Dumpster Diving: Living a Minimalist Student Life - Dipesh Dulal

Living a minimalist life has been the agenda of many eco-conscious people around the world. Dumpster diving can be a good opportunity in the minimalist movement. Some proponents may say this can be an adventure towards sustainability. However, at least, dumpster diving can serve as a resourceful learning opportunity for the eager ones.

We collected various edibles and in good condition.

Nordic countries are considered to be the most pristine areas of the world. However, there is way more to do with the consumeristic lifestyles, especially of the city-dwellers. The problem here is, people throw goods, a lot of goods.

I used to collect drink cans and bottles while I walked by the road, streets or alleys. These could be exchanged for a coupon that could be used to avail cash or buy the grocery at grocery stores. Doing so, I survived non-EU student poverty and also got a sense of being an agent of change.

While collecting the cans and bottles from bins or some table tops, I naturally feel embarrassed when someone stares at me. I internalize that they might be judging me as something. Not being liked to be judged just on the basis of being observed as a can-picker, I tend to shy away from such behavior even though I see cans/bottles lying somewhere. However, I turn the tide otherwise, not shying away when people stared at me while picking the cans. If they could do same, it would already be nice for the recycling purpose.

Now, let me come to the main story of this blog. I had not heard the term dumpster diving before I started my studies in Finland. I had read a newspaper article in my home country where a writer shared her story of scavenging for food in trash bins in Norway. She mentioned that she learned that from a Norwegian colleague of hers. The Norwegian lady seemed to be habituated in doing so.

During a class at the university, I heard this term for the first time from Katey (pseudonym) - a cheerful colleague from the same programme. She shared her story of being an active dumpster diver. She later planned to do research work on dumpster diving itself and asked interested students from the university to take part in her campaign. Though she regularly does dumpster diving, we went with her on a few occasions only.

We checked both date of expiry and the quality of the content.

To my surprise, we found several edible things, cutlery, clothes, and kitchen appliances in the trash bins. I wouldn’t throw this– remarked one of the participants. I thought the same.

The comrades in dumpster diving used to share a lot of experiences, mostly for the research processes. I got a working PC-mouse as a gift from Katey. You know what? I actually needed a PC mouse to use and she had retrieved this from a dumpster.

First, I would like to salute the gutsy girl from my university. She may encounter many unsafe and/or difficult situations when she dumpster-dives. I have observed her as truly in affinity to nature, and all environmental elements which are in their purest forms. She even collects litter from the ground and puts it into the right bins.

We also used eyes and nose to determine the quality of the food retrieved.

I and other participants of the dumpster diving campaign reflected on ourselves and oriented ourselves more towards living a minimalistic lifestyle, regardless of where we live in the future. Katey added to our courage. Saludo Camarada!