Years ago I followed some dumpster diver's blogs, mainly interested about those finding consumable things. Being amazed because such dumpsters don't exist in my country, at least not out in the open accessible to public. If at all they would be more hygenic compression containers on locked terrains to far to reach without a car. Contents to be sent to destruction regularly. I don't know about the situation in for example the USA now, I lost touch with those bloggers and I don't know if they are still active. Just currently I started to look at some other dumpster divers on Facebook, but they are mainly in non-foods.
But at the time (2010) one time I was lucky and found a small batch of carrots at the curb in front of a local greengrocer. And for all these years I was sure I made post about it. It's just not there. So here's just one more picture from the past.
They had started to blacken on the skin, but after peeling they were just fine and good to cook and eat.
It was the first and last time I profited from thrown away food from a company.
So for free food I rely on the 'gifts' of private people. Funny that recently I found so much. But that was all left in a way to be easily found, as I wrote possibly from Airbnb tourists. Neatly packed saying: please take me.
My very last find of food was really weird. I came down from upstairs to go to my own flat late at night and saw a trashed plastic trash bin across the street. It looked new and clean and light weight, easy to carry in. Could be a possible sale for a couple of coins. But when I lifted up the lid found that it was packed full with trash. In a plastic bag though and it wasn't kitchen waste, more like paper or other dry things, but I couldn't see well in the dark. But it was an immediate no to lifting that bag out. Not worth the trouble. Then I saw the pack of cheese on top... Why, how?! Cut open on the top, but full. Took it inside for further inspection. A bit of some kind of dust or dirt on the outside of the pack. Clean inside, seemingly untouched. Perhaps one slice taken.
Then checked date. Fresh! Note: this is European date notation, so September 1 2025. Perfectly safe to eat. Cheese is pretty expensive and I've learned to live without it for periods of time. But I do love it. A pack like this is close to €4 at my cheap supermarket, add some to it for where this came from. Albert Heijn Delhaize is a Dutch company but active in Europe and the US. Here it has not the name of being a place for people on a tight budget.
