The woman who pulled five hefty trash bags out of a Casper family's curbside bin may have been disappointed — she stole their dirty diapers.
The homeowner says he was left confused — then amused — after security cameras captured the woman rummaging through his personal trash can just before a scheduled pickup Wednesday morning.
Kyle Tea said he first noticed something was off when he returned home and saw a trash bag sticking up oddly from the bin, which had been put out on the street for the city’s crew to pick up.
“My first reaction was like, ‘Damn, the trash guys really only emptied half of it?’ That’s crazy,'” said Tea, who then went to check his ring camera.
What he found instead was video of the woman, wearing gloves, rummaging through his trash bin and selectively removing bags at about 10:30 a.m., shortly before the garbage collectors arrive.
She didn’t seem in a hurry, opening the back of her red SUV parked in the middle of the street before she started digging. Holding the top trash bag asside, she dove into the bin to pull out two white bags, which she loaded into the back of her vehicle.
Then she went back for more, reaching deep inside again to pull out a third bag. After stuffing that in her SUV, she made a third visit to Tea’s trash bin to take two more bags of garbage, stuffing them into the back of her car.
When she opened the trash, she almost certainly got a nasty surprise, Tea said. Besides your run-of-the-mill household trash, the garbage was filled with dirty diapers.
The homeowner added that while nothing else appeared to be stolen, the situation raises concerns about privacy, and that he does not recognize the woman or the vehicle.
“It has never happened before that I’m aware of,” he said. “I checked back several days and didn’t see the vehicle at all.”
He said the timing was particularly unusual, happening after he left the home but before he returned — and just ahead of trash pickup.
For now, the homeowner said he is still reviewing the video and remains unsure what the woman was specifically targeting by taking his trash.
“I figured maybe the Pokémon boxes were the target, but those were untouched,” he said.
One Man’s Trash …
Dumpster diving is technically legal in all 50 U.S. states. This is based on the 1988 Supreme Court ruling in California v. Greenwood, which established that there is no "reasonable expectation of privacy" for trash placed in public areas for collection.
According to the Casper Solid Waste Management Department, once a person discards their possessions, they’re basically up for grabs.
There is a key legal distinction between trash placed out for collection and items taken from private property. If trash is set out on the street or curb for disposal, it is generally considered abandoned and may be taken.
However, entering private property to retrieve items — such as children’s bikes or other belongings — is not permitted and can cross into trespassing concerns.
While the homeowner in this case said nothing appeared to be taken or damaged, he added that the video still leaves him with lingering questions about intent, and how often similar incidents may go unnoticed.
“It was overall pretty funny, but also kind of concerning,” Tea said. “She came prepared with gloves, and it makes you wonder if she knew what she was looking for.”
“Another weird thing,” he said, “is that she didn’t take the top two bags — just the ones on the bottom.”
Identity Thieves
Casper Police Department Public Information Officer Rebekah Ladd affirmed that dumpster diving itself isn’t automatically illegal under Wyoming law or city ordinance, “it really depends on the situation.”
Officers say problems typically arise when someone enters private property, ignores posted or fenced areas, leaves trash scattered, or if the activity involves trespassing, theft, or potential identity theft.
From a safety standpoint, police also warn there are real risks, including sharp objects, broken glass, and unsanitary materials commonly found in waste.
The biggest concern they see locally, however, is identity theft, since discarded mail or documents can still contain personal information if not properly destroyed.
In most cases, enforcement is complaint-driven, with officers assessing the scene and, when necessary, asking people to move along or addressing specific violations like trespassing.
While officials say the issue is not widespread in Casper, they note it does occasionally lead to calls involving disturbances or private property concerns — and emphasize that residents should take steps like shredding sensitive documents before throwing them away.
Police also clarified that the city does have a specific ordinance that prohibits tampering with refuse containers or removing their contents without authorization.
Because of that, situations involving people going through trash can rise to the level of a municipal violation depending on the circumstances.
According to officers, the most common complaints they respond to involving dumpster diving tend to occur at local thrift or secondhand stores, where dumpsters are typically located on private property.
Turning Trash Into Cash
Across the country, dumpster diving has evolved from a fringe activity into a growing side hustle — and in some cases, a full-time source of income.
A poll in the UK reports 31% of Gen Z and millennials have tried dumpster diving.
Many people who dive say the goal isn’t just finding free stuff, it's turning trash into cash.
Common resale finds include electronics, furniture, tools, clothing, and scrap metal — items that can often be cleaned, repaired, and sold online or at secondhand stores.
Some divers focus on recyclables like copper and aluminum, which can be sold by the pound at scrapyards. Those who specialize in scrap collection can earn thousands of dollars per month depending on volume and market prices.
Income varies widely.
Casual divers might make $20 to $30 per day, while more experienced trash pickers report earning as much as $250 in a single day from valuable finds.
Others treat it as a serious business. One professional reseller told Entrepreneur she makes about $5,000 per month selling designer items recovered from retail dumpsters.
One couple in England says they make the equivalent of $67,000 a year going through garbage.
Still, the work is unpredictable. A profitable haul one night can be followed by days of finding nothing — or worse, like the Casper woman likely learned.
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
