Woman Goes Dumpster Diving at Bath and Body Works, Finds Tons of Unused Merchandise
Published Dec. 12 2023, 2:46 p.m. ET
You don’t have to possess a super green thumb to know people have become increasingly wasteful over time, with nature paying the consequences. Fortunately, some people are doing their part to clean up the messes infiltrating communities worldwide.
In the U.S., one TikTok user has made a business by finding the treasure in piles of trash. No, literally. The user searches for items from various department stores’ dumpsters, where typically tons of unused items await her.
Keep reading to see all the goodies she found at her local Bath and Body Works!
A woman found a lifetime’s worth of Bath and Body Works merch in a dumpster.
Now, I can’t lie; as much as I try to pull away, Bath and Body Works has me and my household in a chokehold. It started with the sprays in middle school (A Thousand Wishes Hive, rise!), then the huge candles in my 20s, and now, the wall plug-ins for the sophisticated era of my 30s.
While Bath and Body Works has been good to me, the brand hasn’t had the best PR over the years. And it doesn’t help to know that, as expensive as just sampling a scent in the store can be, the employees dare to waste hundreds and maybe even thousands of unused soaps, candles, perfumes, etc., in the dumpster. The dumpster!
As I mentioned earlier, Ella (@glamourddive) on TikTok has created a business and a social media following by recording herself dumpster diving through stores like B&BW, the Apple Store, Burlington, and Ulta’s trash and recycling the items and reselling them on her website.
During her October 2023 find, Ella flaunted her “INSANE Hidden Jackpot” of unused products in various scents in trash bags. Within the large trash bags were rare and unutilized Bath and Body Works items. For example, I'm sad I’ve been missing out on the Candied Maple Bacon candle due to the store’s wastefulness.
Ella continued opening new bags while remaining in disbelief at how many delectable items Bath and Body Works wastes on an average Wednesday. Ella then shared that she would be taking her finds home and selling them on her website, which I may or may not have bookmarked.
Ella’s Bath and Body Works dumpster dive floored TikTok commenters.
Ella captioned her TikTok by joking that she “found the employees’ stash.” For her sake, I hope she was joking, and there hasn’t been a Bath and Body Works crying to “I Miss You” by Beyonce since the video went viral.
The truth is, Bath and Body Works, like many other departments and fast fashion stores, is routinely throwing away its products because they don’t perform well on the shelves or for other vague reasons.
While I understand the inventory has to go somewhere, there are other, less wasteful routes. These could include donating hand and body soaps to local shelters for unhoused people. Or, as one user mentioned, selling the items at a lower price to help those who can’t afford Bath and Body Works’ excessive costs during the holidays. Or any other time of the year, for that matter.
Fortunately, brave souls like Ella are trying to do some good with Bath and Body Works and other department stores’ waste. Unlike her, some people like me aren’t as brave to engage in dumpster diving, although I support the cause.
“I wanna do this so bad, but I’m scared,” one user admitted.
“This is insaaaaaane,” another said. “Why don't big companies give these away to charities instead of throwing them away?”
“I’m about to start dumpster diving with my scary self,” a third user said, trying to encourage themselves.
Keep going, Glamour Dumpster Dive! And brands — do better!
