Stockholm

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Dumpster dived food in Stockholm: cauliflowers (both organic and not), broccolis (both organic and not), grapes, potatoes, oranges, kiwis, mandarins, apples, zucchinis, light zucchinis, cashews, organic tomatoes, Romaine lettuce, rutabaga.

Stockholm, Sweden, is full of valuable stuff rejected by others. Dumpster diving can be relatively successful at times, although generally you will find most of the places with dumpsters locked or food being compressed in large containers; nonetheless, there are nice exceptions which can provide you with some part of your daily meal. Recent figures show that each Swede throws 100 kg of edible food every year, although it is mostly supermarket bins you dive in for food.

Stockholm is a relatively expensive city. If you don't want to pay for anything and live for free here, then your problem number one is the accommodation: squatting in Stockholm is not common, and rent is pretty high. However, once you solve this problem, you can live really cheap if you make an effort. You can dumpster dive for food and use waste rooms (grovsoprum in Swedish) for getting a free non-edible stuff (furniture, electronics, any household items...). Furthermore, there are at least 3 good websites/e-groups for receiving stuff for free (see "Links" section), meanwhile Blocket.se is an online market where you can get things at half or so of its real price. Lastly, Swedish forest around Stockholm will provide you with huge amounts of highly nutritional food (see "Wild foraging" section).

If you want to meet alike folks (freegans), you can come to their open meetings that take place once a month or so - just follow the news of one of these groups: Facebook/Google.

Contents

[edit] "Grovsoprum"

Those who live in apartments in Stockholm have a chance to sort out all of their trash. A good solution to this is a so called grovsoprum - these are waste rooms where you leave all the things that are too big for usual trash bins (there are also containers for recycled things like glass, metal, paper, plastic, and various packages). Even though containers with recycled stuff do not attract freegans, other stuff being put in these rooms often is very valuable, including different electronics (often still working), clothes, sheets, pillows, blankets, furniture, books, etc. - basically everything what people have in apartments. If you are lucky you might find, for example, a laptop still in working condition. It is not only about bulky or high-tech items, though, - if you are in need for AA or AAA batteries, for instance, and you have an access to a good grovsoprum, just go down there and check thrown away remote controls and other similar devices - they often contain good batteries.

Swedes, as well as Finns, Norwegians and Danes, throw away a lot. Nonetheless, to take stuff from a grovsoprum is officially prohibited, although it is not known if anyone ever got in trouble because of taking something from there. Another thing, though, is that a grovsoprum is always locked, and only people who live in nearby houses can unlock the door. Therefore, it is possible to get there if you yourself live in Stockholm in one of the apartments, or you have friends living there who can provide you with an access to grovsoprum.

A building that contains a grovsoprum.

A locked door to the grovsoprum - only people who live nearby have keys to it.

A rejected stuff. People throw away almost anything; very often many of electronic devices still work.

Just emptied grovsoprum, otherwise filled with thrown away furniture, electronic devices, pillows, clothes, etc.

This device is a useful tool in a kitchen. No idea why it was thrown away.

A freegan in Stockholm found a small bike for children - right from a residential trash!

[edit] Dumpster diving

[edit] Supermarkets

[edit] You should know that...

In Sweden you are allowed to take the content of a dumpster if it is not locked (obviously) or if there is no sign around that forbids tresspassing (reference). Following this logic, climbing over a fence to reach an unlocked container would be considered a law violation.

There aren't many places to dumpster dive in Stockholm but with some luck you can still get enough of free food so that you would forget about expensive shopping.

Beware of "Lidl", though: there was a recorded case in Solna (it is a municipality in Stockholm County, located just north of the capital Stockholm) when Lidl employees poured a corrosive liquid, the equivalent of chlorine, on food that would be discarded, in order to keep homeless people away from dumpster diving (this case was filed for police investigation, and the managing director of Lidl Sweden called the incident "extremely regrettable"). However, it is also known that quite a few "Lidl" stores (not only in Stockholm but in other areas (Uppsala...), too) have been putting (or still do!) a washing-up liquid on food in containers.

[edit] Places

[edit] NORRORT
  • "Lidl" in Akalla, a relatively good place, although come late at night, since Lidl employees do not tolerate dumpster divers there. (Last checked: June 2010)
  • "Hemköp" in Upplands Väsby (could be closed by now, verification needed)
  • add more?
[edit] CITY (NORRMALM, VASASTAN)
[edit] ÖSTERMALM
  • Fältöversten at Karlaplan. Containers can be reached only during the day. (Last checked: May 2009)
  • add more?
[edit] KUNGSHOLMEN
  • "Prisxtra" at Fridhemsplan. Look for a public garage before 21 o'clock, enter via Kronobergsgatan 33. (Last checked: May 2009)
  • add more?
[edit] SÖDERMALM
  • "Lidl" near Södra station, available for access only during the day; be sure to prepare to spend no more then 1 minute on a spot: employees are not particularly friendly. (Last checked: Aug.2009)
  • add more?
[edit] SÖDERORT
  • Flemingsberg Centrum (Last checked: June 2010)
  • Ekerö, "Ica". One container which is open at least during the store working hours. (Last checked: Aug.2009)
  • "Coop"/"Ica" in Kärrtorp, very popular though (Last checked: May 2010)
  • Huddinge, Segeltorp's Ica (Google Maps); backyard, 2 dumpsters. (Last checked: May 2010)
  • Skärholmen, The backyards of "Ica Kvantum" and "Coop Extra" (Eniro Maps); note that the entrance is under the big road, if you get off from T-bana go pass the "Lidl" store down under the bridge; sometimes the yards are closed, sometimes not. (Last checked: Feb.2010)
  • Årsta, "Årsta partihallar", industrial area with at least 3 containers with fruit and vegetables from wholesalers. (Last checked: May 2009)
  • add more?
[edit] TYRESÖ
  • Tyresö, "Lidl" (Last checked: May 2009)
  • add more?

