Not Legal Advice: Generally, Dumpster Diving is a legal practice that can potentially yield a great deal of valuable information for an adversary. However, the common belief that Dumpster Diving is “always” legal is not completely accurate.
While we can't find any law in Alabama regarding dumpster diving, some states have made absolutely clear that dumpster diving activity is illegal and will be considered theft, and other municipalities have yet to address the issue directly.
Nonetheless, dumpster divers are advised to always get permission from the legal owner of the dumpster before going through their trash to avoid any possible backlash from the owner or city law enforcement.
One of the biggest issues in the legality of Dumpster Diving involves trespassing laws, as refuse bins are often located on private property. In this case other laws supersede any privacy issues. Trespassing aside, however, Dumpster Driving laws vary from State to State, and from Country to Country.
Follow these steps to protect yourself from identity theft, shared by USAGov.