WHILE many of us struggle with rising living costs, some Australians are getting by without spending any money, turning other people's trash into dinner.
Scavenging through commercial rubbish bins isn’t glamorous, but for a small section of society it’s a way of life.
Growing trend
There’s a small but growing group of well-educated city dwellers who are going through rubbish bins to get free stuff, according to a 2006 report by the Australia Institute.
The report found a diverse range of Australians were engaging in some kind of foraging, with teachers, professionals, shop assistants, students, musicians, and families among the people trawling the streets for free stuff.
Waste not, want not
Known as freegans, dumpster divers or skip dippers, for these ‘conscientious objectors to consumerism’ saving money is secondary to reducing wastage.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australians generate about 1.6 tonnes of sold waste per person each year. That’s an annual total of 32.4 million tonnes, of which 17.4 million tonnes goes to landfills.
Shops not keen
Supermarkets and other retailers are less than keen on having people foraging through their bins.
A spokeswoman for Woolworths says the supermarket’s policy is to keep all of its skips locked up. She says there are health and safety concerns about people possibly getting sick from eating food from bins, as well as the potential to injure themselves on broken glass or other rubbish.
Security and the law
The legalities of foraging are a bit of a grey area. If people are on someone else’s land and are asked to leave by security, they have to get out or risk being charged with trespassing.
Ashwyn Falkingham, who has also been in the news for donating a kidney to a stranger, has been living a freegan lifestyle for five years. He says he often dresses up in a suit when he goes dumpster diving, as scruffy looking people are more likely to attract attention from security guards or passers-by.
“I think it’s a subconscious thing where if people look poor they are more of a target.”
No grocery bills in five years
Falkingham says in the five years he has been going through dumpsters he has not bought food – apart from the odd condiment.
“It’s entirely possible for someone with a fridge and freezer to dumpster-dive once a week and do the equivalent of a weekly shop,” he says.
He says it’s often difficult to tell why something has been thrown out. Sometimes the packaging might be dented, or it’s past its best-before date.
“There’s a difference between use-by dates and best-before dates,” he says. “Best before dates mean the look, smell or taste of a product might change, but it’s not necessarily unhealthy.”
He says some bins are like fruit markets.
“A store might throw out a pack of nectarines if one of them goes bad – leaving 11 perfectly good pieces of fruit.”
He’s not worried about germs, saying the grubbiest part of the job is opening the bin’s lid.
“Usually the quality is no different or smellier than shopping in a supermarket – except you’re pulling it out of a bin rather than off an aisle.”
Goodies galore
Participants in the Australia Institute’s research report were getting much more than just food from bins. Things like beauty products, light bulbs, electrical goods, tools and clothing were among the free hoard being taken home from rubbish bins.
In the US, there is even a trend known as either table diving or plate scraping, where people wait until someone at a restaurant has eaten their fill and then polish off what’s left on the plate.
Tips for safe skip dipping
*Avoid bins behind locked gates or which are clearly marked with no trespass signs.
*Wear tough clothing and shoes and carry a torch.
*If security asks you to leave, don’t argue
*Dive with a partner or in a group (especially for women).
*Avoid bins associated with medical practices, hospitals or any other bins that may contain hazardous waste and materials.
*Don’t take people’s paperwork or personal information.
*If it smells like bleach or rat poison, don’t touch it, it may have been put there
deliberately to discourage people scavenging.
*Don’t leave a mess.
*Leave enough for someone else.
http://www.news.com.au/business/money/story/0,25479,23554795-14327,00.html
