One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Dinner

Brazilian collective Makers Society created a simple sticker that turns every dumpster into a place for urbanites to share food with people who need it.

While most initiatives targeting food waste focus on minimizing the actual throwing away of perfectly fine food, this urban intervention is very pragmatic. Food ís being wasted, so how can be still make the best of this situation? Sadly, still many people rely on food found in dumpsters and in back alleys of cities like Rio de Janeiro. The recently introduced ‘Prato de Rua’ (or ‘Street Dish’) initiative hopes that people who are throwing away food, will hang on the side of a dumpster. People who need it can grab it easily while being spared a dive in the trash.

Prato de Rua creates a place where people can very easily donate some food to those having a hard time at a spot where you know they will be looking for something to eat. The people behind the initiative, Makers Society, have released a printable version of the sticker, so you can create your own little food exchange in public space. They hope the idea will spread to dumpsters all over Brazil and beyond.