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Dumpster Diving

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ruyi:
Specifically, I'm referring to eating food that's been discarded but is still good. Apologies in advance if this has an ick factor for you.

My main question: is it wrong for me personally to do this?

Last night, I was waiting with my friend in front of a doughnut shop. (Why the hell is doughnut a typo, you guys.) We were waiting for fresh doughnuts because they are so warm and good! But the wait takes like two hours, so at one point I say aloud, "I'm hungry." Now, next to us is a fellow going through a trash can. He hears this and holds out a bag to me. "Want one?" There are two chocolate-glazed doughnuts inside.

After saying I'm really alright, he shouldn't give them to me if he wants them, and I'm waiting for fresh doughnuts besides, he still offers - so I accept one. After I take it, he leaves, and I mention to my friend that I've been thinking about dumpster diving. He argues that it would be wrong of me because I'd be doing so out of economic privilege. Homeless people do it because they have to, he says, and of course they would eat better food if they had the option. It is ethically wrong of me to do the same thing because of the fact that I have the choice not to. I'd be saving a few bucks, sure, but I'd just spend it on something more pointless than food. Ultimately, it would be kind of lame because it's similar to other ridiculous situations where privileged people feel guilty and try to make themselves suffer to compensate.

I argue that I just have a general tendency of wanting to avoid waste, especially food, and he believes it. I eat people's leftovers, I always finish my food, I try not to through things away, I avoid wasting energy, etc. I really feel that it isn't suffering for me to eat the occasional piece of food that's been discarded. Also, I wouldn't be doing it to be recognized. (Sorry, I suppose making this thread may partially negate that.)

What do you guys think? Is this being over-analyzed? Normally I suppose I'd just eat the food, but I'm not sure of what to say to the points my friend brought up.

jhocking:
Seems pretty ick, although I used to be known eating crazy shit so I guess I'm not one to talk.

Barmymoo:
I read an article about something similar recently. Some people were being sued by a supermarket for taking the food that was thrown away at the end of the day.

On the one hand, they were arguing that it was going to waste anyway. But on the other hand, if they had gone in and bought it then it wouldn't have been thrown away (and they could have afforded it). So by waiting until they could get it for free they were causing the supermarket to lose money on those products, meaning that the prices were put up in response. That meant that everything got more expensive and it wasn't very fair on the people who paid for their food.

So although I think that supermarkets throwing away unwanted food is a waste (why can't they give it to a soup kitchen, if it's still edible and not likely to make anyone ill?), I don't think that dumpster diving is morally right unless you have no other way to survive. And in an ideal world (well not totally ideal, because that would mean no poverty at all, but a better world anyway) there would be places where people with no money could go and get the food that the supermarkets couldn't sell.

Hope that was succinctly put, I feel like I've rambled a bit but you understand my meaning.

RedLion:

--- Quote from: Barmymoo on 15 Mar 2008, 14:46 ---CAPITALISM ROCKS!

--- End quote ---

ruyi:

--- Quote from: Barmymoo on 15 Mar 2008, 14:46 ---So although I think that supermarkets throwing away unwanted food is a waste (why can't they give it to a soup kitchen, if it's still edible and not likely to make anyone ill?), I don't think that dumpster diving is morally right unless you have no other way to survive. And in an ideal world (well not totally ideal, because that would mean no poverty at all, but a better world anyway) there would be places where people with no money could go and get the food that the supermarkets couldn't sell.

--- End quote ---

This doesn't account for the doughnut example. What do you say about the food people buy from restaurants and then throw away?

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