On Dumpster Diving Summary

Author Lars Eighner describes his own experience as a homeless person travel with his dog, Lizbeth, from place to place in the article named “On Dumpster Diving”. He defines himself as a scavenger to separate from the rest of the general diving scavengers who simply picked everything out of the dumpsters. He begins Dumpster diving a year before he became homeless. As he is running out of his saving money where he spent most of it on rent, he has to depend on the Dumpster to gather all of his life necessities such as food, toilet paper, medicine, books, and furniture.

Even though he can live a “comfortable consumer life”, he would rather being a scavenger where he learned a lot of experience in distinguishing on what was safe to eat and what is not. Author is stating the three steps to go through: the common sense, knowing the Dumpsters and checking it daily. He also mentions that in the process of evaluating

However, he says from time to time he would able to find somewhat reasonable amount of beef in good condition. Even though he is very careful in his collection of foods, he is still get stomach age once a month. Therefore, he also stays away from ethnic foods. He mentions the area where he loitered has a lot of rich college students’ dome. These students throw out a lot of goods including good foods such as half a jar of peanut butter, yogurt, cheese, sour cream and canned goods. Most of these foods are thrown away because it comes to near expiration date or slightly imperfection. He also mentions that they seem to throw out everything between their moves or at the end of their semesters. During those times, he also finds some drugs, alcohol, wine and pornography. He expresses that in general people throw away things that is perfectly good and still has some of its values; however, he says he only get things that he needs