Is Dumpster Diving Illegal In Reno Nevada?

The Save Reno Dumpster Diving campaign aims to promote public support and understanding of trash scavenging, dumpster diving, curb crawling, and other recycling activities in the Reno area. In Las Vegas and Clark County, Nevada, dumpster diving is explicitly prohibited, with Clark County Code 9.04.320 making it a misdemeanor to rummage. The Reno Gazette-Journals front page article highlights the issue of individuals rummaging through household garbage and recycling containers, which led to the City Council’s efforts to make Dumpster diving illegal.

Laws regarding the legality of dumpster diving vary by state, but generally, trespassing on private property can be considered illegal. Dumpster diving is considered a misdemeanor offense, with the legal term being interference with or removal of containers. Trash that has been thrown out loses its value. The campaign began with a front page article in the Reno Gazette-Journals.

In Nevada, dumpster diving is not illegal, but related activities like trespassing on private property and violating privacy rights could get you in trouble with the law. Dumpsters are often located on private commercial property, so if you do not have permission to be on the premises, you could face legal consequences.

The legality of dumpster diving in Nevada can be a bit of a gray area, with no specific state law outright banning the act, but certain municipalities may have ordinances that prohibit it. In Las Vegas, Ordinance 9.08 prohibits Dumpster Diving in Las Vegas and throughout Clark County. Rummaging through other people’s trash is prosecuted as a misdemeanor, carrying a maximum punishment of imprisonment.