At 9:30 p.m. in Sutton Place, Manhattan, New York, a group of 10 people gather to search the dumpsters of high-end supermarkets for edible food. These individuals are Freegans, a community committed to a frugal and anti-waste lifestyle, who meet once every two weeks. Members come from various boroughs, work in diverse professions, and are in their 20s to 60s.

When participating, the Freegans wear masks and gloves. The dumpsters in the area have no odor or signs of decomposition. Inside, many products are found with original packaging, appearing similar to items displayed on shelves. During one collection, the group discovered sauces, sandwiches, vegetables, quality salmon, and fresh cream containers, each valued at about 10 USD.

Janet Kalis collects food in New York, US. Photo: NY Post

Janet Kalish, 63 years old, a former teacher, has been part of the group since 2004. "I don't spend much money because I barely pay for food", she said. Initially, she viewed this activity as a way to reduce living costs, but later decided to commit long-term.

The collection trips are quick, as participants typically have about two hours from when supermarkets put out their trash (9 p.m.) until the collection truck arrives (11 p.m.). This tight window ensures that discarded food is often still fresh. Even on a summer night, yogurt containers retrieved at 9:30 p.m. remain cold.

The group carefully selects locations based on their position, accessibility, and food quality. Large supermarkets, in particular, often provide abundant supplies. The Freegans agree not to revisit the same spot two times to avoid competition with those who genuinely rely on this food source. These trips are often organized publicly via the Meetup app.

This trend is spreading, with many content creators sharing videos of collecting items from dumpsters. A prominent example is Anna Sacks, who has over 500,000 followers on Instagram and often posts videos finding valuable items, from sweets to a 500 USD slow juicer.

These activities occur amidst escalating inflation and living costs in the US. Data from Recycle Track Systems (RTS) indicates that the US wastes approximately 54,4 million tons (120 billion pounds) of food annually, equivalent to 40% of the total national supply. Many products are discarded simply to make room for new inventory.

The group collects food in Sutton Place, Manhattan, New York, US. Photo: NY Post

Gil, an environmental educator, recounted finding six imported cheese wheels, each valued at 450 USD, in a discarded cold storage unit. In 2010, he was directed to the area behind an industrial bakery in Long Island City. There, he found three dumpsters full of still-warm bread. "You can live like a rich person just from dumpsters. The important thing is to overcome preconceptions", Gil said.

Despite recovering valuable food, hygiene remains a major concern. However, long-time participants believe the risk of food poisoning is often overestimated. Kalish stated that she always checks for mold, smell, and expiration dates, and discards items showing signs of cross-contamination between fruits and meat.

In New York, dumpster diving is considered legal as long as it does not involve trespassing into fenced-off areas. However, indiscriminate rummaging through trash can result in fines for stores from regulatory agencies. Therefore, the group always carefully opens trash bags, ties them back as they were, and cleans the area after finishing.

Ngoc Ngan (According to NY Post)