On Dumpster Diving By Lars Eighner

Waste Not, Want Not

Dumpster diving is a way of life for some, a hobby for others, and a disgust to most. The majority of society either scoffs at the sight of or turns a blind eye to someone rummaging through dumpsters. It isn’t where most people go to retrieve the essentials of life such as food or shoes. But there is a rather healthy percentage of our society who plunge ankle deep into another man’s trash looking for treasure. Many of those who go in search of valuables or food among the trash have noted that searching through the dumpsters at dorms and colleges reveal a surprising amount of perfectly edible food. This can place negative attributes on our nation’s population of college students. But, they aren’t the only ones to blame for

our nations spike in food waste problems and affairs.
In the article On Dumpster Diving by Lars Eighner, he describes his life after becoming homeless and how he provides for himself and his dog, Lizbeth.

He shares his knowledge on where to look, what to look for, and how to look for it. Closing time at local pizzerias would often yield Eighner a bounty of fresh pizzas. Whether it was from pranksters calling in fake orders or an error on a pizza’s toppings, among the trash was usually a healthy supply of uneaten, wasted pizzas. Due to their tendency to be careless when tossing out the contents of their refrigerators and pantries, Eighner also frequented dumpsters in the areas where college students lived in order to find provisions. College students can be in the habit of throwing everything out when the semester is over or in preparation for an upcoming holiday. Often the food tossed in with the trash is well within its expiration or sell by date, or have minor flaws. All of this waste is a welcome sight to people like Eighner who count on others to quickly lose sight of the value of things. This behavior is characteristic of a majority of society, where it has been engrained in people’s minds since childhood, the action of “out with the old, in with the new.” An example of this can been seen in technological advances, such as smart phones. Every few months it seems a newer model is released to the public, and without hesitation or consideration of the perfectly good phone in their possession they MUST acquire the new one.

This sudden devaluation is sadly even present when it comes to the staples and necessities of everyday life.
It is strange how numbers printed on a carton have more of an influence on people than their own God-given senses. A quick smell of the milk that is one day passed the expiration date can easily tell a person whether or not it should be discarded. Eighner gives a specific example of half a jar of nonorganic peanut butter being one of the common items thrown out by students. Peanut butter typically keeps well even when opened and unrefrigerated. Yet, this item is still discarded with the rest of the likely unspoiled food. College students are not in the minority, however. It is the norm to waste food in this manner, and not just the scraps from domestic dinner plates. College dining halls also typically waste huge numbers of meals every day; meals that could curb the hunger pangs of someone like Eighner. Restaurants and businesses are also guilty of this practice. Through research it has been shown that 1 in 6 people struggle to find their next meal. Given this fact alone, college students and everyone alike should be more conscientious regarding their wastefulness.
On the surface these students appear to be typical of their generation, exhibiting a level of self-absorption that isn’t surprising.

Their wasting of food is just another facet of college life, ranking up there with excessive partying. This may come from the newfound freedom of living on their own with their own set of rules, or it could be because there is no value in what they didn’t have to pay for themselves. Many college students rely on parents or other sources to pay their way through college, including footing the grocery bill. In situations like this where a young person doesn’t have an abundance of real world experiences, an undeniable chunk of appreciation is lost if work isn’t required to get something (like a stocked fridge) in return. Free things can void responsibility for many people and the consequences can have lasting effects no matter how minimal. In this case, food waste among colleges and their students has reached a point where it is no longer a choice to ignore. Studies have shown that the average college student contributes in excess of 140 pounds of food waste per year. That number is astounding and should be an indicator that a solution must be found for both the environment and its

inhabitants.
It can be easy to put the blame on the immaturity of young minds; however, food waste is a problem of all generations and economic classes. Eighner shares his pity for those millions of people whose hunger for materialistic things prevents them from living full lives because of the objects blocking their view of the world around them. But this materialism isn’t a problem contained to our nations young adults; It is a problem shared by everyone. The old proverbial saying, “waste not, want not” possesses so much wisdom in four simple words. Much like in the medical world, it is easier and more cost efficient to prevent than to diagnose and treat. That also goes to say that it benefits more than just the individual in the long run. The time and resources that could be saved if this concept were taught more often are absolutely invaluable.
Many organizations have been formed after the need of a more economical way of getting rid of leftover food had been recognized. Different colleges around the country have begun implementing programs which save and reduce the number of discarded meals in their dining halls. Meals which would have otherwise been tossed in the garbage have been, in essence, recycled and freely given to those with empty stomachs. However, few individualized programs have been established where the focus is on a more domestic, rather than institutional, level. Solutions to an individual’s food waste must come from the individuals themselves, and a desire to be more mindful of the value of the things they are lucky to possess.
In conclusion, this brand and level of waste among college students is alarming. In a generation where trends are set and generally followed, it seems reasonable to believe that positive gains in this aspect could be met. Our students cannot be blamed for what they do not see changing in their own world. Young people follow by example, and if the example set is one of a wasteful, materialistic lifestyle an undesirable outcome is predictable. Change is possible, and the most logical place to start is with those emerging into the real world and no longer sheltered under the wings of parents. But, this is not a burden they bear alone. College students are merely the squeaky wheel or whistleblower on a much broader issue. Gaining the ability to recognize the gravity of the issue, making the masses aware, and forming a feasible solution to nationwide food waste is where the focus should be. Lars Eighner was correct in his feeling of pity for those who fall on the spectrum between homelessness and extreme wealth. Somewhere between pure self-reliance and having the world at your fingertips the act of sustentation is lost and tossed away in the form of food in an overused landfill.