CA Professionals Dine Out Of Dumpsters

thestate.com ^ | 11/29/06 | Doug Oakley

[Froufrou]

Cynthia Powell and Stephen Vajda are unabashed Dumpster divers who get much of their weekly food from garbage cans.

The two educated Berkeley, Calif., professionals - who are not hungry or otherwise in need - say they are motivated by a growing conservation movement with a mantra that wasting resources, especially food, is shameful.

Powell and Vajda estimate they can save up to $100 a week by dining on day-old bread, vegetables and sometimes chocolate from commercial garbage cans.

The two estimated they know at least a half dozen like-minded people in Berkeley who regularly dine out - way out.

"I'm not hungry," said Powell. "I do it because it's good food, it's free and it's conservation."

Powell said she's been getting in Berkeley Dumpsters at grocery stores and bakeries ever since she moved to town about four years ago. She draws the line at eating meat or dairy products.

"I like to eat it because it's perfectly good food thrown away," said Powell. "It's a big waste. There are really amazing, perfectly good things like strawberries, onions, sweet potatoes, bananas, cantaloupes, watermelon and always good day-old breads."

Brian Mathews, a senior program manager at StopWaste.org, a voter-mandated special district that promotes "environmentally sound solid waste management and resource conservation" said businesses in Berkeley threw away 8.8 million pounds of food in 2000, the latest year for which numbers are available.

Mathews was shocked to hear that people committed to stopping waste would go as far as fishing food out of Dumpsters.

"This is totally new to me," said Mathews, who has a background in food science. "We advocate for reuse as a highest priority if the food is edible to reuse it through food banks or donations. I applaud their motivation for doing this, but I would caution them that they could be putting themselves in a situation where they could get contaminated or spoiled food. I think it's a little risky, Dumpster diving for dinner."

Vajda, on the other hand, said the risk of getting bad food is overblown.

"Some of the fear that's around presumably spoiled food, it's a little bit ridiculous. It's gotten out of hand," said Vajda, who sometimes retrieves eggs to eat. "There is so much food thrown away and there are so many starving people in the world, it's shameful to let it go to waste when it's just as easy for me to eat it. It's really disgusting when you have an apple (from a grocery store) with a blemish on it and people won't buy it."

Grocery stores, he said, "are the best sources and the worst offenders." Vajda said he does make a point of cooking most everything he pulls out of a Dumpster. And he has some friends who eat entirely out of Dumpsters.

"I wouldn't recommend that," said Vajda. "It's not an ideal diet."

Both Vajda and Powell said they never have been chased by the police, but they have been admonished by store owners.

Berkeley police spokesman Ed Galvan said the department has never arrested anyone for Dumpster diving.

"The biggest problem we have with people Dumpster diving is they make a mess," said Galvan. "But it's not a big issue."

[goldstategop]

I thought only the homeless dined out of dumpsters? Now well heeled liberals have taken it up. It must be the nouveau cuisine, I guess. "Dumpster Gourmet." How very droll.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

BTTT

[Rightfootforward]

“These people have truly gone insane.”

Aaand, it wasn’t a very long trip.

[Froufrou]

Ah, the revival of a useless thread I posted long ago ping!

I have a Liberal Arts degree. You want fries with that?

[RexBeach]

This story puts me in mid of two old jokes: One of them is mine, the other from some worthy on the internet.

First, mine: Just before God makes you stupid he makes you hungry;

Second, someone else’s: The big problem with “fast” food is that it slows down when it hits your stomach. And it just parks there — and lets the fat have time to get off and apply for citizenship.

Third(okay, I didn’t mention three in my opening) from Groucho: “Well Chicarrelli(sic) may look like an idiot, and he may sound like an idiot. But don’t let that fool you. He really is an idiot.”

Now all I have to do for dinner is find a dumpster. That ought to be a cake walk in DC. They’re like horse buns, they’re all over the place.

And, btw, if you see Larry Craig today, tell him to have a happy day! :)

[Froufrou]

“and lets the fat have time to get off and apply for citizenship.”

Bwahahaha, ain’t that the truth! But yours is the best, in keeping with this ar-tickle! ;o)

[pissant]

Sounds delicious.

[snarks_when_bored]

Dumpster Divin'
(to the tune of Kung Fu Fightin' by the Foo Fighters)

Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh
Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh
Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh
Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh

Everybody was dumpster divin'
Those folks were fast as lightnin'
In fact it was a little bit frightnin'
But they ate with expert timin'

There were hungry dinin' men
From funky hungry town
They were chomping them up
They were chomping them down
It's an ancient dinin' art
And everybody ate their part
From a gulpin' to a sip
And a licking from the lip

Everybody was dumpster divin'
Those folks were fast as lightnin'
In fact it was a little bit frightnin'
But they ate with expert timin'

There was funky Munchin' Man
And little Momma Chow
She said: Here comes the next load
Let's get it on
She took a bite and made a stand
Staring, ate with her hand
But emotion made me puke
Now onto a brand new cuke

Everybody was dumpster divin'
Those folks were fast as lightnin'
In fact it was a little bit frightnin'
But they ate with expert timin'

Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh
Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh
Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh
Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh

Everybody was dumpster divin'
Those folks were fast as lightin'
In fact it was a little bit frightnin'
Make sure you have expert timin'

Oh-Oh-Oh dumpster divin'
As fast as lightin'
Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh
Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh
Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh dive dive dive in
Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh

[fella]

are motivated by a growing conservation movement with a mantra that wasting resources, especially food, is shameful.

Many in my generation were raised being told that it was not right or is shameful to waste food. But then our parents went through the depression (that FDR and the RATS stretched out for political gain) and the rationing during WW II.

[goldstategop]

They can afford it but they dine out of the garbage... liberals.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Froufrou]

Yes, and I’ve had a weight problem all my life from that! My waist is from no waste!

I think these professionals are younger than you and I. Last week, while dining out on our anniversary, I asked our waitress for a bone to take to my dog [I had eaten fish.]

To my surprise, she brought me better than half a filet mignon with the bacon! I won’t say I wasn’t tempted...but I truly gave it to Buster. All of it, split into two days.

[dragnet2]

Here in Indiana, we get food from ready to date out from bakeries and grocery stores and distribute it to folks in need. It never makes it to the dumpster in the first place.

The food waste in this country is obscene, and we throw away perfectly good food by the tons, every day of the year.

I know a company that throws away products that I won't mention, because they are just not current products, or outdated, taking up space, etc and they just throw these non-food products away.

And you know what? They've told their employee force they are in violation if anything is taken out of the dumpster, or is taken once the product is deemed trash. They do this so employees won't take the products and resell them.

[fella]

Buster is one lucky pooch.

[ThomasThomas]

I can not believe these self righteous liberals steeling food they do do need from the homeless. How many truly poor and more deserving people could have eating if they did not take the their only source of food. They said they could afford to buy their food. Do they care others will go hungry because of their actions?

Then again stupid is as stupid dose.

[Froufrou]

Well, maybe there is a silver lining...perhaps the homeless [without dumpsters to eat from] will do something about the pidgeon population...or the squirrels, ya know?

;o)

[Froufrou]

Barely! That filet mignon was at least 2” thick and man, did it ever look tender! [/drool]