When perusing dumpster diving videos on TikTok, you’ll no doubt come across Ella’s (@glamourddive) videos. The prolific dumpster diver is based in Texas. And, according to her website, she aims to give back to families who may need the support. With over 2.3 million followers on the platform, it’s no surprise she’s acquired a few fans—and apparently, enemies.
What was supposed to be another typical day of dumpster diving at T.J. Maxx took a turn when Ella found a message left for her. Did she have a stalker? Or was an employee mad about her hobby? If it were the latter, it wouldn’t be the first time. Ella has previously drawn the ire of a Burlington worker in another viral video. The “note” Ella found wasn’t enough to deter her. Still, viewers feared for her safety.
What Did Dumpster Diver Find At T.J. Maxx?
“So I’m dumpster diving at my T.J. Maxx, and they wrote me a note,” Ella begins in her clip. She approaches the blue dumpster where someone used a marker to write “Ella Rose — stay out.”
“I’ve never seen that before,” she says. “Not sure if it was an employee or another dumpster diver.”
Ella then hops into the dumpster and pulls out a stand fan from Nautica, complete with the tags. The TikToker then makes her way to the Burlington dumpster, which she says is a few feet away.
“I also see something on their door,” Ella says, approaching the back door. Taped to the door is a handwritten note, which Ella grabs and shares with her viewers.
The note is addressed to the Burlington manager, warning them about Ella’s dumpster diving videos. Specifically, the mysterious note-writer mentions the video of the Burlington manager chasing Ella away during a previous dumpster diving trip.
“[The viewers] are all talking trash on you saying you are the one stealing. But she took the stuff before you got off work,” the note reads in part. “Put an end to her stealing from you.”
Ella calls the act “insane” and says she has never experienced something like this. She then concludes her clip by showing her dumpster-diving haul.
@glamourddive Wait until you see the SECOND note I found.. 💀 thanks for the content! #dumpster #dumpsterdiving #insane #hater #glamourddive
Viewers Warn Her To Be Careful
Ella’s video reached a whopping 1 million views as of Tuesday, with several folks warning her to watch her back.
“WHY DO THEY CARE? It’s going to the dump!” one wrote, while another advised, “Wait that’s scary sis stay safe cause clearly whoever it is (if not a worker) is watching you.”
Another speculated that the messenger was just upset that Ella got to it first. “100% bet based on that note whoever wrote it is just mad because they actually are trying to steal the stuff they threw out but that’s called THEFT as an employee, that’s free merch for you baby girl. They just big mad over it,” they said.
One user claimed that Ella wasn’t stealing, saying, “So like fun fact, legally, when things are thrown in the garbage, they are public property and they can be taken they are not considered stealing.”
But is that true?
Is Dumpster Diving Legal?
In short, yes. As long as you’re not hopping any fences or entering a closed-off area, dumpster diving is legal. Once someone throws out their garbage, they have given up ownership over it, so technically, it can be yours. According to Legal Match, “Dumpster diving is allowed in every state as long as you’re not breaking any of the city or county laws or other local laws. Once a trash bag is out on the curb and waiting for the garbage truck, it’s considered fair game for anyone.”
So while workers–or angry viewers–may chastise you for it, you’re not really doing anything wrong as long as you’re not breaking laws.
BroBible reached out to Ella via website contact form and T.J. Maxx via email.