The Thousands

They say there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Obviously, they haven’t been dumpster diving. Trawling through Adelaide’s dumpsters can get you a free breakfast, lunch and dinner no strings attached. While some of us are curled up watching late night episodes of Ellen, others scavenge through supermarket dumpsters for ingredients that fill their fridges and their bellies. It’s true.

Now keep your stomach lining intact, dinner la mould isn’t on this menu here. A lot of the food is just overripe or has damaged packaging and is therefore‚ un-sellable. Divers are frequently spoilt for choice when it comes to shopping in the dumpster-market. Options range from fruit, veg, sauces and baked delicacies; to magazines, clothes and bicycle parts (but don’t eat those).

Not only is dumpster-diving completely gratis, it’s green too! Australian supermarkets send over 100,000 tonnes of waste to landfill each year because it’s more economic to over-produce than risk losing a customer over not having an item.
Potential divers take note: wading through dumpsters can also mean trespassing. Despite the environmental halos around their heads, divers often end up with metal loops around their wrists. So check before you dive in.