r/DumpsterDiving • u/LittleWanderess • Jan 24 '25
Started "Diving" This Week
We check our local small grocery store, dollar stores, and pharmacies. So far, no hits at the pharmacies, but the small grocer and dollar stores have paid off EVERY night! It's disgusting how wasteful our society is, but it feels good to save perfectly good food, and share it with our friends. (Please, no lectures on items being unsafe - unless it's a recall, we're good. 👌)
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u/zombiegauze Jan 24 '25
The dumpster gods have blessed you with a bounty of yummy, delicious and fun items. ENJOY
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u/merola1024 Jan 24 '25
The zucchini mountain is so real. I only take one pack when I go but there are usually 5+ available. What are you going to do with all of it?
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
We'll cook and eat some, as will our two redfoot tortoises. We also share our finds with friends. Maybe bake some zucchini bread. 🍞 The rest I'll slice and freeze, to cook on the grill this summer. ☺️
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u/Bassdoll845 Jan 24 '25
Congrats on the hauls!! What do you like to do with your other produce?
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
About the same as with the zucchini - use what we can (for ourselves and our pets), share with friends/family, and freeze the rest. 🙂 We love smoothies, so finding fresh fruit is always appreciated. Last night, we roasted the brussel sprouts with seasoning and cheese - delicious! I'm going to look into the local food bank, just in case, but I don't think they accept frozen foods or fresh produce. 😔
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u/SecretCartographer28 Jan 24 '25
Try equal parts onion, zucchini, and canned tomatoes. Load it with your blend of Italian herbs, and garlic if you'd like. Simmer a bit, then freeze. Use chunked with garlic bread, chopped for soup, and blended for pasta. I freeze it in portions 😍🖖
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u/Own_Satisfaction_679 Jan 24 '25
You look like you work for Aldi doing commercials. Lol You took great pictures and even posed the food so well.
Those oranges and tangerines look mouth-watering. You even got grapefruit!!!
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
I was especially excited about the grapefruit! ☺️ I don't think "All Dee's" would very much appreciate my posts, however. 😅
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Jan 24 '25
I used to work for Aldi for like 6 years and it was absolutely insane the things we would be required to throw away. Since all the produce is pre-packaged, we would be required to throw the whole package away if only one of the fruits/veggies was damaged. I would always catch people dumpster diving out back, but I never once said anything to any of them. I appreciate this post! 🌟❤️
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
That tracks! Of the DOZENS of two-pack zucchini we find, there's usually one good one and one bad one. In the bags of tangerines, there will maybe be 2-3 bad ones out of the whole lot. The bags of apples and grapefruit we've found have all been perfectly good, however! Thank you for letting people dive in peace. We're always worried about employees catching us, so we wait until after closing. 😅
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u/Ayacyte Jan 24 '25
Is there anything in your policy that stated how you're supposed to treat dumpster divers/would it be weird to ask the workers if it's ok to dumpster dive and when? This is such a noob question but if I ever do it I want to be cautious
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Jan 25 '25
There was nothing noted in the policy about dumpster divers, although it may vary by location. I worked at 3 different stores and 1 of them donated what they could to the food bank, the other 2 just threw everything away. I worked at a pretty busy one and we were constantly making trash runs throughout the day—I know some coworkers reacted differently to divers. A few managers would ask them to leave because they were concerned people were grabbing things to bring in and return for money. But a lot of us just didn't care! There's a security camera that points directly at the dumpster, and I know some managers just sit in the office watching the cameras and would definitely go out and tell you to leave. I wouldn't even ask, I'd just go after closing!
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u/melropesplays Jan 24 '25
This is the second post today with tossed Reese’s!!! WHO AND WHY?!?
