waste not...want not


I take my learnin’ anywhere I can get it….books…internet….word of mouth….Oprah.

“Freegans.” This is the new term I learned from the O show yesterday. Wikipedia defines this lifestyle as follows:

Freeganism is an anti-consumerism lifestyle whereby people employ alternative living strategies 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.” The lifestyle involves salvaging discarded, unspoiled food from supermarket dumpsters that have passed their sell by date, but are still edible and nutritious. They salvage the food not because they are poor or homeless, but as a political statement.

Interesting huh? There was a young couple from Nashville on the show. He’s a doctor and she’s a civil engineer. They could purchase anything they want easily, but choose to “dumpster dive” at grocery stores for food and anything else salvageable. Let me tell you, it blew my mind. Their refrigerator was full of produce….beautiful produce. They had frozen pizzas in their freezer and a cabinet full of canned goods. They had a case of cereal in their pantry…name brand cereal. They had salvaged an ab roller and several tables. Their philosophy was that it’s better to use everything that you can or find someone that can use it, than fill up a land fill with it. I tend to agree with them. Another lady on the show had hit the mother load of coffee…..100 1lb bags of premium coffee beans. Her freezer was full and she’d shared with many friends. Her question? “Do coffee beans ever really go bad??????” Good point. What do you think happens to the egg cartons that have a broken egg? Yup...off to the dumpster they go.

I must admit, I got a little angry when I saw all the “good” food that had been pitched by the grocery stores. I realize that they have to abide by regulations, etc. but it still gave me the red ass. That food could all be taken to shelter to help feed the homeless. We have hungry people in every city in the United States yet we’d rather send food to rot in a land fill than feed them. Sad isn’t it?

I think the Freegans just may be on to something. Am I going to start dumpster diving? One never knows……