Diving into shadow places: dumpster diving, food waste, and care

Abstract

Food waste is increasingly understood as a problem–headline-snatching estimates suggest that nearly a fifth of today’s food is discarded at the consumption end of the food system. Building on recent research that complicates the narrative of a ‘food waste problem’, this paper investigates the experiences of dumpster divers in Naarm/Melbourne (Australia). Like other shadow places, dumpster places are neglected, hidden away, and meant to be forgotten; however, divers demonstrate a ‘living with’ food waste as part of urban life. Drawing on interviews, participant observation, and collaborative zine-making, we detail how divers engage with ‘waste’ in, around, and beyond the bin. Dumpster diving ..