Actually, I no longer work for D.I. (which stands for Deseret Industries - not Dump It) but I'm on the job hunt now (a subject for a different post) and I thought I'd do my former co-workers a small favor and post this, in the hopes that it would stem the flow of trash that they have to deal with. There are other locations for D.I. but it's mostly a local gig. That doesn't preclude non-locals from the instructions given here, it just means that you'll have to apply them in your own little corner of existence.
No heavy details here - in a nutshell the D.I. takes donations and re-sells them. It's basically a goodwill store but it's got a few other wrinkles thrown in that make it slightly different. Since this isn't a piece about the programs they offer I won't get into specifics. Suffice it to say they are genuinely there to help people in ways others can't.
Now, here are some of the things I have personally seen get 'donated' by people too lazy to get rid of their own trash. If I listen closely I bet I can hear your eyes rolling when you see some of these.
There was a wheelbarrow full of these broken decorative bricks.
A snow shovel, rusted to the point of not even being straight. (Sorry for the poor picture quality)
A weed eater without the signature part.
Part of a shower stand - Not usable without the rest of it, and the hygiene issues with trying to sell something like that blow my mind.
A mini ironing board missing two legs.
A three-legged stool without the legs, sitting atop a tent with no poles.
A poor repair job on a cracked lid....no container.
Just to give you an idea, here is an entire pod full of stuff like this that people drop off. There are six pods total, and the work to sort through the good from the bad is heartbreaking.
Some of the other things I've seen come through are:
- Nazi materials
- Porn
- "Adult" toys
- Lots and lots of headless Barbie dolls
- Soiled underwear
- Toilets
The list could go on...
Some of the things they DO NOT WANT include, but are not limited to:
- Mattresses. Pretty much any mattress can be thrown away instead of 'donated'. Most of them have stains (no matter how small), whether from urine or other fluids and there are state laws that require mattresses and box springs to be sanitized. If there are no stains then check for tears, rips, or fraying. Anything older than 5 years is unusable no matter the condition and without the tags there's no way to verify it. It's a safe bet that no mattresses would be usable. Go to the dump with them.
- Any large appliances. Refrigerators, Stoves, Ovens, Washers, Dryers, Air Conditioners, Water Heaters, etc. all have strict ordinances concerning their disposal. D.I. doesn't have the licensure (is that a word?) to do this.
- Firearms and / or ammunition (duh. I shouldn't have to explain this one)
- Tires
- Anything a baby rides or sits in (car seats, stollers, high chairs, playpens, cribs, baby walkers, changing tables) present a possible liability and they just don't want to take the risk, no matter how nice it might appear to be. Find someone you know that could use it or throw it away.
- Vehicles. Anything with an internal combustion engine that is used for transportation (electric scooters and riding lawmowers DON'T COUNT). Donate your car or motorcycle to the kidney foundation or take it to a junkyard.
- Toys containing lead - duh.
- Paint or chemicals of any kind. Find a hazardous waste disposal company.
- Liquids. ANY liquids. Even if it's still brand new in the wrapper. Contact the D.I. about their humanitarian aid program and what hygiene items are appropriate and where to take them.
This list could go on and on.
One other thing to note. If there is something that you have to slightly disassemble to get in your car or trailer, that's one thing, but please don't come through saying that all something needs to be workable again is 4 screws, some epoxy, three bolts and a good wrench. They sell items AS IS. They don't do repairs there and it will end up in the trash. If you think something will be that easy to fix and / or find a new home for, fix it yourself, hold a garage sale or put it up on craigslist. If it doesn't sell that should tell you that your stuff isn't the pure gold you thought it was.
Here are some hints that will make the day go better for everyone.
1. Given what I've said already, some of you may still decide to bring your sh**. Do so at your own risk and please don't be rude to the workers there. They've been accepting trash all day and if you get snippy they may go off on you. If you think this is harsh I challenge you to volunteer to work on the receiving dock for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon - say, anywhere in between noon to 5.
2. Sort through the crap in your car BEFORE you get there. Holding up traffic while you're deciding what to get rid of and what to keep is not a good way to make friends. This is also helpful in preventing you from dropping something off that you weren't supposed to or wanted to keep. If you tell them to just take everything, they will. Given the volume of stuff that gets sorted, if you need to come back to retrieve something, the odds of finding it are slim to none.
3. If you can help it, don't go on a Saturday, or around lunch or dinner times. I know it can't always be helped but don't get upset if you can't get through the line at anything less than lightspeed. You've been warned.
Last but not least, this is a pile of trash waiting for the next industrial sized dumpster to come. On behalf of my former co-workers, all I ask is that you really examine your donations before taking them in. Look at them and see if it's broken or unusable. Ask yourself if somebody would want it. When in doubt - throw it out, but go to the dump. In Davis County, it's 693 E Highway 193, Layton, UT 84041
....and this was a SLOW day.
-LG
um, ewww. I'm grossed out reading about the nastiness DI has to deal with. People are crazy. You aren't there anymore?! hooray!
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