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Who are the Freegans?

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The Freegans are Anti-Consumers

When I first heard of the Freegans I didn't know what to think.

Although taking garbage home for dinner seems a bit odd to most people, Freegans do it every day. And they know just where to go "shopping" too. You will find them fishing around in the dumpsters of some of the finest grocery stores and restaurants all over America.

The most surprising part of all of this is that Freegans are not neccessarily poor. Most of them just hate to see food and things wasted.

Unfortunately, with the failing economy, Freeganism is becoming a new way of life for many who ARE in need.

They take food, clothing or home furnishings that have been discarded and transform this former garbage into edible dinners, useable clothing and repaired furnishings.

Cut the brown stuff off the apple and you've got good apple left, right?

Take a look at this eccentric lifestyle then speak up in my guestbook and share what you think.

Article about Freegans from the LA Times

Read this great article from the LA times to learn more about who the real Freegans are.

Free-lunch foragers - Los Angeles Times: For lunch in her modest apartment, Madeline Nelson tossed a salad made with shaved carrots and lettuce she dug out of a Whole Foods dumpster. She flavored the dressing with miso powder she found in a trash bag on a curb in Chinatown. She baked bread made with yeast plucked from the garbage of a Midd

Official Freegan Website

The following links will bring you to Freegan.Info where you can learn everything you need to know about being a Freegan and Freeganism.

Freegan.info: Freegan.infoStrategies for Sustainable Living Beyond Capitalism Official Website
Freegan.info | LocalDirectories: Dumpster Sites
Freegan.info | Events: A listing of Freegan Events

Read What the Bloggers are Saying about Freegans

Dumpster diving for food: One local woman's 'freegan' diet: This scavenging for food is part of her ?freegan? lifestyle, where she and a friend, or group of...
The Way of the Freegan: Although freeganism, or dumpster diving, may require you to add some gloves and a good pair of boots...
Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga Disappearance Diary: Living this freegan, hobo lifestyle, he actually gets fat. The only real problem is the rain and cold....
Make New Friends, Dine Out and Throw Away Stuff at NY's Meetups: Jeffries also dined on sleeves of Saltines and an intact box of Godiva chocolates at the NYC Freegan...

Recycled Toys

Finding New Homes for Old Toys

Helping to find new homes for no longer wanted toys.
Check them out!

Toy Rescue: MySpace profile for ToyRescue with pictures, videos, personal blog, interests, information about me and more

Living Off of the Land

Books with practical information

These informative books contain information on how you can "live off of the land" so to speak.

Although I don't agree with the Freegans dumpster diving techniques, I do agree with recycling other products and believe that everyone should try to do their part in saving the environment before it becomes one big garbage heap.

What is Your Opinion

Are you for freeganism or against it and why?

Do you think Freeganism is a good idea?

Fetching blurbs now... please stand by

Yes. definitely!

Wedding_Mom says:

I think it is great, we are a wasteful society, they believe in using what we throw away! Love it.

Posted July 22, 2011

marsha32 says:

if it's going to be throw out, why not? Technically it is against the law.
I worked at the dollar store and anything that was returned was just thrown away with little of nothing really wrong with it. The nasty manager when finding others were taking things out of the trash started pouring a gallon of bleach on the boxes of stuff to prevent people from trash digging. I thought it was very sad.

Posted December 13, 2010

wildirishviolets says:

I was practicing this very thing about ten years ago at a local thrift store. they were throwing awar enormous quantities of perfectly usable clothing,shoes,toys, household goods...you name it. Simply because the amount of donations they received was too great for them to handle, so their answer was ...put the excess in the dumpster. Whatever I could not use or give to family, friends or relative, I would wash or clean and take to a local church where they had a collection point for a south American Mission. One day an employee came out of the Thrift store and told me "We've been watching you, and you can't take anymore stuff out of the dumpsters, it's stealing, we will call the police." I asked how it was stealin if it was in the trash? No answer. The next time I came back, there were signs posted all over the dumpsters "No Tresspassing". Other people were still taking things out of the dumpsters. I did not want to risk it. the next time I went there theyhad built a fence around the dumpsters with a locked gate. They would rather the stuff go into a landfill than see people get any use out of it-ludicrous. I gave up after that. Our local groceries do not throw away any food, they destroy it rather than put it out where anyone else (HOMELESS) could get it. They claim it is the law.

