This Man Survives Almost Entirely On Food Waste

William Reid is determined to take full advantage of the “mass abundance of organic, healthy fruits and vegetables that are in the dumpster.” So much so that he only spends $2.75 on food each year.

Reid, a filmmaker, has gotten most of his meals by searching through dumpsters in order to mitigate the effects of food waste on the environment and raise awareness about poverty in the U.S.

“We have tremendous want and need in this country for healthy food, and we have tremendous waste,” he said, pointing out that a distribution problem is to blame for the fact that up to 40 percent of food goes uneaten in the U.S.  

A cultural aversion to cosmetically flawed fruits and vegetables, also known as ugly produce, is also partially responsible for food waste, he added.

“I think that consumers sometimes have unrealistic expectations. People want food that looks a certain way,” he said. 

Watch the video above to see how Reid uses dumpster diving as a strategy to save money and raise awareness about food waste.

This video was produced by Anne Thomas, Nick Palladino and Paul Josephson.