Jakob Horvat
Once it's dark, we can go. What we intend to do would attract more attention in daylight and be disturbing to some. In addition, the supermarkets should be closed when we search their garbage cans for edibles. For Martin Trümmel, "dumpster diving" now replaces most of his grocery shopping. Not because he could not afford it otherwise. But because consumption, abundance and waste have simply become too much of a social dogma. "When dumpster I leave no traces," explains Martin, "What I take there, is already out of the market. So I do not generate any additional demand and that is very important to me. The tolerable overproduction in our society is a horror. "
Dumpster as a treasure hunt
His brother Thomas joins us at the table. Through him, Martin came to Dumpster. Even for Thomas, the regular trip to the backyards of the local providers is a political statement against the waste of food. "It's like a treasure hunt. Only yesterday I took home food worth about 150 Euro, much of it had not even expired, "says Thomas. "When half the ton is full of good food, I'm glad about it. But that's really sad. "
Number three of those who want to bring this article to life is Martin Løken, 28, Norwegian. I met him four years ago on a trip to Bangkok - I think his lifestyle is impressive and therefore worth telling.
Dumpsters, or containers and garbage dives, refers to the collection of discarded food.
In Austria per year food per person in the double-digit kilogram range are thrown away, which would actually still be edible. Of course, this is an average score for all residents, no matter how lavish or indulgent they are about food, but it's an alarming value.
It's not just products that are "just over the top", meaning they have expired on the sell-by date, which ends up in the garbage from private households. To an even greater extent, the amount of food that migrates from supermarkets directly to the garbage instead of to the consumer.
What at first glance sounds like a simple concept - taking what is disposed of anyway, wasting less, reducing waste, appreciating food - is legally a controversial and controversial topic. Because garbage does not mean that a needy can automatically handle the same with the argument that this is going to be disposed of anyway. Also for pragmatic reasons, because rights and obligations of waste producers and disposal are clearly regulated in Germany, for example. In Austria, the case law is at least in this regard, although somewhat broader and the "clawing" of garbage is not prohibited per sé.
For more information visit www.dumpstern.de
Minimalism: possession takes time
"All our possessions require our time. And our time is, in my opinion, the most valuable we have. "
Martin Løken, 28
Martin Løken also knows how to get food out of the trash - I have accompanied him once before. His favorite way of traveling is "hitchhiking", hitchhiking - and because he has done so many times, he has friends all over Europe who offer him a couch when he comes by. Recently, Martin Løken has sold or sold almost everything he owned. His car, his apartment, everyday junk. Never before has he felt as free as now: "All our possessions require our time. And our time is, in my opinion, the most valuable we have. At the same time, with the ownership of our western society, we are destroying the Earth's ecosystems, our own livelihoods - and depriving the world of resources for future generations. "
Minimalism: renunciation as a luxury
"The renunciation has become a luxury for me - and that makes me happy."
Martin Trümmel, 28
Renunciation instead of waste, minimalism instead of abundance - a lifestyle that is becoming increasingly popular, especially among young people. Martin Trümmel is 28 years old, as a manager in the public service he deserves well, could afford a lot. But it does not do it anymore: "In the beginning I had a list. Everything I wanted to buy I wrote on it. If I still wanted it after a month, I bought it. That's how I realized how much money I used to spend on things I did not actually need. The renunciation has become a luxury for me - and that makes me happy. "Of course, this does not mean the total renunciation. "Some of my claims have dropped dramatically, others have increased significantly. I also like to spend money on this - for example for a new pair of skis. Or for travel. I spend less on things that I do not care for and more on what's really important to me. "
Minimalism: simple and flexible
Economic research calls people like Martin Trümmel and Martin Løken "voluntary simplifiers" who consciously and voluntarily reduce their consumption. Till Mengai from the Vienna University of Economics and Business deals with sustainable consumption and anti-consumer research and increasingly observes the trend towards minimalism in Austria: "The big car and the expensive watch as a sign of prestige and status are becoming less important. The experiences you make become more important than having the items you use to experience them. Nevertheless, ownership has played an identity-defining role so far and thus has an important function. But it's about how we define what we are. And then renunciation can also be identity-building. "Minimalism as a philosophy of life encompasses a broad ideological spectrum: from those people who routinely question their consumption right up to the total conscientious objectors. One thing is common to both: too much possession they feel as a burden. Minimalists are looking for a simple, manageable and good life with a lot of flexibility.
Minimalism: The complex world more manageable
The wealth and wealth researcher Thomas Druyen of the Sigmund Freud University Vienna has mentioned to the German newspaper Die Zeit that he considers "minimalism a counter-trend to the general abundance in our society." And the economic crisis has been raising awareness for seven years How unsustainable the constant quest for more and more profit is and how transient prosperity can be. The futurist Christiane Varga of the Vienna Zukunftsinstitut sees in minimalism above all the desire for a reduction of complexity in everyday life: "Every day we are confronted with a multitude of possibilities, between which we must decide. Life has become complex. For many this is too much, the conscious decision for less consumption makes everyday life manageable again. "
Minimalism: sharing instead of owning
In the meantime, Till Mengai is also reading about the increasing popularity of offers in the so-called "shared economy" - for example, car sharing or holiday home brokers such as AirBnB. And in terms of "collaborative consumption", everyday objects will increasingly be about exchanging and sharing instead of owning: "Every now and then everyone needs a cordless screwdriver. But many ask themselves why you have to own something that you only need a few hours a year, "summarizes Mengai.
