Freegans Are Radical Recyclers
Freegans Dumpster Dive, Share Food and Protect the Environment
Freegans recover a multitude of items besides food when foraging. They find furniture and appliances that they can use or repair which prevents less landfill pollution.
The word freegan came from combining the words free and vegan. "Freegans embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed." (What is Freegan, Freegan info, 2007)
- Freegans share resources that would otherwise be wasted which minimizes the impact of consumption on the environment. Freegans are very community centered and focus on cooperation rather than profit driven competition.
- They refuse to succumb to advertising that tries to convince them to buy things they do not need while trying to obtain what they do need free. This voluntary simplicity reduces their financial needs giving them more time for family, friends, community activities and activism.
Profit driven economies often sacrifice the environment and the well-being of animals and people at any cost. Freegans strive to contribute to communities by reducing pollution and refusing to support sweatshop and child labor as well as abuses of animals, humans and the earth.
- They help reduce waste by recovering usable items that people needlessly discard. This helps promote independence from the profit driven economy. While they are most known for dumpster diving, many are involved with other activities that put waste to practical use such as:
Wild foraging
- This involves finding food and medicinal plants growing in the community. "Wildman" Steve Brill is one of the most famous wild foraging naturalists. He has authored many books including the “Wild Vegetarian Cookbook”. He has been leading foraging tours through parks in New York since 1982 and has even been arrested for it.
Squatting
- They seek abandoned buildings turning them into rent-free housing, community centers, arts and educational programs for low-income communities.
Free Markets and Free Stores
- These are events that people can go to and obtain free goods, exchange skills, socialize, dance and network.
Guerilla and Community Gardening
- Abandoned lots are converted into useful beautiful fruit and vegetable community gardens, which help feed others, improve the environment and add beauty to what was previously a polluted eyesore.
Community Bike Program
- People get together and share bikes, restore broken bikes and exchange bike parts. Volunteers also teach others how to repair bicycles, which increases people’s skills as well as promotes an environmentally friendly form of transportation.
Food Not Bombs
- Food Not Bombs has groups in over 200 cities and feel strongly about feeding hungry people because money seems to be found to provide for war yet not for food. Food is found and recovered to distribute to hungry people that would otherwise go to waste. They have had some problems with laws which specify that only a certain number of people can be fed at one time in public.
Entertainment and Education
- Freegans plan many free events and network together to spread the word about free parties, educational events, discussions, skill building workshops and more.
Freegan.info is a project of the Activism Center at Wetland Preserve founded in 1989. They're active in promoting compassion, justice and protecting the environment. They fight for human, animal and earth liberation through various means such as advocacy, protest and educational activities.
While Freegan practices are radical, their dedication and contribution to protecting the environment, promoting community centered lives and creating an ecologically sustainable lifestyle is admirable.
Sources: Freegan.info, 2007
