Freegans are scavengers of the developed world, living off consumer waste in an effort to minimize their support of corporations and their impact on the planet, and to distance themselves from what they see as out-of-control consumerism. They forage through supermarket trash and eat the slightly bruised produce or just-expired canned goods that are routinely thrown out, and negotiate gifts of surplus food from sympathetic stores and restaurants.
They dress in castoff clothes and furnish their homes with items found on the street; at freecycle.org, where users post unwanted items; and at so-called freemeets, flea markets where no money is exchanged. Some claim to hold themselves to rigorous standards. ‘If a person chooses to live an ethical lifestyle it’s not enough to be vegan, they need to absent themselves from capitalism,’ said Adam Weissman, 29, who started freegan.info four years ago and is the movement’s de facto spokesman.
(via Hit and Run)
June 22, 2007 at 2:08 am
See also One Person’s Dumpster Is Another’s Diner
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some of these people. I’ve been on a few tours and attended one of the meetings before I left New York.
“…slightly bruised produce…”
Well, now, a lot of it isn’t bruised at all. These businesses follow pretty strict guidelines about when to throw things out, and those guidelines err well on the side of safety, so most of the food is still good when it reaches the curb. Can’t vouch for the meat, most of the time, but then you can’t really vouch for it when it’s in the store either.