You might as well check following places which are not that great but once in a while can provide you with a few veggies or so:

  • "Vi" in Hagsätra (very little food, and not always)
  • "Cicada catering" containers, 100 m from Saltjö-Järla station (very messy though, mostly cooking leftovers)

[edit] Markets

If you have no luck in dumpster diving at the supermarket areas, you can also check food markets where unsold fruits and veggies are thrown away at the end of the market. Check places at:

  • Brommaplan - sources say it is really good for bananas and various vegetables. (Last checked: Aug.2009)
  • Skärholmen (very active food market, although it is not known if there is anything left to pick up after it is closed)

[edit] Dumpster divers' gallery

Some examples of dumpster dived food in Stockholm area:

A variety of produce that can be found in a dumpster includes even nuts.

It is very convenient to have a bike (or a freight bike which is even better) when dumpster diving since one can attach quite some load to it.

Snacks anyone?

Cashews and walnuts (~2kg), organic cashews (~1kg), raisins (~5,5kg), berberis berries (~1,7kg), potatoes (~1kg), muesli (1 kg), Hot Taco Spice Mix (around 400g, for 40 servings), herbal salt, lettuce (250g), light soy sauce, orange marmalade, vitaminized syrup.

Radishes, organic chives, pomegranate, parsley, 5 zucchinis, 5 persimmons, paprika, 5 bananas, 3 potatoes, apples (~2,5kg).

4 endives (chicory), grapes (lots), 1 grapefruit, 1 melon, plums, 2 pears, organic chives, 10 apples, juice concentrate (gives 48 l).

Cashews and walnuts (~2kg), organic cashews (~1kg), raisins (~5,5kg), berberis berries (~1,7kg), potatoes (~1kg), muesli (1 kg), Hot Taco Spice Mix (around 400g, for 40 servings), herbal salt, lettuce (250g), light soy sauce, orange marmalade, vitaminized syrup.

Eating a vegan parsnip soup made from dumpster dived vegetables.

1 cauliflower, lettuce, bread (lots), crispbread, tomatoes, 2 apples.

Arabic coffee (1,5kg), potatoes (~1kg), melon, pineapple, tomatoes, spinach, apples, bananas.

Yes, one can be fastidious even when dumpster diving.

4 endives (chicory), grapes (lots), 1 grapefruit, 1 melon, plums, 2 pears, organic chives, 10 apples, juice concentrate (gives 48 l).


In this amateur film one can see how a freegan in Stockholm found food for 440 USD:

[edit] Really really free market

Stockholm has lots of different kind of activists, and it is no surprise that there are "Really really free market" (RRFM) activists who once in a while organize so called "market days" where various goods and services (wanna cut your hair? etc.) are provided for free to anyone who needs it. It is based on clothing (and other items) swap - you bring something you got tired of and you give it away to those who want it, and you take someone's something else you got excited about. Such a sharing event can be organized by anyone and anytime.

"Market day" in a park in Stockholm organized by local "Really really free market" (RRFM) activists (and connected to climate issues in this case). Hanging clothes are free for anyone to take.

Free books for everyone! (Stockholm, Sweden)

[edit] Wild foraging

Mushrooms picked in the forests around Stockholm.

Stockholm is a green city with lots of parks. What makes it more amazing, is that it is surrounded by a diverse wildlife hiding back in ancient Scandinavian woods. These forests, despite being situated right around the biggest city in Scandinavia, contain treasures of free food that is waiting to be picked up: late spring, the summer and the first part of the autumn can give you plenty of natural, fresh and delicious vitamins and minerals - you just need to go out and pick it up.

One of the most common things to find are mushrooms like chanterelle and russulas, and berries like bilberries, lingonberries, wild strawberries, raspberries.

This is the list of edible mushrooms in Sweden. Note that some edible mushrooms look very similar to those which are poisonous - you can take a mushroom and taste a bit of it to make sure if it is edible - if there is a burning feeling in the mouth, don't take it. Otherwise, the rule is: if you don't know the mushroom, never take it.

Good mushroom hunting places around Stockholm are:

  • Gömmaren nature reserve
  • Nacka nature reserve
  • Svartsjölandet (an island on Mälaren)
  • Ekerö
  • Drottningholm
  • Forest around Gillingebanan
  • Gålö
  • Åva
  • Tyresta National Park

In shady and damp places you can often find ground-elder (Aegopodium podagraria) growing as a weed. The tender leaves can be used as spinach (see info). You can also find horseradish growing wild. Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) is a good source of vitamin C and makes a nice spring soup, but don't forget gloves when picking it (gather only young leaves, and only from the top of the plant). Garlic mustard is often found by the roadside, and its leaves can be eaten. Dandelion is also a nutritious and edible plant.

[edit] Links

[edit] General information

[edit] Activism

[edit] Share and receive things for free

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