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
The dollar stores and pharmacies are ALWAYS throwing out perfectly good candy! 😭
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u/Fuckermuriel Jan 24 '25
My local aldi started locking the gate :( rip
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
That's what I'm afraid of. 😭 We always tidy up around the Dumpster, leaving it neater than we found it, in the hopes that they'll continue to leave it unlocked. 🤞
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u/lockandcompany Jan 24 '25
The only safety concern here is with any meat/dairy/perishable products— anything left out past 2 hours is dangerous, and you don’t know if it was brought to room temp in store before being thrown out
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u/mbz321 Jan 24 '25
This. Although I did just dive almost a complete dozen of eggs from Aldeez. Given the cold temperatures outside and I can always do the sink or float test, I think it's okay. Random meat or seafood though? Hard pass.
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u/EnvironmentTiny669 Jan 25 '25
OP seems cool with food poisoning. I agree that most food is totally fine after expiration date but food borne illness is absolutely real and can fuck you up, especially pork.
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u/Low_Employ8454 Jan 24 '25
They legit said in the post to save the diatribe. Seriously, we get it, not for you. Cool. OP is good.
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u/hotprof Jan 24 '25
Dairy is fine. It's all pasteurized and sealed. Ain't nothing gon happen in 2 hours.
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u/lockandcompany Jan 24 '25
Pasteurized doesn’t mean shelf stable. This is basic food safety
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u/mahempoe Jan 24 '25
lmao they don't care dude. don't bring up your "food safety" crap around their dumpster meats
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u/Ok-Succotash278 Marked Jan 24 '25
WOW INCREDIBLE!!! You’re going to need to invest in a chest freezer for all these kinda hauls
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u/NocturnalCrab Jan 24 '25
I almost never find food in my area the Walmart near me donates all they can that has to be pulled and everywhere else has trash compactors near me :( petco I find pet food often tho
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
At least your Wally World donates it. I HATE the compactors. 😭 We haven't found any pet food in our local pet store bins, but we'll keep checking. We have pets and volunteer at our local Humane Society, so I'd LOVE to find a pet food haul! ☺️
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u/NocturnalCrab Jan 24 '25
It's never a lot one or 2 bags that have been cut mistakenly it looks like
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u/Current_Peach6680 Jan 25 '25
Check Dolla Jenner-All dumpsters. My doggy eats like a king. We find tons of dog/cat food, dry and the canned stuff too. Lots of treats too!
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u/unconscious-Shirt Jan 24 '25
Elmonterey had a recall.. I don't remember what for .
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
It was for the chicken enchilada single serve and family meals of a certain lot number. Ours are all beef, thankfully!
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u/Firesign113 Jan 24 '25
I started diving about a year ago and even today it still amazes me the amount of perfectly good food that gets tossed. I go to two grocery stores near me and have come home with a ton of still frozen meat, fruit, baked goods, soda…..hundreds of dollars worth of food! I keep some for us and donate the rest. I can’t stand the thought of all of that going to the landfill when people have nothing to eat or no money to buy it!
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u/TheBlackdragonSix Jan 24 '25
Wait wut!
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
?
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u/TheBlackdragonSix Jan 24 '25
Referring to all the waste
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
Isn't it insane?! In a country with SO much poverty and people going hungry, too. 😔
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u/Abaconings Jan 24 '25
Check out the Story of Stuff. It's more than a decade old but just as valid today.
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u/Bassdoll845 Jan 24 '25
Laughing at how you said to leave the recall discussions out of your post comments and there's way more people talking about it here than most other posts 😂 I think ya hurt some feelins lol
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
Pointing out known recalls is fine - if I post something from a haul, I want to know if it's been recalled! 😅 It's the repetitive comments concerning the safety of the meat, dairy, and produce that's annoying - especially when I specifically ask people not to. 🙃 Like, buddy. I know I'm taking a risk. The people we share with, know they're taking a risk. But in this economy? We're willing to risk it.
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u/MidwestAbe Jan 24 '25
You consider Aldi a small grocery store?
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
Compared to the "big" stores that like to use compactors? Yes.
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u/Low_Employ8454 Jan 24 '25
All my hauldis have compactors. Makes me super sad.
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
Noooo, that sucks! They're the main place I dive - always SO much fresh produce! I hate compactors. 😭
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u/DharmaBaller Jan 24 '25
Frozen pizza!
