A Redditor stumbled upon an unexpected dumpster find, serving as a good reminder that hidden treasures can sometimes end up in the trash.
The user shared a photo of a Nintendo Switch and an extra controller for the console, which they found while dumpster diving. The post quickly gained attention by others wondering why someone would have thrown it away. Many were also shocked that something so potentially valuable would be left behind in a dumpster.
"Sorry for the poor soul who lost it, but that's an Awesome find, holy cow," said one Redditor. Another said: "Was it a rich apartment dumpster?"
Said the original poster: "It looked like the contents of a school or art place for kids tbh. Lots of art supplies but also an entire beer making kit. Maybe a storage locker or something?"
Even if the console itself didn't work, the game inside and the controllers might have been salvageable. One commenter said they wouldn't have thrown theirs away even if it no longer worked.
Retail, a new Nintendo Switch itself goes for around $300.
Dumpster diving may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's becoming trendier. People have found everything from mini-fridges to enough snacks to fill a pantry while searching dumpsters.
Savvy hunting in dumpsters can certainly help save money — everything you find is free.
But it's also fantastic for the environment. What you save from dumpsters stays out of landfills. That's especially important for electronics like the Nintendo Switch, which often contain substances that are toxic to the environment, like lead and mercury.
For this reason, 25 states have legislation to prevent people from throwing away electronics. Instead, many retailers and manufacturers, like Best Buy and Apple, offer electronics take-back programs, making it easy to recycle electronics instead of tossing them.
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A lucky find like the Nintendo Switch proves that one person's trash can be another's treasure with a little luck and resourcefulness. While the original poster has yet to share whether the console works, other Redditors were still excited about the discovery.
One noted that "there's lots of info online for fixing up Switches" if the dumpster-dived Switch didn't work. Another offered to take it off the OP's hands if it was broken: "I'll crack it open out of boredom and take a gander."
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