Freegans: Insane or Smart? (or a little bit of both?)

As I search online for the latest green budget information and details on how to lower your carbon footprint, I keep coming across information, and often jokes, about “freegans.” So I decided to write a blog on these folks finally. I am neither advocating nor condoning their lifestyle but I must admit, I am a tad envious of their low to no personal carbon impact.

So what is a freegan? According to the freegan.info website, a freegan is (and I quote):

“Freegans are people who employ alternative strategies for living based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources. Freegans embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity, and greed.”

These “alternative strategies” are vast and varied but do include the infamous dumpster diving. It’s not just food they look for but furniture, clothes, books, tools, and any other item that can be recovered rather than purchased. Now, I should clarify, not all freegans jump into dumpsters when no one is looking, many smart people ask for free stuff inside the stores before they get dumped in the trash cans.

Freegans are not fans of the “system” but they do seem to be benefiting from it. The items that gather save precious planetary resources, help useful and toxic items avoid the immortal grave of the landfill and role model a minimal waste lifestyle but they do not, in my humble opinion, live out of the system.

They are just clever about the way they utilize it.

It’s not just dumpsters, its swapping items, avoiding petrochemical use and actively attempting to help the planet rather than hinder it. All good things in my book. They may get a tad passionate at times but rather passion than apathy right?

Freegans try to live up to a high moral standard and may perhaps look down on the rest of us consumers. Personally, I’m a middle way kind of gal. If I can get it for free, second hand or use local sustainable products, I will.

But go dumpster diving in little ol’ Wyoming? Probably not going to happen.

Although I’m not completely averse to a quick trip to the city dump to see what’s there. I’ve heard there is a lot of furniture. And I could go late in the day when no one else is there. Just to peruse, to see just what harm people are causing to the planet with their uninformed dumping.

And maybe pick up a chair or two.

But not a sandwich. No, I draw the line there.