People now of days are not much bothered with the amount of wastage created. They work, spent, trash and buy again. It is a cycle that seems unavoidable and reasonable for the following actions. But a group of people that call themselves freegans think they have found a way out. They scavenge instead of buy, volunteer instead of work and squat instead of rent. But there's a catch - to live off the grid, they have to eat out of the trash. So, what exactly are freegans? what are their philosophy? what do they practice? and most of all what do you think about them after getting to know more about the freegans?.
Freegans are dumpster divers who rescue furniture, clothes, household items and even food cast off by others. Freegans are not homeless; in fact, most could easily afford to buy their own food. They have instead chosen to live what they believe is an ethical, unadulterated lifestyle and disassociate themselves from capitalism and consumerism. Many freegans extend their beliefs beyond the food they eat. In addition to dumpster diving, some freegans squat on abandoned property or grow gardens on empty lots. Some choose not to hold jobs and instead volunteer or teach repair workshops for other freegans. Freegans scavenge item to help minimize the cycle of consumption because it was reported that people wasted 96 billion pounds of food a year - a quarter of the nation's supply.
The existing group have its own philosophy. The freegans are usually driven by their anti-consumerist beliefs. The freegans believe that consumerism destroys the environment and degrades society. Furthermore, they also believe that deforestation, factory farming and unfair labor practices are a natural result of a profit-centered culture. They resist electronics upgrades and changing fashions. Moreover, they repair what they already own and trade items among themselves. Many of them use their spare time to volunteer, campaign for pet issues, teach repair workshops and, of course, scavenge. They also believe that society relies too much on oil. Some freegans convert their cars to run on biodiesel. Others walk or bike when possible.
Most freegans live in cities where trash is high quality and plentiful. New York City, with its density and wealth, is practically the capital of freeganism. Because freegans tend to concentrate in urban areas, most practice urban foraging. Freegans look for furniture or bags of clothing on curbsides, electronics in office Dumpsters and food behind grocery stores and restaurants. They usually establish a routine - a set of Dumpsters they visit weekly or even daily. Many learn when trash goes out and when Dumpsters are unattended.
The idea of being a freegan have many critics. There are advantanges and disadvantages of being a freegan. The advantages of being a freegan is that, one could prevent the further pollutions on the ecosystem, reduce the sum of cash spend on goods, and lessen the amount of food waste. Then again, being a freegan provides a negative image to the country, creates problems to the super markets and having a greater risk of developing health related illness. When there are tourists visitng the country and discover the existence of freegans, they might have a negative impression towards the freegans. The tourists might considered them as unhygenic and aggresive beings that are involved in risky behaviors. Thus, they will have negative impressions to the country, assuming that the country is unsafe to visit. However, freegans do not post threat to any authorities. Instead, they are the green rangers on mother nature. They often participate in charity and minimize the usage of any items that could possibly damage the environment. The acts of freegans actually bring awareness to public that there are too many wasted items that can be use. Therefore, being a freegans is actually not a bad thing.
Even though the scavaging of foods in super market might provide hassles to the super market, the freegans are determined in their actions. Many stores discourage freegans because they are afraid of lawsuits from divers who get sick from discarded food. Thus, this worrying matter is often a problem faced by many stores. Although sell-by dates items discarded by the stores provide a general idea of when food will go bad, they are not safety dates. Therefore, freegans are not worry in diving through the garbage to hunt foods. By practising the lifestyle of freegans, the amount of money spent on goods greatly reduced, because freegans recycle and reuse dumped items by mending it. Furthermore, the practice of freegans could reduce the money spent on disposal. Isn't that beneficial for the stores and the governments?
Lastly, foods in dumpster is contaminated by bacterial. It is said that the cause of most food-borne illnesses, can happen at any point: at harvest, during shipping or -- surprise -- while sitting in a Dumpster. It is a fact that bacteria multiply most rapidly in the danger zone between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. However, many freegans claim they've never gotten sick from properly cleaned and cooked scavenged food. All they need to do is having the knowledge to hunt the food in a prper manner. For example, only select food that have wrappers.
In conclusion, even though the sound of freegans may sound unpleasant to many, they actually bring benefits to the country. The freegans do not harm the environment, splurge on unecessary goods and foods. Therefore, being a freegan is not a bad idea after all.
