About
I currently live in Brooklyn, NY.
I’m a writer and teach SAT prep.
I’ve been to over 20 countries.
I’ve biked across America and Europe.
I play guitar, banjo, and piano.
Feel free to contact me at allisonburtch@gmail.com
I currently live in Brooklyn, NY.
I’m a writer and teach SAT prep.
I’ve been to over 20 countries.
I’ve biked across America and Europe.
I play guitar, banjo, and piano.
Feel free to contact me at allisonburtch@gmail.com
I found your site after the AOL article and I cannot believe my eyes. My husband works as a chef and I can only imagine how much food they throw away. I will be telling him ASAP that they need to donate that food instead. All of the food in your photos looks perfect I do not even understand why someone would throw all of that away? Now every time I toss something I will be making sure it really needs to be tossed, or if there is someone out there who could use it. Thanks so much, this has really opened my eyes.
Jackie, VT
I LOVE THIS GURL…….I SOON TO WOULD LOOK IN THAT SPOT FOR DUMPSTA DIVING……SOUNDS FUN……WOW…..I DO OTHER PLACES BUT NOT IN MY WILDEST DREAMSSSS GURL……I LUV U 4 THIS…….N IM TALKNIN REALLY LOOOUUDDDDD..
I think it is great what you are doing. If I knew that my family ( husband and 2 children) would eat what I found in the dumpster I would do it too. We do however go beyond the date on the package. I trust my nose. If still smells and tastes fine, we are going to eat, drink, or use it. Good luck on future dives.
If you go into any given store that throws stuff away at the end of the night (bread is the #1 item I see on the curb) then you could talk to the employees whose job it is to throw the stuff out and work out an arrangement to meet them at the back door so you don’t have to risk anything getting ruined because it was mixed with a dirty napkin or anything like that. I actually did that not too long ago with this bagel shop who ALWAYS threw away bagels at the end of the night. I would stop by at the same time every night (usually around 7:45) and they’d give me what they couldn’t sell and I’d throw a couple of quarters in the tip jar and I wouldn’t worry about sifting. It doesn’t take much courage at all either, because most employees themselves aren’t comfortable with throwing away food at the end of the night. Have you tried it?
Some stores don’t like this because it means they won’t buy food during the day D:
Well, I have never really thought anything of food being thrown away. I have always known about that places do this, but I never knew that it was perfectly fine food. I was amazed when I watched the video on AOL, so I decided to check this out. I hope you do well in future dives.
Used to go DD all the time when I was younger and traveled with the Greatful dead….I guess I’ve become like the rest of the almost yuppies and now order my oprgainic food from fresh direct. Not that I can afford it, but I do it anyway.
Speaking of, the FRESH DIRECT dumpster out on Long Island is most likely a mecca! You should check it out, I’m sure it would be worth the drive.
Would love to see a “how to” posting for people who may have never thought of this concept before.
A “how to” video? – you go behind a store, find their dumpster and look inside. If you see anything you want, take it!
Saw your thingy on AOL regarding dumpster diving. I love you ! We are like minded. I have never tried that level of diving but I have done that sort of thing all of my life. My friends laugh at me and say I was “Green” before there was a green. I say I am a child of depression era parents. I’ll let you know how it works out. Thanks for the inspiration.
Why is it necessary to state they were white guys? If you feel that adds to the fact you did not like them for there actions I am inclined to say that is offensive. I am sure it would be considered racist if they had not been white men.
As a white male conservative I can honestly say I do not like waste and it does bother me when waste is a defining characteristic of anyone. Nobody should feel idealism is a cornerstone of any specific group and I hope that point resonates.
Would like to know of any divers in birmingham, al.
This is a wonderful cause and can be implemented even here in Europe.I like the idea:Instead of seeing shortage=>see reconservation and redistribution.Well Done & keep On,keeping On!
WOW. I am stunned. I gotta find out if diving is legal in Seattle cause Trader Joes is one of my favorites… Wow, I wouldn’t have believed this without watching your video and seeing the pictures! C A N N O T believe it!
Boy, I’d love to find some like minded people in Northern NJ. Is there a way to find a club or people that DD?
I have been diving since I was a kid in Minneapolis in the early 1970′s. I’ve found a lot of interesting things over the years, and I’ve made a few bucks re-selling some of the things I’ve recovered.
While I don’t dive specifically for food, I have often taken home food items that I’ve come across while looking for other treasures.
I sometimes took my kids with me on my “rounds” of my favorite dumpsters. My two boys were fine with it, but my daughter couldn’t understand why I would do this when we weren’t hurting financially and could buy new things.
My daughter moved out when she turned 18, and moved in with her boyfriend, who had his own house. He had a decent job doing landscaping and excavation work, and she worked part time at a diner. They were doing okay until they both lost their jobs in 2008 due to the bad economy. When they lost the house to foreclosure, they borrowed $3000 from me to buy a used RV with a leaky roof, which they parked on his parent’s property. They managed to stay warm through the long Minnesota winter, and managed to get by on a few odd jobs and a few bucks from me once in a while.
Now they’re both working again, and they moved out of the leaky land barge and into a warm apartment. Last week, when she was at our house using our washer and dryer, my daughter confessed that when they were in the RV, they got most of their groceries from dumpsters, and they even made a few bucks selling some of the stuff they found on Craigslist. She gave me a big hug and a kiss, and said “thanks for teaching me how to survive.” That was the best “father-daughter moment” I’ve had yet!
It’s refreshing to find somebody else who’s screaming “The Emperor isn’t wearing any clothes!”.
What is amazing to me, is how many people find this a novel idea – like only bums should pick trash.
I belong to a non-profit group, and by utiliizing other’s waste, I can “donate” more of my time to my cause, rather than feeding the “consumer monster”, working overtime to pay for an insatiable appetite that is gripping most American citizens.
Hundreds of thousands of people work at retail outlets in America, obeying corporate orders out of fear of losing their jobs. These minimum wage-earning peans are throwing away products they could probably really use.
My mother and father grew up poor and they taught my sister and I not to waste. We couldn’t throw away an apple until we had properly eaten all the flesh from the core. Today my family continues to benefit from the refuse of others and continues to be disgusted by the cavalier attitudes of the “powers that be” who perpetuate this outrage! Arresting someone for stealing your trash ought to be illegal. I suppose if you’re kicked out of a dumpster and you don’t go they could get you for trespassing.
Oh well, You go girl!