Freegans: Salvaging foodstuff from dumpsters to combat food waste

Freegans recover waste items discarded in the evening from the garbage cans and dumpsters left outside businesses that sell food. — AFP

The idea of rummaging around in a dumpster may gross you out, but freegans – or dumpster divers – are only too keen to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in. They have become masters in the art of getting food by salvaging it rather than buying it, a militant act that seeks to combat food waste.

In a bid to cut food waste, some people have decided to delve into the dumpsters left outside major supermarkets in order to fish out any unsold foodstuff. This ecological movement is known as “freeganism” – a portmanteau of the terms “free” and “veganism” – which involves recovering waste items discarded in the evening from the garbage cans and dumpsters left outside supermarkets, grocery stores, bakeries, fast-food outlets and other businesses selling food.