Freegans?

[moosmom]

Freedom,

It's a shame the food isn't donated. When BB&B takes back goods (alot of people return stuff cuz they just aren't satisfied with it). If it's used, we "damage it out" and bring it back to receiving where they'll mark it up with bright pink spray paint so no one pilfering through the trash will try to return it for a store credit (if they don't have the receipt they don't get cash back). You'd be surprized how often it happens. They do donate alot of comforters, gently used pillows, blankets to homeless shelters.

Freegans are here too. They also go around at trash night picking up furniture, stuff that people no longer want, but they still work.

It's just a shame about the food.

[AmberLee]

I recently become aware of FreeCycling, where people post online of items they no longer wish to own, or request items they'd like to own ...

I wonder if any of the Freegans are also members of FreeCycle?

FreeCycle.com is run through Yahoo groups here in northern Calif, although it may have a stand-alone site in other places...

[Pam]

I have put things out via Craigslist for a "curb alert." If there is anything I hate it is throwing something out that might get crunched in the trash truck that might be useful to someone. A couple of months ago I dug up a bunch of hostas and day lily and iris bulbs in order to thin out my flowerbeds. I did a Craigslist "curb alert" and they were gone within the hour. It is truly a shame about the food we waste each and every day while many go hungry. I am glad some people are able to make use of it.

[cassiesmom]

My sister and her family live in a town with lots of very wealthy families. Trash day is Monday, so the buckets go out to the curbs on Sunday night. In the summer, you'll see vehicles cruising the neighborhood looking for good "finds" put out on the curb by these wealthy families. It's sad.

[Catlady711]

Two comments here...

1) The Freecycle does have local chapters all over the US, someone would have to do a search for the towns nearby them to see if there's a local chapter for that area.

2) I'm not poor (not rich either) but I am a scavenger by nature, I could just be a pack rat though. I'm always checking out between the washers/dryers at the laundromat for dropped quarters also under monkey bars at the playground, and will stop to pry a single penny loose from the pavement during an ice storm.

I can't ever imagine myself scavenging food but I have been known to pick up items occassionally from the curbs. I once needed one of those old fashioned metal tubs for my firepit ashes but boy those things are hard to find and expensive. One day while riding my bike around town I found a HUGE pile of junk at the curb, sorta looked like someone was moving out. In that pile was a perfectly good tub just like I was looking for! No holes, no rust, handles still in great shape, clean even, the only flaw was that it had one small dent on it. I snapped that puppy up and rode it home on my bike. I sure musta been a sight riding with that big thing. LOL Hubby once found a slighly stained but perfectly useable small coleman cooler just the perfect size for our fishing worms.

[sirrahved]

Freegans and freecyclers are completely different. Freecyclers offer things to other people that they no longer need, and look to see if things they need are offered on the list before they buy.

Freegans (spoof on the word vegans) are people who try to eat everything, or almost everything, for free. They scour dumpsters of restaurants, grocery stores, etc, for thrown out food. There is a REASON this food is thrown out. The FDA has rules on how long produce and leftovers can be kept. This is to prevent people from getting sick! This idea completely icks me out. I'm not just talking about homeless people who have no other option. It's a "green" movement.

[moosmom]

Bev,

The thing about dumpster diving for food totally icks me out too. I can't even imagine not being able to find or afford food.

But the other finds, such as stuff people no longer want is a cool thing. I found lots of stuff I was able to use before I was able to buy some better stuff.

[crow_noir]

Last time i knew, all FreeCycle Groups have to be hosted on Yahoo Groups.

Due to a lot of disagreements between the main site and some of the groups, some have broke off and become "Recycle" or "Freestuff" groups.

I recently become aware of FreeCycling, where people post online of items they no longer wish to own, or request items they'd like to own ...

I wonder if any of the Freegans are also members of FreeCycle?

FreeCycle.com is run through Yahoo groups here in northern Calif, although it may have a stand-alone site in other places...

[Twisterdog]

I agree with the majority of what CatLady711 said.

Maybe it comes from working hard all my life, but my basic philosophy is, if you are capable of working you'd better be doing so. And if you choose not to, then starve of your own freewill, but do so quietly, please. And don't expect someone to coddle you.

I do, however, think the amount of waste in this country is a terrible, crying shame. I NEVER throw anything away that is not hopelessly ruined. I donate everything that is possibly useful to a charity. There is always someone, somewhere that wants it.

Our local Humane Socity does a city clean up day once a year, where we basically go pick up stuff for people and haul it away. They donate to the Humane Society for payment. And you would not BELIEVE what people throw away. I would say we actually end up keeping about 75% of the stuff people tell us is garbage, and needs to go to the landfill. We sell it for another fundraiser, our annual yard sale. People throw away brand new clothes, perfectly good furniture and household goods, and the thing that makes me very sad, soooo many books.

I think the materialistic, throw-away society we live in is pathetic. We are filling our landfills with perfectly good items, and polluting and destroying natural resources to make more of pretty much the same items. Sad.

[Donnaj4962]

I have never heard of these folks before. I am going to do some more research on them (when I am not at work! ). Sounds like a strange lifestyle to me.

I have heard of a family in our area that, due to downsizing, both parents are out of work. Instead of going on food stamps, foreclosing on their house, etc., stated their own business. They "recycle" folks old appliances, computers, etc. They do everything environmentally safe with what they can and then sell what they can for scrap. Apparently, they are making quite a living by hauling away other folks "trash"!!! I am impressed with their engenuity and desire to help the environment.

[crow_noir]

Sad thing is that in a lot of places it is completely illegal to do any form of dumpster diving or curb surfing.

Freedom,

It's a shame the food isn't donated. When BB&B takes back goods (alot of people return stuff cuz they just aren't satisfied with it). If it's used, we "damage it out" and bring it back to receiving where they'll mark it up with bright pink spray paint so no one pilfering through the trash will try to return it for a store credit (if they don't have the receipt they don't get cash back). You'd be surprized how often it happens. They do donate alot of comforters, gently used pillows, blankets to homeless shelters.

Freegans are here too. They also go around at trash night picking up furniture, stuff that people no longer want, but they still work.

It's just a shame about the food.