Food dumpster diving: your opinion?

[Smee]

I'm not icked out by it at all. When I first heard about it, I thought "no way," but since I saw it on some show, I've been meaning to start checking into it around here. My choices would be pretty limited since I'm in a rather rural area. Complacency and laziness have kept me from it, but I'd have no problem pulling intact, un-icky packages of food from a dumpster and using it. As far as worrying about some stock guy peeing on it (?), don't forget about all the hands it's passed through from the farm to the processing plant to the warehouse to the store. Lots of gross things happen to your food before you ever see it on the shelves.

I'm reasonably clean, a somewhat compulsive hand washer and practice adequate kitchen sanitation. I'm just not icked out by this, but I'm in ag country as well as having experience working in packing plants and I know commercially grown and packaged food is gross long before it ever hits a store shelf.

[hbaqueen]

Definitely not for me. When I saw her clothing touching the sides of that dumpster, then I thought about her getting in her car, THEN she put those boxes directly on her kitchen counter!!!! I just hope she thoroughly disinfected the countertops AND all her clothing.

Some produce is sturdy enough to stand up to a good scrubbing, but raspberries?? No, and just rinsing them would not be enough for me.

I don't blame anyone who does it but I'll leave it for those who need it more than I do.

Oh my gosh! I change my clothes as soon as I get home from anywhere because it could have touched a bugg (even though I lysol the buggy) and I NEVER put my purse on the counter and I spray it regularly with lysol as well. It has a hanging spot. Those same thoughts were going thru my head watching that!

Ya know I am glad I found couponing because we have been in some really hard spots over the years and I dont judge anyone for doing it especially if they need it. I am just too big of a phobe to do it. It is sad to see all the food wasted knowing there are shelters and food banks on every corner.

[hbaqueen]

A

And as far as human use - just because it is short dated doesn't mean it's not any longer good or useable. I grew up with homebutchered chicken, geese, rabbits and pigs, farm veggies and our own huge vegetable garden - to watch that movie clip didn't bother me at all. All of you selfproclaimed germaphobes [no insult intented!] must have never grown your own produce in a garden, else you wouldn't feel that way? I would be more squeamish when it comes to prepackaged veggies such as salad mixes or pre-prepped carrots etc rather than whole umblemished individual whole food such as potatoes, peppers, cabbages, squash et.

Sometimes when I am eating fresh fruit - if I wouldn't see what I'm putting into my mouth, I couldn't tell you if I'm eating an apple, a pear or a peach it all tastes the same other than texture, and none smell the way I remember them from when I was a kid. For that matter I haven't had strawberries in years that tasted like real strawberries before they get all soft and squishy and mushy.

Actually I grew up around beef cows and chickens. My husband was and still wants to be a dairy farmer. We grow a garden every year.
OCD is not something that you can control and neither are phobias regardless of what they are. So whether you meant offense/insult or not it is offensive.

[ScrappyDoo]

I wonder if you could work out some sort of deal with management where you come by at whatever time of day they usually dump stuff and take it off their hands before it ever touches a dumpster???

[wealthybarney]

I didn't watch the video.

I believe around Fall/Winter in 2 yrs, so many people in America will be doing this that they will even have classes on how to do it more safely & where to go.

I went without food for a looong time by choice Dec/Jan, & I had NO IDEA what
real, starvation hunger after a few weeks felt like.
Those who say the hunger pains & drive to eat go away are lying.
I know now, & if push came to shove, & I was that hungry again, I couldn't honestly rule it out, if I had no food or money.

But for a lifestyle "frugal choice", I have no problem with those who choose this for themselves, I vote no for me.

[cycler]

This is a great documentary I Love Trash - Watch the Documentary Film for Free | Watch Free Documentaries Online | SnagFilms

I Love Trash is a documentary about dumpster diving. Two friends decide to do an experiment in trash. They rent an unfurnished apartment and arrive with only the clothes they are wearing and a flashlight. They decide not to buy any things for 3 months and instead to find all their needs in the trash. They furnish their apartment lavishly. They eat decadently. They dress sharp, and create beautiful art, all from the trash.

It's a little long - 77 minutes but it's really interesting.

I forgot to mention that I am a "scavenger" but not for food. Almost all of the furniture in my apartment is from the street - I even got my first Palm (and all of it's accessories) out of a trash bag.

[Lmnde]

Actually I grew up around beef cows and chickens. My husband was and still wants to be a dairy farmer. We grow a garden every year.
OCD is not something that you can control and neither are phobias regardless of what they are. So whether you meant offense/insult or not it is offensive.

Sorry I missed your reply earlier when it first was made - my apologies if my remark offended you. I just think it is highly hilarious when folks get bent out of shape about the ick factor where fresh fruit and veggies and meat are concerned off - but think it is okay to purchase and eat food that is processed and overprocessed to the max. I rather have a dirt grown green salad with a snail or a buggy in it, than someones fingernail, bugger or hepatitis B or salmonella germs in my ready-to-use baggie of mixed salad or spinach. Or the roach in my flour, or weavils in mahatma rice, or a dessicated rodent in my cereal box - you name it.

And in regards to OCD and phobias - I have both a son and a close friend with OCD, and I know plenty ppl with phobias [and petpeeves that I'm sure have last names called phobia] if I were to be looking hard enough. I live with OCD every day, and yes it can be controlled both with training, will power, CBT, and/or meds, or more likely a combination of the above if necessary.

For curiosity's sake since you mentioned having a garden, do you work in your garden yourself and eat what you grow? How do you manage this with your phobia or OCD? Please try to understand, I am not trying to argue with you or egg you on - just trying to understand your point of view.