– An Easy Spread –

In these days of rising ecological awareness, dumpster diving is a growing trend. Dumpster diving literally involves rummaging through garbage to find useful things that others consider rubbish. This can include reclaiming anything from food to furniture. The philosophy behind such actions includes the eco-friendly desire to lessen landfill levels and repurpose society’s excess. Dumpster divers consider their scavenging as a hobby that’s evolved into a sustainable way of living.

People who sift through the trash are often called “freegans”—a combination of “free” and “vegans.” Although freegans do not necessarily struggle financially, they deliberately engage in dumpster diving to make a point about society’s over-consumption. Many are vegans and shun a diet of meat, dairy, and other animal products, but not all are. According to freegans, some of the best trash to plunge into for food includes that of Starbucks and Panera Bread.  The highest recommendation for finding all kinds of treasures requires a trip to the trash around fraternity houses. “Good god,” said a freegan named Rebecca interviewed in a recent article for MSNBC, “they’ll throw out anything.”

Not all dumpster divers actually get inside the dumpster. Some people luck out and find furniture or other items propped up against a waste receptacle, while others use a long pole with a hook at the end to go “dumpster fishing.”

Freegan advocates usually cite three benefits of dumpster diving:

1. You can find a lot of free, reusable materials: These include unopened, packaged food that grocery stores or restaurants are required to throw out due to expiration or near-expiration dates. While food providers don’t want to take the risk of consumers getting sick, many people already push these limits by going past the best-by-dates in their own refrigerators.
2. Anyone can dumpster dive: You can scavenge either for survival or for the heck of it! Many people visit dumpsters solely for food; others go for old computers, other electronics, and furniture that can be resold (makes you think twice about that futon you bought off Craigslist!)
3. Making a difference: Small steps towards creating awareness of over-consumption and lessening this problem are being made. The Environmental Protection Agency states that: “More than one quarter of America’s food, or about 96 billion pounds of food a year, goes to waste.” Dumpster diving brings attention to this fact and presents an alternative way to combat wastefulness.

Freegans are certainly not without their critics, however. Three drawbacks to dumpster diving include:

1. Health concerns: Studies have definitively proven that there are many health concerns that come from eating food obtained from dumpsters.  These risks include injuries obtained through dumpster diving, eating food contaminated with bacteria, and encountering toxic substances.
2. Loss of personal information: Any records that have not been shredded can be found in abundance in the trash. According to the LA Times and Pioneer news, there has been an increase in identity theft with the rise of dumpster diving.
3. Legality: The legality of dumpster diving is questionable. Some parts of the US have passed ordinances that deem it a criminal act. Dumpster diving proponents argue that making it illegal is against Americans’ Constitutional Rights. Some states, such as Virginia, do not have laws against this practice, but local ordinances might prohibit it. For example, in Blacksburg, VA, the town council is considering an ordinance that makes scavenging through dumpsters a Class 3 misdemeanor, which would include penalty fines.

Would you give it a try? As for myself, I must admit that I find the idea of going into a dumpster disgusting. Even if you give me a hazmat suit to wear, you will not find me in the trash any time soon—especially not for food. When I walk my dog, I chuck her waste in the big garbage bins around my apartment complex. I cannot imagine eating dumpster food possibly marinating in excrement!

Guest writer Susan Whalen is a MFA student at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.