My goal is not to promote dumpster diving for fun because this may result in shops locking up their trash bins and needy people will have no opportunity to find food. Callum has been an old friend and therefore I included him in our hunt. However, normally I don't do it with surfers that I have never met before. It is hard to imagine that organic super markets throw away such a huge amount of products. Callum and me had a gourmet organic meal of packaged German potato pancakes(Kartoffelpuffer) and a sealed jar of awesome apple/mango mark with some bacon from my fridge.
Dumpster diving is different in different countries. In Germany it is officially prohibited and considered theft. However, people don't bother to call the police and the police doesn't take much action either. In most conservative cities in Germany, large supermarkets tend to cover and lock their trash bins which they do in Mainz. Wiesbaden is less strict especially the smaller shops and we may need to look for small organic supermarkets. Giant supermarkets like Aldi or Nettokom calculate the purchase of their goods very carefully, so nearly nothing is left and thrown in the dumpster. It is the smaller organic shops which we have to look for because they don't calculate their purchase professionally. So we just have to remember that it is us who have to pay for their lack of professionality.
Tips for Germany:
1. Come when it is dark, preferably when it's colder after October
2. Carefully search the bins and tip them all over. Put them back in order and don't leave any of your footprints.
3. The foul goods or trash are purposely put on top as to discourage dumpster divers but at the bottom you will find all gems.
4. Look for small organic shops
Prepare to dive deep into the bin
Callum MacDonald surfing my couch. Dumpster diving in Wiesbaden with Talley
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