“Rats almost do not interfere”
In Moscow soon will be a map of the garbage dumps, where you can regularly zatarivatsya food, deducted from supermarkets. Daily in the city tanks are tons of products that are not suitable for sale but are quite suitable for human consumption. There are several reasons: coming to the end of the retention period, crumpled packaging, the label fell off… the rules of the trade all that is illiquid and can’t lie on the counter. The day we are horrified of the prices in grocery stores, and in the evening staff scouring the shelves and the food, which an hour ago was sold for big money, goes to the dumpsters in the back alleys. These are frigana — people who believe it is unacceptable to throw away food and “save” them from the trash. Today, such skills can be useful not only for the ideologically-minded youth, but also for the middle class facing financial difficulties.
Moscow frigana arranged for the “MK” tour of the store dumps of one of the districts of Moscow. In order to avoid the termination of supply we will not publish addresses, but describe in detail the algorithm searches. Information standing: two hours of wandering, we have collected a huge box suitable for food products is almost 3000 rubles.
photo: Elena April
Here is a haul we collected in just two hours journey on the back of the shops.
“We, frigana, don’t eat leftovers”
In the profile groups in social networks you can marvel at what people have taken for free, while you gave like a grocery cart a few thousand. “Today, seven bags of peaches. Half good jam, half eat live. It was all in bundles, about 20% only spoiled.” “Again a bunch of products: burgers, rice, soups, honey, cream, jam, fresh vegetable salad, Apple, bread, biscuits my favorite”. “Ten cans of beer, half a box of gorgeous tomatoes and a huge bag of tangerines — barely dragged”.
As a rule, ideological frigana — good people. Asked to suggest places and teach the tricks of the search thrown out of shops respond willingly. Because products is thrown so that the feed can be absolutely everyone in need. Rules are as follows: unsold items whose nearing the end of the shelf life must be deducted before the “day X”. In Europe, these products are handed out to the homeless and the poor, in Moscow, sent to the trash. And right would only be “late”, go products in dented or torn packaging that does not affect their security. Does every chain supermarket. At the same time employees are strictly forbidden to carry illiquid home, it is fraught with fines and even dismissal. Moscow historian and culturologist Igor Gogin for many years actively makes a meal deducted from the stores. He agreed to go on a joint RAID on the most successful on this case points in Izmailovo district.
— I always thought that I was going to throw wrong, — says Igor. But we know that we, frigana, do not eat leftovers. Basically we collect packaged food, except fruits and vegetables. For anyone who is hitchhiking or walking expedition, there is nothing wrong to eat from the common pot or someone else’s bowl.
It is important to understand that the ideology of grihasta does not imply a desire to obtain food for free or to save money. Meaning of course that people should consume only what he needs, not to be a victim of the economic network of consumerism. The philosophy of the movement denies the glut, greed. That is why frigana seek to distribute the surplus of the products found friends or homeless. However, there is nothing wrong with being trigonom from economic motives. In the end, it is the desire still achieve a good purpose: less suitable for eating the food will rot in the garbage cans.
photo: Elena April
— The first thing you need to get gloves and a flashlight, says Igor. Flashlight — because it is better to go in search of the night before bedtime. First, it was at this time stores often throw out junk. Second, psychologically comfortable, when nobody is looking, why are you digging in the trash. You can come early in the morning. Why is it important to pick up the food? In the morning will still come a rubbish car and pressed it. So isn’t it better to eat? And you need gloves to avoid some mayonnaise or something else leaking: good food is thrown away with other waste.
It turns out that few shops have their own containers — I don’t want to spend money on garbage collection, so will take it in the next garbage can.
Start looking for charged best food in your area, but for training you can go on a tour with an experienced trigonom. Children are actively talking in groups in social networks, share prey and addresses. You can ask the janitors in stores, where discarded products. Since this happens regularly, then come with the bags can at least every day, the main thing is to find a fertile spot.
“Rats, we cannot interfere”
We went on the hunt day. On the way Igor says that scrap are almost all categories of goods. Fruits, vegetables, usually not in perfect condition, but consistently good. There is just a little soft, there are with the barrels. But among the banal apples and cucumbers contain more rare items: peaches, kiwi, grapefruit, mango, avocado. Some chain stores have corporate standards according to which the window should be only the freshest.
