Freegans: Urban Foragers

  First there were vegetarians.  Then there were Vegans.  Now, a movement that started in New York City but is spreading across the country is taking it to another level.   Known as “Freegans,” the radical organization is figuring out how to function in a capitalistic society without participating in it.

  One Freegan describes the movement as a “renaissance of hobo culture, infused with ideas from the movements for anarchy, radical environmentalism, animal rights, anti-globalization, anti sweatshop, voluntary simplicity, and primitivist (advocating a return to precivilized living) movements.”  In essence, Freegans refuse to participate in the economy in any way.

  In anthropological terms, they are foragers, modern-day hunters and gatherers.  Rather than buying their food, they rely on the large amounts of fresh-food waste that are common in metropolitan areas.  Yes, they are dumpster-divers—a term they embrace—and they do it by choice.

  Anyone who has worked in a retail or food-service position can attest to the enormous amounts of waste created by retailers.  “With food being discarded by retailers, the vast majority is still entirely usable.  In many cases items are discarded simply because a newer shipment has arrived and they need to create shelf space for the new items,” says a Freegan.  “Many prepared food sellers and bakeries advertise that the goods they sell are made fresh every day, so they are obligated to discard everything that goes unsold—usually the majority of what they produce that day—even though it is still perfectly consumable.”  Some businesses object to the foragers, but others are very accommodating.  “[Some] direct us to the best things that have been tossed, and sometimes even give us stuff that they are going to throw out before they toss it so we don’t have to rummage for it.”

  But it’s not just food that Freegans don’t buy; virtually everything they need can be found by looking in the right dumpster.  They also forage for their toiletries, magazines, furniture, rollerblades and bicycles, music and videos, kitchenware and appliances.  If they need a sofa or bookshelf, they simply wait for large-trash-pickup day in the suburbs and find one. 

  Freeganism is very exchange-oriented—it’s a trade society.  Utilizing the “free” section of Craigslist and other websites like Freecycle.com, and with organized events called “freemeets,” participants exchange items for free.  If a needed item cannot be found for free after all avenues have been exhausted, Freegans will try to buy things second-hand, which they claim doesn’t lead to increased production and also reduces waste.

  As a philosophy, Freeganism is an overarching and comprehensive attempt to remove oneself from a worldwide economy that its practitioners find oppressive and unjust.  It’s also about reducing the “waste-stream.” 

  For more information, log on to the most comprehensive Freegan website, www.freegan.info.

 -From Pulse
   October 26, 2006