Dumpster diver shocked after discovering 'rare' item in the trash: 'Oh my goodness'

Dumpster diving can be fun and fruitful, but much of what turns up when you rummage through trash receptacles is, well, trash. Sometimes, however, there are wonders among the waste. There probably wouldn't be an entire subreddit dedicated to dumpster diving otherwise.

In a recent post to r/DumpsterDiving, one Redditor showcased the kind of score you might find discarded in a dumpster.

The post is titled "Rare find in a haul" and contains a single image of three sealed containers of saffron threads.

"Our version of striking gold?" the caption reads.

Saffron is the most expensive spice on the planet. The plant isn't too difficult to grow, but only a tiny amount of the spice is available on each flower, and harvesting must be done manually. For comparison, an ounce of saffron can cost hundreds of dollars, sometimes significantly more, while an ounce of basil costs no more than a few dollars in most places.

It's shocking to see something as rare and costly as saffron tossed into the trash — unless you're a dumpster diver. If you look at popular posts on r/DumpsterDiving, you'll see all kinds of unbelievable finds. It is as exciting and fun as it is disheartening and sad.

America produces an estimated 80 million tons of food waste every year. Some of that waste is fully packaged, perfectly good food discarded in dumpsters. It can be hard to see these kinds of hauls given how many people are going hungry. However, it is also encouraging to know that dumpster divers won't let it all go to waste.

Commenters were amazed by the original poster's find.

"Omg they didn't know what they were throwing away. Super expensive," one said.

"Oh my goodness. You are incredibly lucky," another said.

What is the biggest reason you don't grow food at home? Not enough time ⏳ Not enough space 🤏 It seems too hard 😬 I have a garden already 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"For further context, it takes approximately 4,000 flowers to produce 1 ounce of Saffron," one Redditor explained. "This is not something easy to come by."

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.