Posted August 03, 2010

VIVIAN BARNA says:

YES, AND DID YOU KNOW THAT WE EXPORT BILLIONS OF TONS OF TRASH TO OTHER COUNTRIES. SICK SICK SICK!!!

Posted October 26, 2009

RinchenChodron says:

I have a couple of friends who are experts at this. One used to dumpster dive and then take the goods to the Dog Track where they have a flee market and sell the stuff. Also regularly ate pizza from the dumpster and grocery store markdowns.

Posted November 08, 2008

No way!

nightcats says:

I wouldn't practice this personally, although I do what I can to reduce waste in my own household. I think its a valid lifestyle choice for those who want to follow it.

Posted September 17, 2010

nightcats says:

Not for me personally. I do the est I can to eliminate waste in my own household and I recycle what I can, but I wouldn't pursue freeganism. On the other hand, I think its a lifestyle choice for those who do and I say good for them.

Posted September 17, 2010

Spook says:

I think it poses far too many health problems. Surely there has to be a better way. With clothing it's simple, put it in a bag and give it to charity. Food seems a bit more dangerous thing to do this. Thoughtful lens.

Posted November 08, 2008

Margo_Arrowsmith says:

Well, yes and no. I will post this on the no side to balance it, but can make an argument for either side.

We should definitely be recycling. The land fills are waaaaay to full now. Also we just don't need all this c**p we buy and it just gets us working for nothing.

However.....if we don't buy things, people lose jobs. Its that simple.

Posted November 08, 2008

spirituality says:

I don't think I could see myself doing this. Costs way to much energy, for instance. But I'm not against other people doing it. I'm not for other people doing it. Trash is nobody's property, so if they want to use it, let them.

Posted May 23, 2008

view all 13 comments

Take a Look at what this Secret Freegan is Doing

Freegan Reader Feedback

Personally, umm, no thanks . . . I think I'll pass.
What do you think of the concept of Freeganism?
Are you a Freegan? Do you know any freegans?

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Wedding_Mom Jul 22, 2011 @ 9:55 pm | delete

Great story and great lens. I love it.

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marsha32 Dec 13, 2010 @ 8:00 pm | delete

I first heard this word on the Oprah show. I then searched and read up about it online. We don't have the types of food stores here that she showed in the episode as far as food.
However, the household items and such are very feasible here.

Bless by a Squid Angel

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nightcats Sep 17, 2010 @ 11:22 am | delete

Its an interesting concept. I haven't heard of it before. I support it in the sense that reducing the amount of waste in our society is a good thing and hat's off to people to do what they can in that regard. On the other hand, our economy is based on consumerism -- and consumerism in turn contributes considerably to our environmental crisis., It's a problem for wiser minds than mine to solve.

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nightcats Sep 17, 2010 @ 11:01 am | delete

I had never heard of freeganism until now. Thanks for educating me. I am of mixed minds. In part, I totally support the idea of using food and other items that would otherwise go to waste. I waste little to nothing in my own household. However, from an economic standpoint, most developed countries have an economy based on consumerism. If everyone stopped consuming, we would all end up jobless. However, when practised by a small group of people, it it is a lifestyle choice.

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Wordwinder Apr 2, 2010 @ 9:46 pm | delete

Conceptually a commendable idea, but in practice ....? Personally, I would rather adhere to a minimalist manner of living than adopt freeganism. A great topic for a lens. Makes one contemplate.
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