I went dumpster diving for the first time with two friends in Norman, Oklahoma tonight. My skepticism was at an all time high about the hygiene factor and general lawfulness. However, I was totally shocked to find that not only was it bountiful, effective and promoting sustainability, but it is also not illegal (unless you're trespassing or breaking locks) as of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 1988. My impression was that we were going to be crawling through green ooze that might turn us into mutant amphibian superheroes, but it was pretty darn clean, and I didn't mess up any of my clothes or carry out any lingering scents. I think that the "trash" gets put in regularly and hauled off quite often, so it's really just a big metal (albeit kinda rusty) storage container. There certainly were unusable food items, but we found totally decent avocados, tomatoes, eggs, yogurt, and many fully sealed, packed products just a few days past their expiration date. The haul was so big, my friends donated a substantial portion of it. My impression is this is a great way to reduce food waste - you just need to wash and/or cook what you get very thoroughly, and, boom, you're good to go. Go for stuff in packages or produce on top of the pile. Don't be stupid - not everything is usable - but otherwise shop as you normally would. I had a blast and felt good about the extra food and packaging that wouldn't have to be made on our account. Moral of the story: Don't fear the dumpster. Reduce food waste. Save lots of money. Reduce your carbon footprint. (And get some unconventional night exercise to boot!)
