She Hasn’t Purchased Groceries in 4 Years–All Her Food Comes From Dumpsters Behind Supermarkets–LOOK

A woman has found a positive side to the problem of food waste—and now gets all her groceries for free from supermarket dumpsters.

Sofie Juel-Andersen began her dumpster diving saga while living in Sydney, Australia, taking only fresh produce from designated bins, but soon realized she could find everything she needs.

“My sister sent me a photo of some hidden treasures she’d found dumpster diving. I knew about it, but I’d never seen it as an option to put food on the table.”

She went with a friend to scout some supermarket bins around Sydney and was instantly converted. They found a lot of veggies, and even though the 30-year-old has always been able to afford food, she realized this could be a very cost-effective way to fill her shelves at home.

“It was always supermarket dumpsters,” she explained. “Never in the back of restaurants or private homes (because depending on where you live, it could actually be illegal to do that).”

“What I found was insane. It was filled with food—some of it had expired, but a lot hadn’t.

“It was like a treasure hunt for me. I quickly realized that there was so much good food in the dumpsters, I didn’t need to go shopping anymore.” (See for yourself in the video below…)

“There would literally be two dumpsters in the back of a supermarket filled with packaged food, like whole chickens, frozen pizzas, and drinks. We once found 300 cans of Diet Coke still in their boxes and saw an entire box of kombucha bottles which had been thrown out because one of them was damaged.”

“Mainly, though, it’s usually food which expired one or two days ago.”

Sofie carried on dumpster diving when she moved back to Denmark in 2022 and over the past four years, the Danish woman has only bought household items such as toilet paper, dish soap, and toothpaste, at the grocery store—last year spending just $100 in supermarkets.

By sourcing her food from the piles designated for a landfill, Sofie saves thousands of dollars annually and has used that cash to travel the world.

“The money I have saved allows me the freedom to travel. I spent a lot of my money on visiting friends around the world,” the restaurant manager told SWNS news.

Over the last four years Sofie has been to Kenya, Argentina, Italy, Spain, and Dubai.

“It allows me the freedom to work less, too. I only work three days-a-week. Dumpster diving allows me the freedom to spend more on the things I love.”

LOOK AT HER FREE STUFF: She Finds Thousands in New Christmas Gifts and Decor After the Holidays in the Dumpsters Behind Big Stores

Sofie loves dumpster diving so much that she even got her family involved—including her parents, siblings, cousins, and grandparents—and when they go on holidays, they dumpster dive as a family.

“My friends and colleagues in Sydney thought it was super gross and just didn’t understand, but when I showed them the photos and videos from my Instagram, they were blown away. They said it was just like food they’d buy at the supermarket!”

She visits her favorite dumpsters either a few times per week or every two weeks, because she finds so much. “My fridge is always full.”

Sofie said her food-rescue mission has evolved from a treasure hunt to ‘everyday activism’. “I want to create awareness about food waste, but also about how we view food and how it can still be good even though the date has expired or the vegetable has a bump on it.”

Sofie’s top tips for first-time dumpster divers:

1. In the beginning, it might be nice to take a friend with you
2. Check the law first to see if dumpster diving is illegal in your area
3. You may not always strike gold the first time–but keep going
4. Always bring wet wipes and sanitizer to keep yourself clean
5. Be kind and respectful to employees who may ask you to leave
6. If you find a big stash of the same item, share it—you never know who really needs it…

SHARE THE IDEA WITH FRIENDS–And Arrange a Dumpster Date–On Social Media