Man reveals amazing find in dumpster behind store: 'People discard so many things'

A homeless individual scavenging behind a retro game shop made a surprising discovery: dozens of fully operational gaming consoles, controllers, and accessories were discarded instead of being sold, donated, or recycled. The collection, valued at thousands of dollars, included an SNES, PlayStation consoles, Xbox systems, controllers, and cables.

A Reddit user shared images of the haul, noting that the homeless man understood their interest in "TV game stuff." Approximately 70% of the devices were ready to use immediately or required only minor repairs, and around 95% of the controllers were fully functional without issues like drift or stuck buttons.

The gamer expressed bewilderment at the store's decision to throw away over 150 pounds of working electronics instead of offering a free section. One commenter highlighted, "People throw away all kinds of stuff," pointing out that discarded consoles contain valuable materials such as copper, gold, and lithium, all of which are resource-intensive to produce.

In 2022 alone, electronics containing an estimated $91 billion worth of recoverable materials were discarded worldwide. Each new generation of gaming consoles contributes significantly to electronic waste, with the potential economic value vanishing when functional devices are dumped.

Unlike visible pollution, discarded gaming hardware can leach toxic metals like lead and chromium into soil and groundwater, creating contamination that can persist for decades. The industry has begun to respond: Microsoft declared 825,000 Xbox consoles carbon neutral in 2019, and Nintendo offers a free Take Back Program. Typical gaming hardware lasts 57 years before being replaced by newer models.

Currently, less than 25% of electronic waste is recycled, leaving the majoritylike the consoles found in the dumpsterto accumulate in landfills. In 2022, global e-waste totaled 62 million tons, with gaming consoles representing a growing portion.

How to Reduce Gaming Equipment Waste

• Consider buying refurbished consoles from retailers such as GameStop or Best Buy instead of new ones.
• Donate, sell, or trade in working equipment at stores like Best Buy, Microsoft, or GameStop.
• For broken electronics, use certified e-waste recyclers. Best Buy accepts gaming consoles for free recycling.
• Participate in city electronics collection programs or claim usable devices when available for free.

The Reddit post resulted in the gamer obtaining functioning electronics that would otherwise have contributed to soil contamination and wasted thousands of dollars in production value.

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Author: Sophia Brooks