— Recently in the popular hypermarket saw: is an employee and puts in the cart fine apples and tomatoes on the counter and puts the same, — says Igor. The reason for the replacement is not that they are spoiled, and for example, that a banana or a tomato off the cords. All he is unworthy to lie in plain sight. Everything is done for the beautiful pictures. A man complained that they even themselves can’t take. But he said, “is eat right now in the hall, though all”. I did just that.
A lot is lost milk and dairy products. Empirically frigana found that yogurt and cheese will be tasty and safe at least a week after the expiry date, and if you ferment something you can put on pancakes and cheesecakes. Interesting detail: in Russia there is only one expiration date is the day after which the product is not recommended to use. And in some countries, the product of several of them: while it is tasty, until he was “normal” until it is safe and when it is time to throw away. And yet we often put an expiration date on products that do not have it. For example, honey. It can to sugar, but bad — no. However, this fact will not save it from disposal.
— Here in this dump there are so many yogurts and canned — shows Igor at tank across the road from the shop. True, there are rats, but they almost do not interfere, do not touch the products as they are packaged. I often see that pensioners come in and take different eatables…
Milk is most often found among giganskogo catch, take in a whole package. And how much is thrown away baked goods — the horror! The block feed is possible. And the chic to stay near the shops, which themselves are baked products. By the end of the day write off all the unsold puffs, baguettes, cakes, etc. the same applies to small bakeries.
Much more difficult — with meat: it is almost throw away. However, even when detected, do not rush to include it in the menu as no one knows how long it’d been at the wrong temperature. Meat freegans have a special relationship. Initially Western frigana — vegetarians. And those who eat meat are called ohanami. In Russia all called freegans. And even those who in principle does not approve of the industry of meat production, I see nothing wrong with that, to extract it from the tank. Put it this way: I don’t buy meat not to participate in the killing of animals and manufacture, but I eat cancelled, because the resources it has already spent. Among them there are a lot of fructarians, and this is convenient because fruits and vegetables are easier to find everything.
— But look, Apple has left us, confirms a theory Igor, coming to boxes at the back door of the store. — And good! Take…
There are packets of onion peelings. Igor carefully probes and fishes, whole onion: there is always reason to dig into the husk. Backpack noticeably heavier.
FOOD BASKET, WE’VE GATHERED IN THE BACK OF THE SHOPS:
* three kilograms of imported apples
* three pomelo
* a jar of instant coffee
* a pack of waffles
* a kilo of fresh cucumbers
* two zucchini
* three lemons
* two tomatoes
* a pound of carrots
* two oranges
“We have one criterion: not for sale”
When we pass by coffee houses the popular network, Igor sad sigh: it threw away ready meals in trays. Moreover, in such quantities, that one was impossible to master. Rolls, pancakes, casseroles, cheesecakes, chicken… And now ceased — apparently, began to save in a crisis. However, not everywhere. Judging by the reviews in the relevant group in the social network, in other areas the staff continues to take out trays to the delight of the freegans. That is, as stand — off with a total bunch of tanks. Thank you for this. Because there are shops that are prescribes in the rules that discontinued the item before sending it to the garbage must be destroyed: cut, water for cleaning etc.
photo: vk.com
The following three dumps a bit of food we didn’t get caught. This is a bad time in the afternoon. There will be something good closer to the night. But we can find other useful things: an easel, folding stool, empty glass jars, cables, doorbell, some boards. All of this is Igor hiding in the tall grass to pick up on the way back: to give useful. Oh, men!
We pin great hopes on the container at the service entrance of a large supermarket, take out food from there several times a day. At first glance inside understand that hopes were realized: among the receipts, wrappers and other debris are visible tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini. And also pot of coffee, waffles and biscuits. Armed with a stick, Igor in turn fished out the vegetables from the depths of the garbage and began to dig further. And for what it was: at the bottom we found three large broom and a pile of lemons. Advice from frigana — fruits and vegetables from the bins better peel. Still, they were not in the best neighborhood. In the midst of the study we were approached by an employee of the store and asked what we are doing:
— Conduct a social experiment: can you find something good in the trash or not? Found here.
