Could you do this?

[ravenmaniac]

She Lives Off What We Throw Away - 1 - Living Green - Your Life - MSN Lifestyle

This is an interesting article on freegans. I believe I could do it with other people, by myself no.

[pollypurebred39]

If I had to I could, but I wouldn't choose it.

I have however been more then happy to take a piece of furniture someone has set out with a free sign on it. Or to go through free boxes after a yard sale.

It's a sure trip to jail out this way if you dumpster dive. Police routinely circle the stores, small town, not a lot of calls. You're bound to be nose to nose with an officer within a week of diving. I know people do though, they are more Ninja about it though.

My son's store regularly throws out vitamins, medicine, HAB, holiday stuff, pet stuff, housewares, & food. It makes him half sick as he's chucking the bags in the dumpster and has often said, I hope someone comes and claims that stuff tonight after throwing bag after bag of perfectly good items away.

[shoiji]

I would probably go with no. Then again if circumstances were horrible I probably would think about it.

[flashyMcGee]

Youtube has some videos on Freegans if anyone is interested. I think there is one of two doctors who have chosen this lifestyle. Definately not for me.

[mndtrp]

For food, no. Although, the bags of coffee beans would be nice.

Clothing, furniture, anything I could clean well, sure.

[Ramona]

I saw a story about this on television. It was about NYC vegans and how they rescue good food from the trash. A lot of it is packaged and unpackaged fruits and veggies are in good shape. The group leaves the area cleaner than they found it.

I'd try it if I were with them .

[piney]

For food, no. Although, the bags of coffee beans would be nice.

Clothing, furniture, anything I could clean well, sure.

me or my family would have to be starving if i went for the food other things i could clean up if i needed it ok.

[Darlene]

Good for them! To the guy eating the smelly sushi: What were you thinking Dude?!

[Ali Lee]

ditto ^^ Good for them! I don't see anything wrong with it and I would eat it, too.

[nuisance26]

~Modern foraging. Yes I would do this if I lived in the city. But not for all my food. Great way to get free produce though.
The country farm stands call bruised/ugly fruit/veggies "the drops" and you still have to pay for them at a reduced price. I'd rather have them for free.
I can't imagine ever joining the movement though. It'd be nice to have the network of support and insider info but I don't agree with the majority of their political/social opinions.
For instance, the article states that freegans blame capitalism for the waste. I view it as a Governmental regulations problem. Stores/restaurants have to abide by laws that force them to discard perfectly usable stuff. And they have to toss it in a way that can't get them sued by litigators citing the same laws they were trying to abide by.
It'd be so nice to have usable foods put out on curbs in bright green trash bags with a date/hour of when it was put out.
The bakery I used to work out put out a ton of old stuff for a local farmer to pick up for his pigs. They never gave away the same old bread and doughnuts to the poor people who came around the back door asking. Food regulations just didn't allow them to discard two day old stuff for human consumption. Sad.~

[FrabjousDay]

Only if I absolutely had to.

[ravenmaniac]

The sushi thing had me wondering too. I would not eat sushi from the trash even if it was wrapped, and especially if it had an aroma. (I thought of the Seinfeld episode where George ate the eclair out of the trash and his girlfriend's mother caught him.)

I worked at Walmart for a few years, years ago, and the stuff they threw away made you sick. They also had a lock on the dumpster and threatened employees with prosecution if you were to dumpster dive for anything.

The trash on the streets is fair game, I am assuming. That is why freegans go through it with no problem, and the respect they show by not leaving a mess?

I found the article interesting, in the city you may be able to live fairly well on a smaller income.

[Merrilee]

Me too, with others maybe but not alone...

I was in KMart once & a clerk was ripping off all the covers on their paperback books & tossing them in a cart to take to the dumpster. I wondered why they couldn't sell them in a cheap bin or donate to Goodwill then realized well if they do either of those things, they sell less new books....what a shame & a waste.

[erinalexmom]

I personally couldnt bring myself to do it for food but I think more power to them because it does put less waste in the landfill. It is also so sad that we could feed Africa with our waste It makes you think about all the crazy little things you throw away everyday

[Spirit Deer]

Me too, with others maybe but not alone...

I was in KMart once & a clerk was ripping off all the covers on their paperback books & tossing them in a cart to take to the dumpster. I wondered why they couldn't sell them in a cheap bin or donate to Goodwill then realized well if they do either of those things, they sell less new books....what a shame & a waste.

The stores are reimbursed by returning the covers. To sell or give away 'stripped' new books and magazines is an infringement of copyright because profit is being made but the publishers and/or authors are not being paid.