Or How to Consume Less

Lisa Ling investigated the Freegan Lifestyle. (Show aired 2/27/08, just found my notes)

What is/are/a freegan?  They are people who live off trash findings and live a simpler life, they try to live outside of consumer society. They find their food in the trash on organized tours. The number one food hygiene rule is there is no eating on the tour.

Freegans feel we are slaves to our money, earn more buy more and for what?  Where does it all go in the end?  The landfills that are polluting our world?  So they just live simply and recycle what is thrown out that may end up in the landfill.

Madeline was earning a six figure salary before she quit her job.  She gave it all up to be a freegan.  What she cannot find in the trash, she spends $10-20 to buy.  She went on a "freegan tour" which happens at night, the night before the trash is picked up at the grocery stores.  Since the trash is on the public street, the group goes through it and shares their discoveries and then items get negotiated. She got flowers, coffee beans, eggs (cracked) and pears (had spots on them).
She said living this way, she can give more time to social causes and volunteer helping other people since she makes the choice to use/buy less but has money to pay her bills.
She even said that she has not bought clothing in three years and this saves money also.

Interviewed freegans were with an investment banker, college students, a newlywed couple (Daniel the doctor and and Amanda the engineer) and people who want to live off "beans".  Most say they live pretty well but it is work to do this.  The newlywed couple said that it would allow them to pay off their mortgage so then they would have more time to volunteer with charitable organizations.  Even some of their furnishings were curbside finds they recycled into serviceable items. Happiness does not come from things, it comes from how you serve/help others.

Daniel mentioned that we (USA citizens) are only 5% of the world's population but we use 30% of the world's resources (YIKES!).  If Daniel and Amanda have too much supply, they donate the extras to shelters putting it back into the system and helping others.

It was also mentioned that stores throw out 2-3% of their inventory (did not mention the term of time, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly).  This equals nearly $30 billion dollars, enough to feed a few countries.

Why do stores throw out so much?  Why don't they just give it away?
Stores have stringent rules and if someone paid for it, they could turn around and sue for something.  If it is trash, then people are taking their chances.

As long as the trash is on the public streets this can be done.
Trash bins in private areas, you are trespassing.

Freegan economics -- an interesting concept but it depends on where you live and the laws that allow you to live this way.