Posted on 01/22/2025 2:50:17 PM PST by nickcarraway
Yle catches up with a 'freegan' who's been using dumpsters to stock his pantry for years.
Teemu Arppe tells Yle that he loves a good find, which is why he dives into dumpsters for nearly all of his groceries.
The Helsinki-based chemistry teacher is also a self-professed 'freegan', which means he wants to help the environment by reducing waste.
"You never know what you'll find, and that's what makes dumpster diving so much fun," he said.
Arppe, who's been getting his dinner from dumpsters for years, says people are generally adopting a more positive attitude towards rescuing food.
Also known as blogger Onni Tonkija (roughly translated as the 'Lucky Scavenger'), he has been dumpster diving for food since 2011. He now travels across Finland, searching for edible finds in apartment buildings and store bins.
This past weekend, he spoke on the topic at a food waste festival in Oulu. Yle caught up with him to find the answers to five burning questions about the food we throw out.
1. Are people's attitudes changing?
"Dumpster diving isn’t popular enough yet for there to be a crowd forming at the bins. But I do occasionally see other divers. I can't say for sure if it's become more popular, but it feels like it might have," he said.
"People have realised that 'best before' dates are just recommendations. Stores have strict policies to discard food as soon as the sell–by date has passed. Awareness is steadily growing that these products are safe to consume if you smell and taste them first," he explained.
2. Are you seeing different products thrown out now than before?
"There's less ground meat in apartment building garbage rooms compared to ten years ago — instead you see more plant-based products."
3. What compelled you to start dumpster diving?
"I happened to peek into a dumpster in our apartment building — and noticed there was food in there. I hadn't realised people throw away food like that," he said.
"Many people worry about food making them sick if it's even slightly past its date. I encourage them to try it first — food can often still be eaten even if it's a little old."
4. What's the strangest thing that's happened when dumpster diving?
"One night, I went into the apartment building's waste compactor. I was rummaging when someone came in to throw out their trash. They screamed when they saw me and ran off before I could reassure them," Arppe recalled.
While Arppe also searches for food during the day, he said he prefers nights. "It's quieter then, and the atmosphere is magical."
5. What are your tips for someone wanting to get started?
"There's no better time than the present. Hit the dumpsters as soon as enthusiasm strikes."
Time is money.
Hopefully most peeps have better things to do than dumpster dive.
If not, we are in trouble Yugely.
[”Best before dates are just recommendations”]
And generally that is true.
Dairy products, fish and chicken are things one SHOULD watch, though.
I’ve had a lot of canned goods way beyond “Best by” dates - a year or more - they were just fine to consume
I ALSO had a jar of green olives WELL WITHIN the “best by” date - molded - it was replaced immediately by the store no charge (a very rare exception)
I came back after dark and got three dozen to give to a friend in need.
Disagree. Unwashed eggs don’t need refrigeration. American eggs have a protective coating washed off. A few days out might be fine, though.
Smell By is more accurate than Sell By. And it works both ways. Unexpired foods aren’t necessarily safe.
This time of year in Finland, it’s like rummaging through someone’s freezer for recently expired stuff. There’s an excellent chance that it’s still ok.
But he can’t possibly know how the items were stored, or if they were exposed to things he wouldn’t eat.
local roadways produce different varieties of fresh ground meat...
Yes, I raise my own chickens. Just saying by large.
“Finland.......someone’s freezer....”
I’m gonna say that you are NOT wrong....
[And we recently “survived” a couple of days where the F thermometer didn’t get into positive territory.]
Honey found in some Egyptian tombs was found to be still perfectly edible, after several thousand years.
Yes, he is correct. Although the food itself will vary in it’s level of safe-to-eat-after-expiry-date, most foods are good for a day or two afterwards.
I wouldn’t want this normalized, however.
They want to normalize it for the coming surveillance state, so they can reduce what they give us to survive.
True of other meats as well.
If it smells bad, it IS bad.
And that's why I don't eat anchovies regardless of "expiration date".
[And that’s why I don’t eat anchovies...]
You could have stopped there LOLOLOL (no offense)
A bunch of us (teenagers) pooled our money for pizza
oops - anchovies lol
I never tried them again
Not on meats. Thanks to irradiation, meat will LOOK fine, often smell fine, but will get sticky and nasty.
Honey never goes bad.
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