What is A Freegan?

Somebody who abstains from contributing to the economy and salvages society’s wasted food and resources rather than purchase more themselves.

I also found that freegan.info takes the definition a step further to include not just people searching for food but also:

“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.”

Personally, I think this is great, unless they are a free-loaders (we all know lots of them). When I look at people’s trash cans and the new shoes, clothes, sports equipment they throwaway, I don’t blame anyone for dumpster diving, taking things out of the trash, reselling or using.

I just gotta Tell Ya

• Americans represent 5% of the world’s population, but generate 30% of the world’s garbage
• Americans waste or cause to be wasted nearly 1 million pounds of materials per person every year.
• Less than 2% of the total waste stream in the United States is recycled.

Here is the kicker: If you were savvy and had access to a computer, you would never need to

1. buy sporting equipment, shoes, clothes again.
2. buy mattresses, furniture, computers again.- all of that is free
3. buy fertilizer, there is plenty of free dirt available and no need to add nutrients, compost.
4. buy food (yes, there is plenty of food – 96.4 Billion pounds of food go uneaten

That is not the full list, but there is something to be said for Freeganism. Why not take what other throw away?