Waste and Taste
Americans do so many things unethically that it would make people from other countries sick. One thing that we do with total disregard is consume, gas, clothes and especially food. The waste that takes place in our café alone could feed a town in a town of any third world country. There are some people who have decided to eat ethically, to eat healthily, and to go against the norms of American consumerism. You may call them bums, or scrubs, but this underground community is more popularly known as Freegans.
These people dig through the dumpsters of America’s restaurants, bagel shops, and supermarkets in search of free and healthy food that businessmen so flagrantly throw away. Most of these people, primarily 20-somethings, are not poor but rebellious. Rebelling against consumerism, intake, and improper waste. Most Freegans that I know are actually rich, but that wasteful upbringing has led them to this lifestyle. One Freegan said “I know it’s a not a huge difference, but I’m in the negative when it comes to waste.” In the negative while the rest of America, probably 99.9% is well into the positive.
When looking for food the Freegans pick packaged food out of trash bags and dumpsters. Bagels and donuts that are thrown out on a daily basis are part of their regular diet. My buddy who is an avid Freegan would even go to frat houses near his house after the weekend and grab all their cans. These cans wouldn’t be recycled or properly disposed of, but this Freegan made good use of the money and helped the environment.
Now I realize that not everybody can accept this mentality, it’s hard as all hell to eat from the garbage. I once grabbed a bag of bagel out a dumpster and handed them out at a small concert near my town. People were pumped about the eats, and yes I had a bite or two. You should see how some of these people eat in their respective Freegan Communities. Stir fry, sushi, all the goods, but out of the trash is what they munch on. In all reality it’s not eating other people’s garbage, but rather I feel it’s eating peoples’ waste. What’s the shame in that? I don’t see any but I do think people should be more conscious of what they carelessly throw away.
Americans do so many things unethically that it would make people from other countries sick. One thing that we do with total disregard is consume, gas, clothes and especially food. The waste that takes place in our café alone could feed a town in a town of any third world country. There are some people who have decided to eat ethically, to eat healthily, and to go against the norms of American consumerism. You may call them bums, or scrubs, but this underground community is more popularly known as Freegans.
These people dig through the dumpsters of America’s restaurants, bagel shops, and supermarkets in search of free and healthy food that businessmen so flagrantly throw away. Most of these people, primarily 20-somethings, are not poor but rebellious. Rebelling against consumerism, intake, and improper waste. Most Freegans that I know are actually rich, but that wasteful upbringing has led them to this lifestyle. One Freegan said “I know it’s a not a huge difference, but I’m in the negative when it comes to waste.” In the negative while the rest of America, probably 99.9% is well into the positive.
When looking for food the Freegans pick packaged food out of trash bags and dumpsters. Bagels and donuts that are thrown out on a daily basis are part of their regular diet. My buddy who is an avid Freegan would even go to frat houses near his house after the weekend and grab all their cans. These cans wouldn’t be recycled or properly disposed of, but this Freegan made good use of the money and helped the environment.
Now I realize that not everybody can accept this mentality, it’s hard as all hell to eat from the garbage. I once grabbed a bag of bagel out a dumpster and handed them out at a small concert near my town. People were pumped about the eats, and yes I had a bite or two. You should see how some of these people eat in their respective Freegan Communities. Stir fry, sushi, all the goods, but out of the trash is what they munch on. In all reality it’s not eating other people’s garbage, but rather I feel it’s eating peoples’ waste. What’s the shame in that? I don’t see any but I do think people should be more conscious of what they carelessly throw away.
posted by Andre at
9:18 AM
