Freegan

I came across the term Freegan yesterday and was intrigued. The word comes from free and vegan. Freegans spend their time dumpster hopping for other people's trash. It's amazing what they have found, laptops, muffins still in their wrappers, shoes, expensive watches that were not broken, the list goes on and on. More information about Freegans can be found at www.freegan.info. They state that it is a site that is dedictated to revealing human over consumption and waste.

Although I believe in their concept I also feel that they are radical. There needs to be more of an education. A concept that we can sell to the American public. Our society makes me ill with all the trash we produce. For years I have been calling the U.S. The Swiffer Wet Jet Society, just use it and throw it away! Convenient yes but a WRONG attitude. Every time I walk into a Walmart I look at all the shelves that are packed with stuff and am horrified with the reality that all that stuff will end up in a landfill one day. Where did our society go wrong?

This Swiffer Wet Jet mentality has not been around that long. As I was growing up my Grandmother would always talk about waste not want not. I live by those words. I truly believe that our current gas crisis is just the beginning of having to revert back to the days and the values of our grandparents. Conservation is the key to continue a good standard of living.

The Freegans have a great movement and great ideas. I feel that they are fanatical which really won't help their cause. I honestly don't think I could go dumpster diving but would be all for trying to figure out a way to distribute the goods that do not need to be thrown away. So before you toss something into your trash can, stop and think...think if you could wash it and reuse it or see if someone else may be able to use it. There are plenty of ways to keep waste out of our landfills. Sell it at a yardsale, donate it to the Salvation Army, Yahoo Groups has Freecycle, see if there is a Freecycle Group in your area.

Let's keep our planet at a standard that our children will be able to enjoy!