The poor man’s Riviera, that’s how we see it: Eilat is a vacation hotspot for tourists looking to catch some cheap winter sun, and for local Israelis who want a quick jaunt out of the north without having to change time zones and a wad of cash into foreign currency. Not necessarily a poor town, the location and isolation does drive a lot of opportunities for locals, especially if they don’t work in the tourism industry.
For want of food, or a simpler way of life, here a Green Prophet reader spots a dumpster diver in the city of Eilat, just inside the hotel zone along the sea. Taken from the third story of a mid-range hotel that offers an unlimited feast of breakfast and buffet-style dinner, we can just imagine the tonnes of perfectly good food that gets thrown out here every year. It certainly isn’t being composted. Multiply the waste from this bin times 100 or more to account for all the hotels in the area.
Apparently this anonymous dumpster diver was collecting protein, pieces of meat, and was tossing it into a special box, which the cat nearby found quite appetizing. His bike contained bags for different kinds of “finds” rested alongside the dumpster wall.
Food for pets or food for people? There’s a growing movement of people worldwide who are dumpster diving for food, or who are dumpster diving for art, and they need not be people who are poor; but people who have chosen to reuse unwanted food and objects. I’ve dumpster dove on occasion if I see something interesting being tossed out, but I don’t make a habit of it. And I never jumped right inside. The thought of getting dirty…
In the city of Tel Aviv, some fruit and vegetable vendors leave their unsold produce out for grabs before the weekend starts. And there are always scavengers and takers.
When it comes to food issues in the Middle East, such as kashrut or halal specifications, dumpster diving for food could certainly be a problem.
How about you? Would you do it for food – to serve a cause and to save the world?
Meoow, my turn!