First of all : the question that I always get when I speak about dumpster diving : why?

There are many reasons; ecological, social and economical. The general overproduction of consumer goods is an enormous waste of limited natural resources. The extraction, transformation, transport and disposal each have negative environmental consequences; each of theses steps are polluting (for the time being). It is imperative that the energy and resources invested in the production of goods be effective! The overproduction and the fact that so much products are thrown away make prices rise, which in turn makes some basic things unaccessible for the people who earn little money. In this way, the waste of natural resources contributes to the conservation of the rich people's privileges at the expense of the poor of the planet.

Dumpster diving and re-use of objects that would otherwise be lost, but are still useful (actually so many are brand new) helps to slow down overproduction and avoidable waste. Moreover, the act of searching and finding theses resources can be, believe it or not, very enjoyable (but yes, it all depends on the context). A little like picking and gathering, it's about hunting the "fruits" of human production, left unused. We can find various things, things that we couldn't imagine (cheese, electronic equipment, functional bicycle, etc.). To dumpster dive in group builds solidarity. We can even meet interesting people (that generally are, in a way, outsiders of the system).

How to do it?

It is simple : you just need a big backpack, and maybe some plastic bags. First you need to find places likely to have food or material leftovers, and think of the best time to go there. Two or three people together is better, in case that there would be uncomprehending people (it happens once in a while). The secret is to dare !

a) Food dumpster diving

Everybody needs food. However, unimaginable quantities of food is wasted every day. A study reveals that half of the food produced in the USA is thrown away. Here are the main sources of waste:

• at the farm: overproduction or aesthetic reject
  
• at distributors and restaurants: rejects based on statistical inspection (only a few boxes are checked), or because the market is saturated.
  
• in markets : overproduction or aesthetic rejects

A good idea, when in the city, is to ask to the stores around if they throw away food, and to make an arrangement with them to take it. A lot of store owners are delighted that they can save the food. For distributors, it's better to take the stuff directly from the dumpsters because, even if we ask, they usually don't take the time to separate the good and bad food. It can be a good idea to go with a vehicle like a bicycle trailer because of the large quantity.

If you are in the Montreal area and you want to dumpster dive, I can provide maps of the good spots I know around town. Just contact me and I will send them to you.

b) Dumpster diving and re-using of building material

Generally, building material is expensive. However, an impressive quantity of material is thrown away everyday in the city. Theses parts of wood, tiles, pipes and metal bars completely usable. Building experiments with recuperated material confirmed it to me. Here are good places to find such material :

• construction sites : the material is in pile or in dumpsters
  
• scrapyards : we can find free or cheap interesting material there
  
• eco-centers (re-use / second hand material warehouse) some cities that "go green" have those great centers

c) General re-usage

Many stores throw away unsold products, aesthetic rejects or returns, that are still working. Even residential garbage contains treasures like furniture, tools and electronic devices. The trick is to keep our eyes open. When we feel that we need something, it's better not to buy it right away. We should have a look around in yards, back alleys, in the back of stores or simply on the sidewalk, wherever we go. Often we find an object, an idea, an alternative which save us both the cost and the resources for the desired object. It's worth it !

Some interesting links :

• Food not Bombs
  
• The Freegan movement