Funny

20 Disturbing Things Found in Trash by Garbage Collectors

Roy R. Feb 04, 2025 05:00 AM EST

Things found in trash

There’s a certain mystique to what people throw away—and the stories behind it. I discovered this firsthand when I overheard a trash collector recounting the time he found a perfectly good toaster in the dumpster. If you’ve ever wondered what bizarre treasures (or horrors) lurk in the garbage, this post is here to show you—in 20 disturbingly fascinating stories.

Picture this: a trash collector opening a bag to find a collection of vintage dolls, or stumbling across a box labeled “DO NOT OPEN” (spoiler: they opened it). This collection of stories is a testament to the strange and often disturbing things people throw away. Each tale is a mix of humor and horror, delivered with the kind of dry wit that only comes from firsthand experience. From bizarre heirlooms to questionable fashion choices, these stories are a reminder that sometimes, the trash can be a treasure trove of the unexpected.

Worked at a waste water treatment facility back in my teens. I wasn't the one who found it, but was on site for the investigation. There are these giant mechanical rakes that plunge down into the sewer lines under the plant and pick up any trash. Rags, drugs, needles, condoms, dead animals. All kinds of stuff. The drugs and money seen aren't an issue. The baby that the rake pulled up was a concern. The cops were called and an investigation was started from there. Not sure what happened after that though. Nobody was updated once detectives left. — Save

My Dad worked for the DSNY for 20 years. Told me several stories of weird things he experienced and saw. The one that comes to mind is him and his partners found a human foot at some point in the mid 70's. A large black foot. They didn't know what to do, they put it in a bag and brought it to the closest police precinct and brought it to the desk sergeant. Desk Sgt asked what he could do for them, they pointed to the bag. He promptly looked into the bag and and closed it. Told them to just cycle it through the trash. That the person missing the foot, likely pissed off a drug dealer and that this was a penalty/ warning. There wasn't much they could do. Since they moved the foot from where it was found, they had messed up anything that could be done as far as a potential — Save

I work for a bio hazard company. One time I went to pick up waste from a hospital and there was a 2 week old leg sticking out of a container. — Save

I worked as a rural trash guy for a while. We had a pretty... thrifty setup. Pickup truck and a horse trailer. Every house l'd have to get out, pull bags out of the provided can and toss it in the trailer before moving on. Worst though was someone who put out a bucket of what I can only assume was waste from an RV's facilities. Damn thing wasn't even sealed and slashed all over me when I picked it up. — Save

You just read 20 stories about trash collectors finding things that made you laugh, cringe, and maybe even question humanity. From bizarre heirlooms to outright horrors, each tale was a mix of humor and secondhand embarrassment. By the end, you were left with a newfound respect for trash collectors—and maybe even a desire to peek into your own garbage.

If you enjoyed these tales of trash treasures, you might also like exploring meme themes like weird finds, everyday mysteries, or humorous takes on waste management. These topics share the same mix of humor and curiosity that make these stories so entertaining.

Who needs to see this?

Send it to the friend who’ll laugh the hardest, or post it for everyone.

Facebook Pinterest X Reddit

Posted by Roy R. About the author

Roy has been one of the internet's meme tastemakers for more than a decade. He and Phil started Thunder Dungeon in 2012 by posting the stuff they found funny, and it grew into viral photo and video creations, one of the largest meme community apps and one of the best sites for daily meme content. If you've spent any time online, you've probably laughed at one of his memes.