— You think that’s good?
— Well, Yes.
— Good for what?
— For food.
— For food — for example, but not for sale.
And you don’t want to give up what write off pensioners?
— As soon as we have a separate container easily. Now the problem is that we have no separation of good or bad, we have one criterion: not for sale. All that fit this definition, including rubbish from our bins goes in the tank.
According to Igor, many store employees stupid paranoia — that people happen to find an expired product, then come to them and blame the fact that they sold it. The logic here is a little: after all, just as it is possible to take the delay in my fridge and go to the store to swing right. However, the guards often chase fans to get written off. So in this sense, the lack of bins at the stores just for the benefit of the freegan, because the powers of the security in the community yard containers do not apply.
In the opinion of Muscovites with ecological thinking, the main problem with grocery turnover of Moscow is that the stores don’t want to think about the benefits of decommissioned goods. Sellers are just afraid and terrified about the rules. Many abhorrent to throw away good food, but to disrupt the enterprise installation, they are not solved. Very ideological take the initiative and, for example, the bread’s warm, not thrown in the trash and just put in packages near a service entrance.
So do employees of a small shop on the ground floor of one of the houses. The sellers charged regularly stacked cakes, pastries and other Goodies in a separate tank, which is known to many residents. Emptied it in a matter of minutes. And among the sweets are often found not expired, but simply crumpled packing that in the case of cakes already fatal on the counter are not set. However, even expired nowadays few people bother. “Many people now would not abandon expired cake! There are so many preservatives that they will be nothing. And too many poor people starving.” share urgent frequent the garbage dumps.
photo: Elena April
Igor emphasizes that over the years friganza never poisoned.
Igor over the years friganza never poisoned. Even found a red fish that is very sensitive to proper storage. But if the freshness of nature in doubt, you can subject them to heat treatment or to put on the jam. This was done with five dozen bananas and apricots, which was recently found in the back of the supermarket.
CODE OF HONOR FRIGANA
* Do not encroach on restricted areas to search for only shops and apartment buildings.
* Not to take anything from the medical containers.
* Never leave the fallen debris near the container, which was too much.
* Do not take documents or papers with any of the records: invasion of privacy of people on the basis of finds from the garbage is strictly prohibited.
The plans of Igor — creating a map with addresses “fertile” shop and yard trash.
I also want to develop new topic — ride to the abandoned gardens, and to gather fruits, berries, greens, etc. But it is important that the site was open. I hitchhiked in the Vologda region, there is a village where only one house remaining empty. On plots growing fruits and berries. The point they disappear?..
Igor also wants to ensure that shops do not dispose of written off the food, and gave it to charities or volunteers, who will distribute it to the poor.
For example, in Helsinki there are several points of distribution of products with everyone ending with the expiration date. This bakery and dairy products, meat, sausages, sweets, vegetables, fruit. All laid out on the shelves, people go and take what they need. Some products distribute by the piece, asking whether you need supplements and what man wants to choose. Outlet everyone offered to feed soup and tea with scones. However, have to stand in line, but after visiting these places you don’t walk to the store.
In France a few months ago there was a law forbidding to throw away food. It is also forbidden to dispose of unsold food before the expiry date. The adoption of law was preceded by a long campaign, which was attended by both ordinary citizens and organizations who are struggling with poverty and a waste of ingredients. Now grocery stores with an area of over 400 square meters are required to contract with charitable organizations to provide food as a gift. Otherwise, they face fines of up to 75 thousand euros or imprisonment for up to two years. In turn, firms engaged in charity, are obliged to ensure acceptance of food and its distribution in hygienic conditions. France is the only country in the world where there is such a rule.
In Denmark there is a supermarket for products with expired implementation — the goods are sold at a price 30-50% less than other stores. The aim is thus to reduce the amount of food waste in the country. This initiative — the first in the world, as it is not aimed at the poorest segments of the population, and all categories of citizens concerned about environmental problems. It is known that over the past five years Denmark has reduced food waste by 25%.
Elena April
