Germany: Dumpster diving for food is considered theft

[Independent voter]

Dumpster diving for food is considered theft in Germany, even if others have thrown the food away. The city of Hamburg wants Germany to decriminalize the act and prohibit supermarkets from throwing out food.

Under German law, it is a criminal offense to take food from garbage bins outside grocery stores and factories, even if the food has been thrown away because the optimum sell-by date has expired or there are pressure marks in the food.

The disposed of food is legally classified as "foreign movable property" — a label it surrenders it only during garbage removal. That makes taking food from garbage bins theft.

Till Steffen, Hamburg's senator for justice, believes people who take discarded food from garbage bins should no longer be punished, according to reports from German newspapers Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung and Pinneberger Tageblatt.

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-hambur...ing/a-48993508

Do you think Germany should legalize dumpster diving?

[Nerska123]

Do you think Germany should legalize dumpster diving?

I actually wonder if anyone ever pressured charges against dumpster divers? That would be so rep damaging if got public ;D

[Machismo]

It's considered theft in a lot of cities int his country (as well as trespassing).

[Cerilis]

I actually wonder if anyone ever pressured charges against dumpster divers? That would be so rep damaging if got public ;D

It did happen fairly recently. Let me check for a source... meh, not finding an english one.

[enigma77]

Seems rather ridicilous.

What you throw away to rot doesn't belong to you anymore in my book.

[Kralljin]

Yes, because i learned it at a Mike Andrews Seminar and want to use my learned skills without the goverment interfering.

[Kyphael]

It's fucking stupid they consider it illegal. I'm seriously taken aback.

"He stole my garbage!"

I'd be happy and the garbage men should too, the "thief" is doing their job!

[Sangris]

Yes, it's been like this for a while here. I think I once heard about a case where a woman that worked at a restaurant wanted to take food from the dumpster for her family and got fired for theft from the workplace.

[Pooti]

From my understanding, in the US, items you put into your garbage can are your personal property until picked up by official trash collectors. Businesses do not generally want dumpsters rooted through for 2-fold reasons. The persons going through the trash are usually not respectful for keeping the area that the business is responsible for clean. Also, there is the possibility for abstract legal problems if a person is hurt on the businesses property, either through hurting themselves physically while rummaging or by ingesting something they should not. None of this though could relate to Germany and their property laws.

[xenogear3]

The problem is that dumpster divers are looking for your bank statement, tax return, etc.

[Lochton]

Do you think Germany should legalize dumpster diving?

Well, technically, it is theft in every country (Both going for food, and information). Instead, companies should reduce their waste production of useable food by either donating to Food banks or joining a 'Food network' which can display what and where there is food to find.

[lonely zergling]

Dont steal yo.

[FuxieDK]

Do you think Germany should legalize dumpster diving?

It's theft is all countries that haven't active decrimilized it.

You enter a companys area and remove something, that youy haven't paid for: THEFT!

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I actually wonder if anyone ever pressured charges against dumpster divers? That would be so rep damaging if got public ;D

Pretty sure, cases are made here in Denmark... No repuration damage so far.

[Donald Hellscream]

Well if the food is locked away in a container behind a fence then not only is it theft its also trespassing.

I do think dumpster diving for food should be legal, of course if people get sick from eating the scavenged food then the store obviously shouldn't be held accountable.

[horbindr]

pretty sure stealing garbage is illegal in many places. in particular if it's stolen from private property instead of public streets, which is generally always the case with stores.

but if there is no damage done, and no mess made, you would have to be a pretty big jerk to prosecute someone for stealing food from garbage.

[Skulltaker]

The problem is that dumpster divers are looking for your bank statement, tax return, etc.

No, people raid dumpsters from supermarkets etc for sealed food containers, since supermarkets throw literally bins full of perfectly good food away simply because it expired, which doesn't mean much.

Sounds like a law specifically targeting and oppressing poor homeless people.

Really what is the damage done that this law is supposed to prevent? The annoyance of people as others are trying desperately just to eat?

It's not a law that is made. It's simply theft, nothing else. The content of your trash bin is yours until whoever collects your garbage does so, at which point the company that does so is the rightful owner.

Whether you press charges or not is up to you. Private individuals usually don't, but companies, on the other hand, do, and since they usually have cameras on site they have it a lot easier to make a case.

Several companies have started to bring food that would otherwise be thrown out to organizations that distribute them among the needy; it has become mandatory in France. And I agree that throwing away food in bulk should be illegal.

[Super Kami Dende]

Much of the reason it is considered theft is because the repercussions that can come along with it. People getting Ill from expired food, suing companies for Food Poisoning and such. Thus the sole ownership of said material is the Companies until it is officially disposed of. Since People will be unable to sue a company for negligence as a result of food poisoning if the Food is still technically owned by the Company and can be proven as stolen.

But as usual People are too caught up in their Emotions of "MUH POOR PEOPLES!" to understand the simple logic.

[Varitok]

It's fucking stupid they consider it illegal. I'm seriously taken aback.

"He stole my garbage!"

I'd be happy and the garbage men should too, the "thief" is doing their job!

It's probably something to do with the perception of your store. A lot of people would be turned off if you see a bunch of homeless people eating 3 day old pizza out of the bin next to the store. That's the point I think it's making even though I think it's fucking stupid too.

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Much of the reason it is considered theft is because the repercussions that can come along with it. People getting Ill from expired food, suing companies for Food Poisoning and such. Thus the sole ownership of said material is the Companies until it is officially disposed of. Since People will be unable to sue a company for negligence as a result of food poisoning if the Food is still technically owned by the Company and can be proven as stolen.

But as usual People are too caught up in their Emotions of "MUH POOR PEOPLES!" to understand the simple logic.

No one can claim food poisoning off of food found in a trash can. Where do you get that reasoning from? Point me to one case of this happening or attempting to be done.

[mojojojo202]

Much of the reason it is considered theft is because the repercussions that can come along with it. People getting Ill from expired food, suing companies for Food Poisoning and such. Thus the sole ownership of said material is the Companies until it is officially disposed of. Since People will be unable to sue a company for negligence as a result of food poisoning if the Food is still technically owned by the Company and can be proven as stolen.

But as usual People are too caught up in their Emotions of "MUH POOR PEOPLES!" to understand the simple logic.

The reason why they throw it away and consider it theft for it to be taken is to protect the supermarket's profits. Afterall, if you know you can get food from the bin, why would you bother going into the shop to buy it?


The supermarket where I live used to poor bleach and other toxic chemicals in their bins to stop people eating the food.

[lonely zergling]

We need to stop throwing away food just because the "best before" date is reached. So many good food gets thrown away for nothing.