Q & A: Diving into a FoCo Dumpster Diver’s Experience

Collin Jones is currently a senior at Colorado State University. His major, Soil and Crop Science, and minor, Soil Conservation and Restoration, has not only inspired him to pursue developing a local composting business after graduation, but also has informed him about the issue of food waste occurring at grocery stores.

To help eliminate some food waste from the system, as well as save money, Jones dumpster dives to provide food for himself. His main food source was the dumpsters at Safeway on College Ave. However, now that the buisness is closed he has had to change locations.

Wienkers: What pursued you to try out dumpster diving for the first time?

Jones: “I do not really know what got into my head, but one day I thought; ‘why not go and try dumpster diving out?’ My first experience was towards the end of the year when freshmen were moving out of the dorms. They threw away a lot of things, including clothes, into those large dumpsters. From this particular dumpster diving experience I was able to find a pair of Timberland shoes. Obviously my great find intrigued me to go back the next day to see what else I could get.

Wienkers: After finding the shoes, was there anything else that intrigued you to continue?

Jones: Yes, when I was going through the dorm’s dumpsters I also came across Nathan, who was also dumpster diving. During a conversation we had, I remember Nathan saying, ‘I don’t buy food anymore.’ When Nathan mentioned this, I was immediately intrigued — at least at the idea of trying dumpster diving out again. After Nathan took me to all the good diving spots, I knew this was a lifestyle I would pursue. Now, 2.5 years later, I still dumpster dive.”

“It is funny how it worked out. Meeting [Nathan] led me into a deeper world of dumpster diving.”

Wienkers: Can you give an example of how it led you into a deeper world?

Jones: “Dumpster diving became a part of my everyday schedule. At least when Safeway was in business, I would go through their dumpster twice a day — once on the way to school, and once on the way back. This store was the only place you could go through their dumpster during the day. To dumpster dive at other stores you need to go their during the night.”

“However, there was one afternoon at Safeway when I was chocked out over a bag of spinach.”

Jones: “Usually, most employees at Safeway do not care if you are there. I usually just leave and come back later once they have gone back inside. But once, this one security guard saw me looking through the dumpster and asked me to leave — which I did. However, he wanted me to put back the bag of spinach as well as a few other finds I got from the dumpster, which I was reluctant to do. However, after he grabbed my backpack, then grabbed my shoulder all while screaming his head off at me, I knew I had to leave the food. He finally let me go, and I left, but I decided to call into the store manager and report to them what had happened.

“I later went back to grab my spinach.”

Wienkers: Other than crazy instances like this, do you enjoy the process of dumpster diving? Or, do you find it to be more of a chore?

Jones: “It is a chore, but also exciting and addicting because you never know what you are going to find. Sometimes, you don’t find anything, other times you find a lot. I once found thousands of dollars worth of pistachios solely because their sell by dates deemed them expired. However, sell by dates are arbitrary, and is the reason for so much food waste from grocery stores.”

Wienkers: What happens if you have a craving, or are missing an ingredient for your meal that you cannot find in a dumpster?

Jones: “If I cannot find something in a dumpster, I will go out and buy it. Recently I got 30 dozen eggs and I thought, ‘What the f*** am I going to do with all these eggs?’ I then looked up a pickled egg recipe, which required me to go out and buy ingredients. This also happens when a grocery store throws out a lot of avocados. I will then make guacamole, but go and purchase chips.”

Wienkers: What are your favorite things to find in the dumpster?

Jones: “My favorite food to find in the dumpster is smoked fish, like lox. It is a rare food to find, but when they throw it out, there is usually a bunch of it.”

“There is no way I could afford the way I eat if I didn’t dumpster dive, considering I eating steak dinners frequently.”

Jones: “My chances to find food I am looking for increased because I knew the pattern which Safeway threw out their food. They are very regular, unlike most other grocery stores I dive at. In the morning they throw out dairy, in the afternoon they throw out meat and produce, and at night they throw out things from the deli. At the later hours of the night is when they throw out the weird stuff, like packaged goods.”

Wienkers: Considering you are able to find such a balanced meal in dumpsters, do you plan on continung to dumpster dive in the years to come?

Jones: “Yes, considering in the past two and a half years a high estimate I have paid for food, including going out to eat, is 500 dollars, I have good reason to continue. Also, my friend is a filmmaker and we plan on making a documentary on dumpster diving and food waste. Using my experience as a dumpster diver and combining it with information from food waste experts and mangers of grocery stores, we hope to inform individuals about this important issue.”

Jones hopes this documentary will come out sometime next year, however, in the mean time he leaves everyone with some tips for dumpster diving — just in case this spurred any interest.

1. “Do not make a mess — only crazy homeless people who ask for PCP make a mess”, said Jones.
2. “Use one of those tools you use to pick up trash with so you don’t have to go through all the nasty stuff.”