Introducing: Freeganism · Issue 866

Amy Hall reviews the controversial lifestyle of a Freegan and its possible place in student life

Advertising is everywhere, we are constantly being encouraged to “buy buy buy”. We are instructed to discard our old goods and replace them with new ones. However, this can have a detrimental effect on the environment and the people in it. Masses of energy are consumed, and pollution emitted, by producing these goods. Freeganism is a movement trying to combat this system

Freeganism partly stems from a realisation that boycotting unethical corporations is not enough to combat materialistic society. No matter what we buy we end up buying something that, at some level of production, has been involved in abuse of the earth and human and animal rights. Freegans try to purchase as little as possible and, when they do, they try to buy second hand to reduce the consumerism impact.

Freeganism is a lifestyle promoting community and social concern. By sharing, they try to boycott an economic system based on profit, reducing impact on the world by living as simply as possible, recycling and sharing resources.

Freeganism is also a political challenge to the amount we waste, especially when millions of people do not have access to basic necessities. FareShare (fareshare.org.uk) is a British organisation which attempts to rectify this disparity in the world. They work with food businesses to reduce waste and make sure that food that can be eaten is redistributed and consumed.

Unlike the extremely religious Freegan family represented a few months back on Channel 4’s Wife Swap, the Freegan lifestyle is not fundamentally based on religion and many Freegans do have ‘normal’ jobs, despite what was depicted on the programme.

Having many basic necessities accounted for by their lifestyle, some more dedicated Freegans find that they can afford to work on a more part time basis and thus can devote more time to their families and community. Often, Freegans are associated with political and environmental activists and or volunteers.

One of the things Freegans are most known for is ‘dumpster diving’ or ‘urban foraging’. This is done from the bins of shops, offices, restaurants-anywhere where there are useful goods being thrown away.

In the United Kingdom we waste a third of our food, with supermarkets being one of the biggest culprits. It is renowned that the majority, if not all, of these corporate giants, throw masses of packaged food away every day. This food is usually perfectly fine to eat for as long as up to a week after its disposal. The reason these quantities are discarded is due to strict, and quite ridiculous, health and safety regulations within company policies.

University student Rachel is a regular ‘dumpster diver’, she admits that her “experiences began as an experimental semi-joke. But, after our first successful ‘mission’ it became clear we had struck upon something rather marvellous!” She has almost managed to live off completely foraged food for three months. “By capitalising on the hideous amount of gorgeous tasting ‘waste’ that supermarkets throw away we are engaging in an activity that is environmental, ecological, fun and free”.

However, the legality of ‘dumpster diving’ is a grey area. Many supermarkets keep their bins over walls and could, in theory, charge ‘divers’ for trespassing. Still, companies are often reluctant to press charges for, ultimately, the reduction of their waste.

It is commonly acknowledged within Freegan communities that supermarkets are particularly embarrassed about the amount of edible food they are wasting. Where their legal concerns do lie however, are in being sued by individuals who have contracted illness from the disposed food. So much so many of these businesses have begun deliberately spoiling the food before it is thrown away; there are even rumours that food is sometimes sprayed with harmful chemicals.

Freegans, in principle, recycle as much as possible. It is in their ethic to compost and repair broken things and use sustainable transport where possible. Freecycle.org is a site where you can find fellow Freegans advertising unwanted goods in your town. This can range from TVs to beds to children’s clothes. However, everything must be offered for free. Services such as these can help to reduce landfill and the energy wasted in the construction of new items. Cardiff has a particularly active and successful group.

The Freegans who do have cars have made sure that they have converted their engines to use more sustainable fuel. In some cases this has been vegetable oil from restaurants; this not only reduces industrial waste, but can also help combat the emitting of harmful greenhouse gases.

Freegans also promote home grown food and herbal medicine. They reject the purchase of fruit and vegetables that have imported and packaged, as these processes have caused harm to the environment on several levels. It is fair to say that a large majority of society has lost touch with the benefits of nature. Freegans are, quite simply, trying to rekindle this connection through home growing and wild foraging.

Food Not Bombs (foodnotbombs.net) is another organisation supporting the Freegan message. They are a worldwide volunteer group who have been established for over 25 years, and recover food that would otherwise have been thrown away. From these supplies they produce hot vegetarian meals and offer them at gigs, protests and during natural disasters. (Delete as appropriate)

Freeganism is just one way of finding a more sustainable lifestyle. There are many people who would not call themselves Freegans who are still adopting parts of the lifestyle to try and be more environmentally friendly. All students love a freebie though and Freeganism could be a way of combining that love with a more environmentally friendly outlook.

To find out more go to freegan.org.uk.