{"id":3146,"date":"2026-05-02T01:38:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T01:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/3146\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T01:38:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T01:38:10","slug":"dumpster-diving-how-brisbane-family-saves-10000-a-year-do-weekly-grocery-shop-from-bins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/3146\/","title":{"rendered":"Dumpster diving: How Brisbane family saves $10,000 a year do weekly grocery \u2018shop\u2019 from bins"},"content":{"rendered":"

For most people, dumpster diving might sound extreme but for Emelie Watson and her family eating food discarded in bins is just one part of a broader effort to cut waste, save money<\/a> and live more sustainably.<\/p>\n

While retrieving food from supermarket bins has dramatically reduced their grocery bills, it sits alongside a wider approach built on sharing resources, growing food and rethinking consumption.<\/p>\n

She and her husband Jon have taken the year off work to raise awareness about this lifestyle through their blog Living More With Less.<\/a><\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

Since the Brisbane family started dumpster diving,<\/a> it has now become the main source of their groceries, with Watson, 41, only needing to spend $40 a week on average for additional items not found in the bins.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could easily go a week just eating dumpster food and what we grow in the garden,\u201d Watson said.<\/p>\n

The mother-of-two said the family mainly dumpster dive<\/a> on the weekends, because during the week charities such as OzHarvest collect unused food from big grocery stores.<\/p>\n

Watson said they dumpster dive in bins on public property, such as shopping centre carparks, and they do not enter private premises.<\/p>\n

They also never try to remove any locks on bins.<\/p>\n

Is it legal to dumpster dive?<\/p>\n

Her approach aligns with legal advice from Astor Legal<\/a> accredited specialist criminal lawyer and principal lawyer Avinash Singh.<\/p>\n

\u201cDumpster diving is generally legal in Australia if the items have been placed in a bin for disposal,\u201d Singh said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is because the item will be taken to be \u2018abandoned\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbandonment is a full defence to stealing, which is generally charged under the offence of larceny.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe concept of abandonment means the owner of the item has relinquished ownership of it, therefore, it is no longer capable of being stolen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"EmelieEmelie Watson and her husband Jon only dumpster dive in bins on public premises. Credit: Facebook\"JonJon and his wife Emelie have managed to reduce their grocery bill to $40 by collecting discarded items from bins. Credit: Facebook<\/p>\n

However, Singh warned the legality changes if people enter private property to access bins.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe law is the same whether the bin is left outside a person\u2019s home or outside a business for collection,\u201d Singh said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, if a person enters an enclosed private land, then they are trespassing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis can result in the person being charged with a criminal offence of trespassing or enter enclosed lands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bakery goods in excess<\/p>\n

Watson said bakery goods such as bread, muffins and crumpets are the most common items found in supermarket bins, as most stores bake or receive fresh produce every day that doesn\u2019t sell out.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver summer there was an excess of blueberries,\u201d Watson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the weekend I could have collected maybe 10 punnets, maybe close to 4kg of strawberries.\u201d<\/p>\n

To determine what\u2019s safe to eat, Watson said they check the use by date.<\/p>\n

\"AA mix of products retrieved from bins. Credit: Facebook<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce home we wash everything thoroughly and take another look in bright light and sniff in neutral air.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watson warned meat and animal products have the highest risk,<\/a> so they generally avoid taking those items from the bin.<\/p>\n

Watson estimates the family has saved up to $10,000 a year on groceries from dumpster diving \u2014 which they donate to charities to help global poverty and malnutrition.<\/p>\n

Singh said people considering dumpster diving should be mindful of where they access bins.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone intends on dumpster diving they need to be very careful that they do not enter the property of a homeowner or a business,\u201d Singh said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn cases where dumpster diving occurs at a business, the business can ban persons from attending their premises.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf a person dumpster dives at grocery stores, it could result in them being banned from all of that company\u2019s stores.\u201d<\/p>\n

Majority of food waste occurs in the home <\/p>\n

Watson said sharing dumpster diving tips on TikTok has been met with a mixed reaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people think it\u2019s disgusting, others are like good on you,\u201d Watson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut meeting people who are now dumpster diving because they\u2019ve seen me do it was a real eye-opener.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve learnt to accept the nice comments with the not-so-nice comments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watson said it is important for people to understand waste does exist but the majority of food waste actually occurs in the home, so being mindful about what we buy and how we use it can make a big difference.<\/p>\n

\"Jon,Jon, Emelie and their two children are striving to lead a more sustainable lifestyle. Credit: Facebook<\/p>\n

The Brisbane couple have taken a year off work \u2014 she is a teacher and he is an engineer \u2014 to focus on living a more sustainable life but still do casual work when needed.<\/p>\n

Watson explained she grew up in a family of waste diverters and it was common in her family to collect items from the tip.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe idea of collecting somebody else\u2019s waste is not new,\u201d Watson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d just never done it before to collect food.\u201d<\/p>\n

She wants to make it clear dumpster diving is just one thing she and her family does to live a \u201cone planet lifestyle\u201d.<\/p>\n

So, what exactly does that mean?<\/p>\n

\u201cTaking all the resources available in the world and dividing it fairly among all the people alive in the world,\u201d Watson explained.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf everyone was allocated those resources fairly that would be living a one planet lifestyle.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s also being aware of what kind of processes the environment has to deal with when processing the waste and the pollutants and the damage that we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Watson and her family are striving to do this with three things: \u201cSharing what we have, minimising what we use and living a better life.\u201d<\/p>\n

They volunteer at schools and in the community, grow a food garden and share the produce at food swaps. They also sold their car and ride bikes instead.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to show people it\u2019s OK to not buy new things,\u201d Watson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t need a bigger car, or a bigger house.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you have to work to earn the money to pay for big things you don\u2019t really need, maybe it\u2019s time to reclaim your time and be more deliberate about how you spend it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s been really rewarding for us and I think it would be for people as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

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