What is Freeganism?

[Kire]

Freegans are people who are concerned so deeply with the social and ecological impact of economic over-consumption that they choose to buy and work as little as possible and, instead, to live directly off the massive waste created by our modern society. Freegans avoid contributing labor or wealth to an economy based on materialism, explotation, greed and waste by refusing to participate in it. Instead of producing their own waste, Freegans sustain themselves off the already existing waste thereby curtailing garbage and pollution and lessening the over-all volume in the waste stream.

Because so much is trashed in our society, a freegan lifestyle can be one of great abundance -- food, books, magazines, comic books, newspapers, videos, music (CDs, cassettes, records, etc.), carpets, musical instruments, clothing, rollerblades, scooters, furniture, vitamins, electronics, pet care products, games, toys, bicycles, artwork, and just about any other type of consumer good can be found in the discards of retailers, institutions, and individuals simply by rummaging through their trash bins, dumpsters, and trash bags. Many of these items are entirely useable, clean, and safe in perfect or near-perfect condition. Lots of used items can also be found for free on websites like freecycle.org and in the free section of your local craigslist.org. To dispose of useful materials check out the EPA's Materials and Waste Exchanges directory. Of course, freegans are as happy to give for free as to take for free. When freegans do need to buy, they buy second-hand goods which reduces production and supports reusing and reducing what would have been wasted.

Some freegans also extend their commitment of non-participation to include transportation (via trainhopping, hitchhiking, walking, skating, and biking) and housing (via establishing communities to rehabilitate and inhabit abandoned buildings -- a.k.a squatting). Many freegans are part of communities of like minded people who collect resources together and share with others. They believe in the philosophy of mutual aid over competition and advocate sharing wealth with all instead of hoarding private property.

"Freegan" is a play on the word "vegan". While a vegan only sees harm in and avoids products from animal sources or products tested on animals, a freegan sees harm in all industrial products. A freegan restricts further her purchasing by choosing to monetarily consume nothing so as to give no economic power to the capitalist-consumer machine which inevitably hurts living beings and the Earth.

For additional definitions of freeganism, click here:

http://freegan.info/

[Lorien]

1. My mom is almost a Freegan

food is about the only thing she doesn't pluck from a dumpster!

I'm going to start driving around on Sunday evenings, scoping out what's left on the curbs. It's OBSCENE what people are throwing away these days! If nothing else, I'll take the stuff to Goodwill or list it on Freecycle.