The German federal government has decided against decriminalizing the practice of “dumpster diving” a tactic employed to recover edible food discarded by businesses, primarily supermarkets. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed the decision on Monday in response to inquiries from the dts news agency, stating that such a measure was not included in the current coalition agreement.
The rejection follows a previous attempt during the last parliamentary term which failed due to a lack of consensus among the German states (Länder). The spokesperson indicated that any progress on this issue now requires independent initiatives from those states.
A representative from the Ministry of Justice highlighted existing provisions within the German Code of Criminal Procedure which allow for the dismissal of proceedings in minor cases. The ministry official added that for cases involving “such low-value goods” investigations are already typically initiated only upon request.
“Container diving” as it’s commonly known, involves individuals – often activists or those in need – retrieving still-edible food from waste containers, frequently due to economic considerations by retailers. However, the practice currently remains legally classified as theft.