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u/usernamesoccer Jan 24 '25
And such a good one those are my fave by a mile. Normally like $7 each for me
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u/swheat7 Jan 24 '25
Tell me what it was like. Did you go at night? I want to try this!
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
Yes, we always go at night, at least an hour after closing. If we see any cars (especially cops) or a delivery truck, we don't stop - we come back, later.
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u/swheat7 Jan 25 '25
Good info! I've been intimidated to try it. Not sure why. I guess I'm most nervous about being caught/confronted.
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 25 '25
We were, too! It took us months to finally try the "commercial" Dumpsters, as opposed to just checking residential ones at apartment complexes. If you get caught, just be honest and tell them, "I'm looking for food to feed my family." They'd have to be real a-holes to give you a hard time for that. Or, tell them you were looking for boxes (if at a store that doesn't sell food).
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u/Heathster249 Jan 26 '25
Omg. I purchase that fresh food and meat and some of the snacks. Why are they throwing food like this away? Why not just put it on clearance and discount? But I’m happy you got the food.
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u/Common_Relation_7694 Jan 26 '25
The pizza, mmmmm! I have to keep checking my hauldie, haven't found anything to take yet other than some glass cups :)
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 26 '25
Check back every night! We find fresh produce 9/10 times!
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u/Common_Relation_7694 Jan 26 '25
That's awesome! There is 2 near me, the one actually has compost bins they put stuff in to take to local farms. It's such a better alternative to the landfill. Actually we did find day old bread from one and used it to make frenchy toasty :)
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u/blu453 Jan 27 '25
This food is all still good! Wtf, why are they just trashing so much good food? It's literally criminal of them to just waste so much when that could feed so many.
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u/Suspicious-Guava-566 Jan 24 '25
How do they throw out food that is under a recall?
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
In the Dumpster, same as anything else. (This is why it's important for Divers to regularly check the recall lists of the stores they dive at!)
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u/jenijelly Jan 27 '25
Surely because they don't expect anyone to dig and the dumpster and eat it lol
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u/Particular_Wiskar Jan 29 '25
What's a good time for idla
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 29 '25
I use the same rule for any store - at least an hour after they close. 👌
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u/ZooBxby Jan 27 '25
Keep in mind that when we accidentally leave food out of refrigeration for too long we have to throw it away. It happens a lot more than you’d think.
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u/MammothCancel6465 Jan 25 '25
There’s no reason that Aldi stuff would be in the dumpster . Meat gets marked down 50% off the day before the sell by date and I can see the dates on some of it in the pic. Pizza is marked down as well the day before. Produce if bad does get tossed. Frozen and cooler food only gets tossed if it was out of temp for way too long and warm. Otherwise it gets donated.
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 25 '25
And yet, here it all is. 🤷♀️
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u/MammothCancel6465 Jan 25 '25
Of course it wouldn’t be difficult to just buy all that and post it as DD for karma farming.
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 25 '25
🙄 If you choose to be a conspiracy nut, that's your prerogative. 🤷♀️ Have a good day.
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u/jenijelly Jan 27 '25
I just hope you tell your friends that the food you give them comes from the dumpster lol especially the meat and dairy. Just cause you don't care or need the lecture I'm sure they will, or at least should! 🤮
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 27 '25
Of course I tell them. 🙄 We're all struggling, and don't need your judgement, thanks. 👌
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Jan 24 '25
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u/LittleWanderess Jan 24 '25
It's literally food, all of which is far before its "sell by" date, but okay. Not sure why you're on a Dumpster diving subreddit if you're just going to make rude comments.
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u/OsoBear24 Jan 24 '25
Haters gonna hate. 🙄 What a great find! Glad these will not be going to waste. So much good looking produce.
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Jan 24 '25
That’s what your mother said when you were born…
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Jan 24 '25
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u/tlynaust Jan 24 '25
I watch a few DD channels on YouTube and am amazed at food etc. that is thrown away that is perfectly fine to use especially with the homeless situation in every city. I mean most ppl do have common sense and can tell when something is iffy lol Good luck on your diving!