According to James Nachlin, New York City's streets are full of interesting and potentially useful things that have been thrown out.

If you like to snoop around garbage and dig up something good, snap a picture of it with your camera phone, add a description + location and email it to GarbageScout. It will be added on a Yahoo Maps for others to go and fetch it (treasures include so far: a rowing machine, a mirror, candy canes an electric heater, etc).

To keep up with the latest from the bins, there are even feeds.
I think the idea is brilliant, i remember arriving in a new flat, new city and thinking "if only i could find one discarded chair to make do until i'm settled and want better furniture."

Via Glowlab.