Martin Trümmel, too, has asked himself this question - and since then has been telling lawnmowers, cordless screwdrivers and co with the neighbors: "You are often too comfortable to share things, so you buy so much. You could save so many resources, so much money and energy. Someone has what I need and borrows it with joy, because he knows that it can now also need someone else. Ten houses around and everyone has their own lawnmower. That's bullshit. "
Share and Share Economy
The term "share economy" was coined by Harvard economist Martin Weitzman and basically states that prosperity for all increases the more shared among all market participants. The term "share economy" is increasingly developing companies whose business concept is characterized by the shared temporary use of resources that are not permanently needed. In German-speaking countries, the term Kokonsum (abbreviation from Collaborative Consumption) is also used.
The latest trends in sharing brings the website www.lets-share.de.
Minimalism: less work for less money
Since Martin Trümmel spends around 70 percent less on "bullshit", he is saving money in quantities he would not previously have thought possible. This results in a logical consequence: Less consumption means less possession, on the one hand. On the other hand, for many people this means one thing above all else: having to work less - a gain in freedom and flexibility that can hardly be overestimated. Future researcher Varga sees a paradigm shift within society: "The value of time has long outstripped that of money for many people. It's more and more about spending time wisely - what used to be the philosophy of spiritually inspired people today is a mass phenomenon. Less and less realize why they should spend so much time in work, which serves solely for making money. "The economy lags behind these needs later. Although there are initiatives of individual companies such as the four-day week or an annual working time account, which should ensure more flexibility. The promotion of the home office, or the idea that two people share a job, are attempts to recognize employees' needs for more flexibility and daytime leisure. In the end, only those who can afford it opt for part-time models and shorter working hours. And there minimalists have a decisive advantage.
Minimalism: chicken sharing and bartering
"The value of time has long outstripped that of money for many people. It's more and more about spending time wisely - what used to be the philosophy of spiritually inspired people today is a mass phenomenon. "
Christiane Varga, Zukunftsinstitut
Martin Trümmel will reduce his full-time position to 20 weekly hours soon. "With my full-time job, I have so much money left over that it's a pleasure. With the reserves, I now come out for a long time. In addition, I create a lot of space for creative projects that make me happy and my life better. "This includes a self-catering farm, which he shares with friends:" Everyone builds something or breeds animals, as he enjoys. Then everything comes together and everyone takes what he needs. An interplay that benefits everyone. "His contributions include chickens and nandus, South American ostrich birds with very high-quality meat, barely obtainable in Austria. Even slaughter is itself. Martin Trümmel is thus part of a development that will shape our consumer behavior in the next few years, as futurist Christiane Varga says: "Bartering and self-sufficiency are increasingly important - you want to know what you eat. Above all, young and creative people always find new opportunities. Foods such as bread are made more often again and exchanged with the neighbors' tomatoes. This also benefits interpersonal values that are back in focus: the cultivation of social contacts and an interest in their environment. "
Minimalism: More time for the personality
Martin Løken manages to spend around 6.000 Euro per year. Side note: Norway is a bit more expensive than Austria. Martin does not need much money for his life. The adventures he experiences would not be affordable anyway. For some years he gave lectures on the dangers of car traffic to drivers in the Norwegian upper grades. Half-yearly. The rest of the time he has invested mainly in travel.
He has recently given up his well-paid job on other projects, such as political involvement in his region, organizing self-awareness camps for children, building a house as small and resource efficient as possible. And, traveling - and for Martin Løken very closely connected: the development of his personality. "I try to leave my comfort zone as often as I can. With every new challenge, my role repertoire and my self-confidence grow. No house, no car and no real job is a big challenge, no question - but I can meet her with my role repertoire adequately: as a car stopper, Wildcamper, as a social chameleon and as a couch surfers. "
Minimalism: adventure instead of comfort zone
A lifestyle like that of Martin Løken is a departure from what most people call the norm. But it can also be inspiring for those who long for more freedom, more independence, more adventures and more joie de vivre. Needs that are no longer individual phenomena even for futurologist Varga: "The standard program, the standard life is no longer interesting for many. What they want is an individual life, designed according to their own ideas. Leaving your personal comfort zone regularly brings adventure in everyday life, thrills and new exciting challenges. More and more people want to write their very own story. "
In general, stories have become more important. Also those behind products. Manufacturers are in high bloom, the demand for craftsmanship and home-made goods is increasing and so is the willingness to spend a lot of money on quality products with a good history that you can tell. Thus the desire for more quality and less quantity in all areas of life becomes the basic idea of minimalism. You can find that good or not. Undoubtedly, it contributes to the sustainable use of personal and ecological resources. And hardly anyone in my circle of acquaintances tells more exciting stories than Martin Trümmel and Martin Løken.
Photo / Video: Shutterstock.
