It’s almost 11pm when a white Mercedes van pulls off the main road and into an empty lane. This is a man’s strange way of getting groceries.
It’s approximately 10:45 pm on a Tuesday night in July when a large white Mercedes van veers off the main road and into an empty back lane.
For the driver, their goal is the back exit of a grocery store in modern west Sydney. Specifically, the industrial bin of two by one meters.
This is how William Smith *, 31, gets 75 percent of the food he eats, through container diving sessions two or three times a week.
“A woman who did it for financial reasons introduced me to container diving while I was living in Adelaide,” she tells news.com.au, on the condition of maintaining anonymity.
“I was impressed as much as I was witty and smart. I now have friends and we’re going to dive together in the container.”
Lift the diving lid with containers
In one night, Mr. Smith will visit two or three supermarket containers. It starts around 10.30pm, about half an hour after the supermarkets close and the staff clock runs out.
He has persisted despite Sydney’s rain spell, but tonight he has been given a getaway to the rain.
Well perfected in his routine, Mr. Smith approaches his first container of the night without hesitation.
Put on a pair of bright blue rubber gloves before opening the unlocked lid of the container.
“It makes me a little ashamed of gloves because most people don’t wear them,” he says, without joking at all.
Anticlimatically, one bag is filled with garbage from the warehouse, but another hides a large amount of bread of different shapes and sizes. Mr. Smith takes two loaves and keeps them in his reusable bag.
“Other people have given me confidence to pass the expiration date,” he says.
“If there is meat and the package is inflated, this is a sign that there are gases.
“I also smell things and wash everything to the point that it will be cleaner than what you would get in the store.”
There is also prepared meals in the bin, such as packets of brown rice and discounted curry, as well as a choice of roast chicken and vegetables.
Mr. Smith grabs three and leaves the rest behind.
“There are people who would take it all in, I’m just picky,” he says.
He later explains that he has a slightly sensitive stomach, which can be prone to minor ailments.
“I know people who far exceed expiration dates and go diving with containers most days, but they have no problem,” he adds.
Tonight, the star of the trip was a dozen packets of hot smoked ocean omelette and six packets of smoked salmon. All have at least five days before the expiration date, others have more than two weeks left.
However, all that shines is not gold when it comes to container diving.
“Sometimes, when there’s a lot of things updated, there can be a pollution issue or something,” Smith explains.
“I like to find things that aren’t updated in a couple of days, but I’ll go home and Google if there’s been a problem with that.”
“My budget should be gone”
For Mr. Smith, he says he is able to eat well by diving with containers and follows a relatively normal diet.
Eggs and bread are common finds, and although we only visited one container tonight (the presence of warehouse staff at a second larger supermarket prevented us from traveling), meat and vegetables will usually be taken home as well. .
“For me, I will not buy animal products because of the extreme cruelty involved in the industry,” he says.
Mr. Smith will also supplement his container transport with non-perishable commodities such as pasta, rice and some condiments, which he buys in the store.
For Mr Smith, 2022 was the first year he used container diving as his main method of obtaining food. He used to do it “from time to time.”
Despite earning income from various casual jobs through Uber Eats and trading in a sports bar, the rising cost of grocery prices was a major factor.
“If I spent that money on groceries, my budget would have disappeared. I’m just an individual, but I would have fucked up if I had a family or kids to support,” he says.
While this year has been fraught with supply chain problems and food shortages, grocery store containers and supermarkets have remained steady with recoverable cuts.
“All the divers I’ve talked to have said they haven’t realized the cost of living (which affects supply). They’re doing pretty well. “
“There was still a lot of waste.”
In Sydney, the container diving community is small but lively.
A popular Facebook group has over 4400 members. Users regularly share abundant runs of rescued food. The photos show packages of chocolate, bread and fresh produce coming out of the dining room tables. Offers to share, as well as messages asking for tips and location tips are frequent and are answered enthusiastically.
While the practice is niche, there are rules, Smith explains. Created by a “well-known” figure in Sydney’s container diving community, the rules say divers should be silent, leave containers and their surroundings clean and leave an area if instructed to do so. they do.
“If someone confronts me, I have to consider that if I’m rude to them, that’s reflected in all container divers,” he says.
Aside from supermarket bins, residential bins around apartment complexes can also be a source of high quality products.
“I went through a collection phase of things like suitcases and knife sets. Anything I could find, like little furniture and lights,” he says.
“You’d only put them on the Facebook Marketplace for $ 10 or $ 20. If you do that for 40 hours a week, maybe you could make between $ 500 and $ 600.”
While exploring them can be a miss venture success, that’s how he found one of his favorite items: a black waterproof jacket.
“Sometimes, when people move house, or if they’re going through a divorce, it will leave a lot of things useful.”
“Not a viable option for everyone”
For Mr Smith, while able to keep up with container diving, he says the practice is indicative of Australia’s biggest problem with poverty.
“Container diving is not a viable option for everyone,” he said.
“There are three million Australians living in poverty and that includes 731,000 children. This is what should be highlighted when it comes to container diving.
“Australians should press the government to create this change and lift people out of poverty and the only point people are asking for is for people with well-being to get out of poverty.
According to the Foodbank’s 2021 Hunger Report, one in six adults has not eaten enough in the past year, while 1.2 million children have gone hungry last year.
The scope of food insecurity is also wide. The issue affects people of all ages, income ranges, employment status and location. Surprisingly, those in full-time employment were the most represented age group, with a total of 37% of respondents.
The most common reason for food insecurity was because people could not pay for groceries due to an unexpected expense or a high bill, which is why 35 percent of respondents agreed.
It’s just past midnight when Mr. Smith finishes his container diving session on weekdays. At this time, even the busiest car parks have been emptied and the roads are bare. The main signs of Sydney’s bustling population come from dim lights in the living room and bedrooms, lit by nearby apartment blocks.
While Mr. Smith has food for the next few days, he will return to visit his city container route later in the week.
“Some people love the activity, and others just get addicted to finding things and adventure, but for me, it’s about saving money,” he says.
* Not the real name of the source.
Read related topics: Sydney