Dumpster Diving

[MountainMan]

I have been going for the past 6 months or so. I've gotten it to where I only hit the convenient local spots or other places as I'm there, but at the local Aldi, over the last few weeks I've found:

50+lbs of apples, about 1/2 were organic
30 lbs of grapes
15 containers of raspberries
6 limes (in high demand)
4 bags of onions
5 heads of cabbage
4 heads of cauliflower
4 bags of oranges
5 containers of blackberries
2 large containers of blueberries
24 lbs. of pork chops

Wow, this is an impressive haul of the sort that can make a serious dent in food costs.

[aetherie]

This thread got me all excited to go see what I could find, but I checked online first and it turns out dumpster diving is actually illegal in my city... boo.

[NinetyFour]

So run for city council and get that law changed!!  ;-)

[Leisured]

I have had the same experience, Happy. I also live in Australia, and the dumpsters I my town are locked. I suspect that health officials see it as counterproductive if food beyond use by date is dumped, and then people retrieve it from a dumpster.

[Boz86]

I suspect that health officials see it as counterproductive if food beyond use by date is dumped, and then people retrieve it from a dumpster.

My friend who dumpster dived would bring expired food to work, he didn't tell anyone. After some people got upset because they didn't realize they were eating expired food, he got told not to bring anything from his dumpster dives to work, which really bummed me out because I was getting to read a lot of magazines I liked but not enough to buy.

[Thegoblinchief]

My DW already thinks I'm in a cult, so not for me. But fascinating!

[homehandymum]

I have had the same experience, Happy. I also live in Australia, and the dumpsters I my town are locked. I suspect that health officials see it as counterproductive if food beyond use by date is dumped, and then people retrieve it from a dumpster.

In my last city, our church locked their dumpsters because people were dragging stuff out and vandalising/littering with it, and they had a spate of arsons too.  Sometimes it's not so much about big brother being evil, but more about the little guy having to deal with morons. 

[thurston howell iv]

Great read! Very interesting. I'm sure you've seen this but if not:  http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/01/22/trader-joe-ex-president-to-open-store-selling-expired-food/