Dumpster Diver connects people giving away household items with people who can give them a second life — for free. Here's how to get the most out of it.
1. BROWSING LISTINGS
Finding items near you
The Directory shows all active listings posted near your location. Items are sorted by distance by default, so the closest ones appear first.
Filtering by category
Use the category dropdown to narrow down by type — Furniture, Garden, Electronics, Clothing and more. Select a subcategory to get even more specific.
Setting your search radius
The distance slider controls how far out you're searching, from 5km to 200km. If your location is off, enable it in your device settings — the app needs it to calculate distance accurately.
Sorting listings
Use the sort button to switch between Newest First, Closest First, and other options.
Tip: The best items go fast. Check the Directory regularly and set up Search Alerts so you never miss something good.
2. POSTING A LISTING
Overview
Posting is a 3-step process: Photos → Details → Location. The whole thing takes under a minute.
Step 1 — Photos
Add up to 5 photos of your item. The more photos you add, the better the AI can identify what you're giving away.
Tips for good photos:
- Good lighting — natural light works best
- Whole item in frame — don't cut off edges
- Plain background if possible — less clutter helps the AI
- Avoid blurry or dark shots
Step 2 — Scan with AI
Once you've added photos, tap "Scan with AI". Gemini AI will analyse your photos and automatically fill in the title, description, and category. Review the results — if something looks wrong, tap the delete icon next to that item and the description will update automatically. You can also edit the title and description freely, or skip AI entirely and fill everything in yourself.
Step 3 — Location
The app uses your suburb to show your listing to people nearby. Make sure it's correct before posting.
Tip: AI works best with clear, well-lit photos. If the AI misidentifies something, just remove it and regenerate — or edit manually.
3. CLAIMING AN ITEM
How to claim
There is no claim button. To claim an item, tap the listing and send the giver a message to arrange pickup. First person to organise collection gets the item.
Be quick
Popular items attract multiple messages. If you're interested, message as soon as you see it.
Arranging pickup
Coordinate directly with the giver via in-app messaging. Agree on a time and collect from their address.
Tip: Be polite and reliable. If you say you'll collect something, follow through — it keeps the community healthy.
4. SEARCH ALERTS
What are Search Alerts?
Search Alerts notify you the moment a new listing is posted that matches your criteria — before anyone else sees it.
Setting up an alert
Tap Search Alerts from the Account tab. Tap "Create New Alert" and choose:
- One or more categories you're interested in
- A suburb to search around (optional)
- A radius — how far from that suburb to watch
Managing alerts
You can pause an alert temporarily without deleting it, or delete it when you no longer need it. You can have multiple alerts running at once for different items.
Push notifications
Make sure push notifications are enabled for Dumpster Diver in your device settings, otherwise alerts will be delivered silently.
Tip: Be specific with categories. A narrow alert for 'Furniture → Sofas' will be more useful than a broad alert for all categories.
5. POINTS, LEVELS & ACHIEVEMENTS
How you earn points
You earn points automatically every time you post a listing or collect an item. There's nothing extra to do — just use the app.
Levels
Your level increases as your points grow. The progress bar on your Account page shows how close you are to the next level.
Streak
Log in and interact with the app daily to build your streak. Your current streak appears on the Account page when active.
Achievements
Tap Achievements from your Account page to see all badges. Achievements unlock automatically as you reach milestones — number of items given, items found, points earned, and more.
Impact
Your Impact page shows your personal environmental contribution — how many items you've kept out of landfill and the estimated weight diverted from waste.
6. YOUR ACCOUNT
Your listings
Tap "My Listings" from the Account tab to see all your active, claimed, and expired listings. You can edit or delete any listing from here.
Saved listings
Items you've saved appear under "Saved Listings". Tap the bookmark icon on any listing to save it.
Notifications
Push notifications are sent when someone messages you, and when a Search Alert match is found. Enable notifications in your device settings for the best experience.
Deleting your account
If you want to permanently delete your account and all your data, go to Account → Delete Account. This action is irreversible.
7. TIPS & BEST PRACTICES
- Post items as soon as you decide to get rid of them — don't wait for council collection day
- Clear photos get more interest than blurry ones
- Be honest about the condition of items
- Respond to messages promptly — people are counting on you
- If an item has been collected, mark it as taken so others know it's gone
- Check the Directory when you're about to buy something second-hand — someone may be giving it away for free