from restaurants and turn it into bacon. This saves the restaurant on disposal fees, so they don't mind accommodating you if you're reliable.