Intern Diaries: The Freegan Movement?!

July 29, 2009 2:30 pm     Posted in Reality  Maddie - Tufts University g+ page

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By Maddie

I made a very interesting discovery at work yesterday (we’re researching investigative story ideas), and if any of you readers live in NYC and spend time outside of the Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods in Union Square, you may have witnessed what I’m about to discuss: The Freegan Movement.

Freegans are people (sometimes homeless, but often not) who commit to living a life of limited participation in the conventional economy. They believe that food and shelter are a right as opposed to a privilege, and they are opposed to the fact that homeless people live on the city streets when there are vacant apartments that exist under the grip of capitalist landlords.

So they go scavenging, or “dumpster diving,” for unspoiled food that has been thrown away, and they often recover non-food items like toiletries and electronics. Freegans (a combination of the words “free” and “vegan”) essentially oppose the purchase of any item in attempt to boycott the corporations responsible for human rights violations, environmental destruction, and animal abuse.

They also often “squat” in apartments (meaning they occupy rooms that they do not own that are often decrepit or under construction), and they participate in “voluntary joblessness” as a way to speak out against America’s money driven society. They believe that work is a waste of time because it only serves to accumulate material items, that it’s ridiculous to take orders from others, and that we would be better off volunteering or spending time with family.

Crazy, right?

Some interesting facts:

- Freegans are often people who have jobs and homes, yet still choose to eat out of dumpsters. They basically exist on trash.

- Instead of fueling their cars with gasoline, they often steal discarded vegetable oil from restaurants to fill up their tanks.

- Many Freegans collect and compost human manure (a.k.a: poop!) rather than using modern plumbing systems, as they believe they are wastes of electricity and water. They create their own toilet receptacles that often contain sawdust to act as a natural biofilter.

- They often have confrontations with true homeless people, who believe that the Freegans are stealing the food and other items that they need to use in order to survive.

Being an underpaid intern, Freeganism is sounding really good right about now. I mean, I’m only a few steps from living on the streets anyway, right?

What do you think? Would you go dumpster diving for dinner?

16 Comments on "Intern Diaries: The Freegan Movement?!"

  1. Erin says:
    Wed, 29th Jul 200910:59 am 

    I would never do this. I think it's hilarious that the real homeless would get angry, understandably so as these stupid people are stealing from them. While i understand some of their ideas I think they are just another off shoot of lazy hippies who are too Philosophical for their own good. Well I am only a few steps from living on the street myself I was taught this kind of life is shameful and lazy. There are those who do not choose that life and I feel that in some manner it's making a mockery of those who do really need help and have no choice but to live on the streets. I also have a feeling that these people are coming from a past where life was easy and instead of truly doing good they prefer to waste their lives protesting and actually being ignored.

  2. ana says:
    Wed, 29th Jul 20091:14 pm 

    Woah. these guys must only come out in the summertime…they're rarely around Union normally. Or they just blend in with the regular hobos.

  3. Mimzy says:
    Wed, 29th Jul 20097:56 pm 

    Hmm, let's see. I have a decent job, a home, and some money to spend. Do I buy myself some food at the grocery store, or do I go dumpster diving and consume the dirt and germs I find there? Gee, I think I'll go with the latter! It's SO COOL!

  4. Amy says:
    Wed, 29th Jul 20098:41 pm 

    Some grocery stores, restaurants, etc. throw out tons of perfectly good food that is in several sealed layers of plastic and is perfectly safe to eat. I have friends who dumpster dive for that stuff. I wouldn't do it, but I don't see anything wrong with eating perfectly good food that no one else wants.

  5. Casey says:
    Wed, 29th Jul 20099:39 pm 

    Jesus would NOT approve.

    If my sister was a Freegan I wouldn't go to her wedding!….Oh I didn't go anyways. Oops.

  6. Mary says:
    Thu, 30th Jul 20095:01 am 

    Jesus would not approve? He probably would approve of the idea that food and shelter should be a right.Jesus was into giving all he had to make other people's lives better not hoarding as much as he could for himself. Americans are so quick to brand anyone who believes in people supporting one another as lazy crazy socialists. But people should be able to live in a proper shelter, they should be cared for in old age and they should receive the same level of healthcare as anyone else despite income and social class. Just because you have more money you deserve better treatment? Money does not make you a better person.

  7. Amira says:
    Thu, 30th Jul 20095:24 am 

    Who's this "Jesus/God would not approve" person? I've seen her (or him?) comment on another article with a similar disapproval. WTF? I hope it's a inside joke that I just don't get. But FYI Jesus was a bum who didn't have a job and walked everywhere, which means he was also at the mercy of other people giving him food and a place to stay.

    Although I am not a freegan, I have dumpster dived, and I have friends who do this on a regular basis. You find all kinds of things that are still usable or edible. The things I found helped me become more aware of how much trash I can make on my own. It has made me more selective about what I buy, and what/how I eat.

  8. Ace says:
    Thu, 30th Jul 20096:24 am 

    OK, I'm not a freegan. And while I am broke I'm not about to hop in a dumpster for my lunch. However…I really respect what these people are about. It isn't about being a lazy hippie, it's about reclaiming waste and trying to reduce the impact on the planet. I don't see how anyone can be bothered by that. Yes, I understand the homeless being upset, but realistically, the freegans aren't stealing from them, no one owns discarded food. I commend and respect freegans.

  9. Casey says:
    Thu, 30th Jul 20096:26 am 

    Wow, I LOVE that someone is posting ridiculous comments pretending to be me. Keep it up asshole!

  10. Sarah says:
    Thu, 30th Jul 20098:31 am 

    I'm sorry, but I find it ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS that someone is posing as Casey on this site. I'm not saying I condone it, but I seriously lol'd.

  11. Sarah says:
    Thu, 30th Jul 20098:34 am 

    P.S. I spoke to my ex awhile ago and found out that since we broke up, he hasn't paid for groceries once. That was 7 months ago. Apparently he and his friend find all their food in carefully plastic-wrapped containers in dumpsters behind grocery stores now.

    I don't know if I'm jealous of the free food or just grossed out by the idea of someone being so lazy and greedy that they can't just pay for groceries. He makes $18 as a landlord; it's not like he's pressed for cash. Freeganism is bull and I feel bad for the homeless people that they're indirectly stealing from.

  12. Casey says:
    Thu, 30th Jul 20099:07 am 

    Oh and impostor me, I DID go to my sisters wedding, I just wasn't her brides maid, if you're going to post ridiculous comments at least get the facts straight.

    And thanks Sarah, I'll be sure to laugh at you when someone posts comments under your name that completely go against what you believe as well.

  13. Rebecca says:
    Thu, 30th Jul 20097:08 pm 

    I've done this before; not because I'm broke, just because. Bagel places in NYC throw out bags full of bagels made that day because they make new ones every morning. Most places know that people take this food and kids do it all the time at NYU. You just have to be careful about it, but they always put the food in bags separate from actual garbage.

  14. Jes says:
    Fri, 14th Aug 20098:42 am 

    I have friend who used to eat the leftover popcorn at the movies… haha (ew) I'd never do it, but hey, who really cares?

    And the germs really aren't that bad.. I've seen people surviving off of MUCH worse in the slums of Costa Rica than anything you'll find behind an American steakhouse…

    We're just so damn "socially conscious" & mentally germ-picky we assume that anything that's not straight out of a sterile kitchen is inedible… sigh…

  15. Jes says:
    Fri, 14th Aug 20098:45 am 

    "they often steal discarded vegetable oil from restaurants to fill up their tanks."

    PS- how can you "steal" anything that's been discarded?

    (*scratches head)

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