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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To want to dumpster dive?

31 replies

annabanana84 · 28/08/2013 16:47

like many, I am appalled by the amount of food waste in the country. I've heard about freeganism/dumpster diving, where people go into the bins of the supermarkets and retrieve perfectly edible, completely sealed food items.

I really want to try this, but I'm terrified of getting arrested!

OP posts:

squoosh · 28/08/2013 16:48

I doubt they waste resources actually arresting people for this.

The amount of food wasted is obscene, more power to people who source their food this way.

FondantNancy · 28/08/2013 17:12

I've used to do it. Not so much now. It was a real eye opener, seeing what supermarkets throw away.

We used to find whole boxes of jars thrown way because one or two were broken and the staff obviously didn't want to clean the other jars. (Once a crate of wine, believe it or not! That was a good day!).

Cans with shredded labels, plants past their best (planted a herb garden from one night's spoils). Bread that was still warm...

Never touched meat or dairy.

There is an etiquette involved - don't dress in black and approach it like a covert operation, you'll just look dodgy. Leave the dumpster as you found it. If anyone approaches and tells you to leave, then leave. You won't get arrested.

If anyone is in doubt about the scale of global food waste, watch this TED Talk, it'll blow your mind.

FondantNancy · 28/08/2013 17:13

*I used

chesterberry · 28/08/2013 17:13

I have a friend who does this and I have been with him a couple of times. It is incredible the things that will be thrown in there, lots of things you'd expect like bread and veg past it's sell by date (although usually still perfectly edible) but sometimes there are also things like the large stock boxes of chocolates, crisps etc which are often still in date. Sometimes things don't seem to have anything wrong with them. I agree that it's appalling.

My friend's never been arrested but some shops have started locking their bins since he started going through them.

FondantNancy · 28/08/2013 17:15

chester I've heard (but not seen myself so don't know if it's true) that some supermarkets pour bleach into the bin.

Silverfoxballs · 28/08/2013 17:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LimitedEditionLady · 28/08/2013 18:47

Is it legal?read it is and it isnt you see.Im quite intrigued with this as my neighbour is renovating and has a skip and so far seen six cars pull up and rifle through...wonder if they found anything good?

Original poster

annabanana84 · 28/08/2013 19:20

Thanks for your replies! I'm planning to go tonight around 11pm when it'll be quiet. Barely anyone will be around then as the shop shuts at 10pm. Im afraid someone might see me though and great shame will wash over me, but part of me feels like I want to use this food that's wasted and if people see me and look down their noses at me, then so be it.

OP posts:

LimitedEditionLady · 28/08/2013 20:21

Oooh tell us what you get!how exciting!

Mandy2003 · 28/08/2013 20:24

Let us know how you get on annabanana!

I live next door to a supermarket and a local pensioner regularly used to help himself from the bins. He thought the stuff was OK but once I was standing at the bus stop with him and the smell of garbage coming off his carrier bags was horrendous. They've moved the bins to a locked yard recently so he can't do it. I must say he looks healthier now!

CrazyHamsterdisguisedasatree · 28/08/2013 20:25

Id like to try this but I doubt id be able to get back out once id jumped in

FondantNancy · 28/08/2013 20:50

Good luck! Please report back.

ScornedWoman · 28/08/2013 20:56

I did get arrested for this once, many years ago. Something about it contravening some local bylaw - apparently, once stuff is in the bin, it belongs to the local authority. I'm not sure how, though, if it's in a skip on commercial premises waiting to be collected by a private refuse company.

My son brings food home sometimes, usually bread. He's moving out soon and is planning to survive from the bins plus a £10 a week shopping budget!

LimitedEditionLady · 28/08/2013 22:08

Oh so you can get arrested?thats mad.Its not like youre doing a midnight raid in the council tip!I cant see the harm,they dont bloody want the stuff!

milkwagon · 28/08/2013 22:14

Technically it's theft - even if it's food that's been chucked out you're still appropriating property with the intent of keeping it as your own and doing this dishonestly by not asking the supermarket/getting permission to take it. Same with skips - it's still theft as the rubbish belongs to skip hire company. There's even case law whereby someone dumped rubbish into an empty skip & was found guilty of theft of the space in the skip. Sounds crazy right?!

LimitedEditionLady · 28/08/2013 23:54

Ha everyone steals skip space around here,even my own nana sneaks out at midnight to chuck her old washing up bowl in lol

LeaveTheBastid · 29/08/2013 00:06

I'd love to do this, just for a good nose of nothing else but I'd end up gettin stuck in it, I know it. I don't even know where the supermarkets near here keep their bins, never seen them!

MaggieMaggieMaggieMcGill · 29/08/2013 00:15

I work for a food outlet along the lines of pret-a-manger. The amount of food we throw away is disgusting. We have a three hour turn around time on the hotplates then in the bin it goes.
Fuckung sickening waste of edible food. Fucking horrific that so many creatures dievto go into food that does not even get eaten.
I am looking for another job.

shakeandvac · 29/08/2013 01:16

I'm intrigued by the idea, and think it sounds 'good' (for want of a better word) but it's not something I would ever be comfortable doing myself!
I just wouldn't be able to bring myself to do it.
However, if supermarkets really are throwing perfectly wrapped, good foods out, then I can see why some would do it.
I think it's disgusting that people can get arrested for it though like a PP. It's in the BIN! It's been thrown away and discarded! How on earth is it theft?!
If someone's going to make use of it and stop it from going to landfill, then how is that not a good thing?!

Mogz · 29/08/2013 05:42

The Tesco near me has a great way of dealing with their bread, fruit and veg waste, it gets donated to the local zoo animals (and sometimes zoo keepers if there's a particularly good looking mango or two).

LimitedEditionLady · 29/08/2013 08:21

Why dont they give it to a foodbank or homeless shelter?god im getting pretty mad now

MegaClutterSlut · 29/08/2013 08:42

YANBU I would love to do this

When I used to work at a bakery, the amount of sandwiches, cakes, pastry's and bread that used to get chucked was shocking but no-one was allowed to take anything home, it all had to be chucked We were told if we took anything without paying for it first we would get done for theft....

Mogz · 29/08/2013 09:47

I think they can't donate to shelters because they're not allowed to provide out of date food for human consumption. Silly rule as the date printed on food is really just a guideline.

shockers · 29/08/2013 09:58

DS1 and his friends did this when they were at uni. He thought I'd be cross when he told me... I was quite proud at his fury at the waste.

They ate very well until the shops started locking the bins.

BionicEmu · 29/08/2013 10:06

I asked my local Co-Op what they did with food past it's sell-by date. They have to ruin it then put it in the bin. For example, liquids (yoghurts, milk, juice etc)have to be poured out, bread gets ripped up etc. The staff aren't allowed to take any of it home. I think it's a disgrace to ruin perfectly fine food, especially given how expensive food is & how many people are going hungry. Thinking about it, this chucking out of past sell-by date food is probably contributing to the high cost of food too

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