A friend asked her husband/attorney about the dumpster diving and the law says that if the container is on public property (ie: the trash barrel on the sidewalk in front of your house) it's not illegal. If the barrel is on your lawn (we have nothing between the grass and road here and no curbs) it's considered private property. And retail stores are not on public property so their dumpsters are not fair game. I guess it's all a matter of where and when? Too many things to blame on lawyers these days. Even the homeless aren't supposed to take recycleable cans from the trash bin at the gas station.