This B.C. couple found their missing wedding rings in a popcorn bag — that was in a landfill

After Steve and Jeannine Van Ysseldyk’s movie date ended with some wedding rings gone missing in a bag of popcorn, the trail led to a steaming pile of compost.

“I got an interesting question,” Steve asked compost processor Denny Webster, who manages the transformation of organic waste into compost, at the Mission Sanitary Landfill.

“I’m wondering if I can look in the compost pile for my wife’s rings that I believe are in there. I know exactly what bag they’re in. I know what I’m looking for. There’s some popcorn and a Timbits box.”

Mission couple searches for wedding rings in compost heaps

Jeannine’s solitaire diamond ring was an upgrade from her original engagement ring, and the second diamond band was from the Van Ysseldyk’s 10 year wedding anniversary.

Webster was skeptical that Steve would find the diamonds in the dump. He goes through dozens of trucks of waste every day.

But Webster quickly learned Steve was very familiar with his trash.

“I looked, and said, ‘Oh, there is a popcorn bag,'” said Webster. “And then he did notice [some] sausages that were his as well. So then I said, ‘OK, maybe this man is legit.’

Well, he’s on his hands and knees in the rain, and it’s very stinky. And no one in their right mind would be doing that.”

But how did Steve figure the rings would even be at the dump?

He and Jeannine were watching the F1 movie at the Langley IMAX last Wednesday. Jeannine brought a big bag of popcorn home for her daughter, but it spilled on the lawn as she got out of the car.

Using her jewelled hand, she cleaned up the buttery mess and brought it inside.

Everyone ate the popcorn. The bag went in the bin—and out for morning compost pickup.

The crisis only became clear the following evening at dinner.

“I went to the washroom. I washed my hands, and I looked down and said, ‘Where are my rings?’ I actually had to leave the restaurant because I was upset.”

After checking multiple locations, Steve checked home security footage that showed the last time his wife was wearing the rings before concluding they were in the compost.

Steve met Webster at the dump on Friday morning. Webster used an excavator to scoop up piles of waste for Steve to trudge through.

Thankfully, the smelly search didn’t last long.

“He found the ring fairly quickly. Fifteen minutes after finding the popcorn bag,” said Webster.

Steve and Jeannine were relieved.

“He called me immediately when he found the first one,” said Jeannine.

“She was at Princess Auto buying a metal detector because I told her to go there,” said Steve. “I found the second one, called her again. She had already bought the metal detector.”