The Art of Dumpster Diving

A once homeless man, Lars Eighner, formerly wandered the streets and learned to master the art of scavenging and enlightens us with the proper etiquette and techniques that he discovered in his essay, “On Dumpster Diving.”

Eighner tells us how to interpret if something scrounged from the pits of a dumpster is edible or not. Most of the determination process simply involves your common sense and the use of your eyes to see whether or not an item of food is contaminated in any fashion. He began figuring out over time which places contained the richest dumpsters and where to go if he needed any items in particular. Despite his caution and watchful eye along with the help of his dog Lizbeth’s heightened senses, there would still be times when all six of Eighner’s senses (the sixth being Lizbeth) would not work properly. About once a month he would get sick with dysentery, but he did not let keep him down.

He looked at items in ways a normal passerby would most likely not. He would frequently recycle things he found and turn them into gifts. The items he discovered in dumpsters often have a story to tell about the person who gave it up, but he tries to avoid making any sort of assumptions about them. He feels like it is a form of invasion on their privacy and because of that will tend to stay clear of household garbage cans. Also because while scavenging through the individual cans, it is near impossible to do without making a mess of yourself and the surrounding area.

There was nothing he hated more than can scroungers who consisted mostly of winos and drug addicts. They were self-seeking and would throw out and ruin many things that could have been beneficial to other scavengers. All in all, Lars Eighner had a good outlook on his life and ended up turning his circumstances into something positive. A trait we should all admire.