Freeganism
Encyclopedia
Freeganism is the practice of reclaiming and eating food that has been discarded. One third of the world's food is wasted —in shops, restaurants, farms, factories and homes—and freegans aim to expose and protest against this, arguing that it contributes to environmental degradation, resource wastage and global hunger.
Freeganism is often seen as part of a wider "anti-consumerist" ideology, and freegans often employ a range of 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 word "freegan" is a portmanteau of "free" and "vegan
"; not all freegans are vegan, but the ideology of ethical veganism is similar to that of freeganism. Freeganism started in the mid 1990s, out of the antiglobalization and environmentalist
movements. The movement also has elements of Diggers
, an anarchist street theater group based in Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco in the 1960s, that gave away rescued food.
drummer Warren Oakes
in 1999) is unclear in its definition of what constitutes freeganism. At one point, it defines freeganism as "an anti-consumeristic ethic about eating" but goes on to describe practices including dumpster diving, plate scraping, wild foraging
, gardening
, theft
, employee scams, and barter
as alternatives to paying for food
. Motivations are varied and numerous; some adhere to freeganism for environmental reasons, some for religious reasons and others embrace the philosophy as a form of political consciousness
. A short 2008 documentary film
, Bin Appetit, gives reasons people become freegans.
The pamphlet does include a lengthy section on non-alimentary practices, including conserving water
, precycling
, reusing goods, and using solar energy. Some freegans consider these non-alimentary practices components of freeganism itself; others simply consider them complementary.
" or "bin diving" in the UK, as well as "bin raiding" or "skipitarianism" (so called because the person's diet mostly involves eating out of a skip). Retail suppliers of food such as supermarket
s, grocery stores, and restaurants routinely throw away food in perfectly good condition, often because it is approaching its sell-by date (without thereby becoming dangerous), or has damaged packaging. Freegans find food in the garbage
of such establishments, which they say allows them to avoid spending money on products that exploit the world's resources, contribute to urban sprawl
, treat workers
unfairly, or disregard animal rights
. By foraging, they believe they are keeping perfectly edible food from adding to landfill
clutter and that can feed people and animals who might otherwise go hungry.
Dumpster diving is not, however, limited to rummaging for food. Many "dumpster divers" search for anything that can be recycled or reused, from accessories to power tools in need of small repairs. Some divers collect aluminum cans, which they can then sell for a small profit. Often, these people have all sorts of equipment such as a long pole that they use to move items in the dumpster around.
When searching for food, a forager may come across food waste that is not entirely sealed from the unwanted waste in the same rubbish sack. This lower quality food is commonly referred to as "Scree." As bugs, rodents and other disease carriers also forage in such places, there are some risks associated with sourcing and eating such food.
, and a species of Dover sole
with all the qualities of sole but small size.
" or "community
" gardens, with the stated aim of rebuilding community and reclaiming the capacity to grow one's own food. In order to fertilize those guerrilla gardens, food obtained from dumpster diving is sometimes also reused. In many urban guerrilla gardens, vermiculture is used instead of ordinary composting techniques in order to keep the required infrastructure/room small. Guerrilla gardeners claim to seek an alternative to dependence and participation in what they perceive as an exploitative and ecologically destructive system of global, industrialized corporate food production. Many rural freegans choose to learn about native wild plants which are easily sustainable and either bring favored species home to cultivate or identify wild populations from which to forage. Often rural freegans are also "homesteaders" who also raise their own dairy livestock and employ alternative energy sources to provide energy for their homesteads, occasionally living "off the grid
" entirely.
recovers food that would otherwise go to waste to serve warm meals on the street to anyone who wants them. The group promotes an ethic of sharing and community, while working to show what they consider to be the injustice of a society in which they claim fighting wars is considered a higher priority than feeding the hungry.
Really, Really Free Markets are free social events in which freegans can share goods instead of discarding them, share skills, give presents and eat food. A free store is a temporary market where people exchange goods and services outside of a money-based economy.
Freegans also advocate sharing travel resources. Internet-based ridesharing reduces but does not eliminate use of cars and all the related resources needed to maintain and operate them.
Community bicycle program
s and collective
s facilitate community sharing of bicycles, restore found and broken bikes, and teach people how to do their own bike repairs. In the process they build a culture of skill and resource sharing, reuse wasted bikes and bike parts, and create greater access to green transport.
In general, co-ops function to provide their local community with additional resources; they are also typically vegan-friendly and local-produce-friendly.
. Squatting is the act of someone occupying a building that they do not have any legal claim or ownership over.
"Squatters take a stand against councils and landlords, who would rather keep properties boarded up if they cannot make a sufficient profit from them". Freegans see this practice as senseless and a counter-productive use of resources. The questionable legality of squatting makes it hard to accurately track the number of people involved in this activity; however, there are estimated to be around one million squatters worldwide.
Striving for equality and reform, squatting is a political action that has been incorporated in numerous movements. Squatters view the act as a necessity because of the lack of housing available. They believe that there should not be buildings remaining empty when there are people who are in crucial need of a home but lack the resources to legally obtain one. Ultimately, squatting is a way of housing the homeless. However, the buildings that squatters reside in are sometimes used for other purposes as well, such as being changed into community centers that house programs for children, community organizations, and environmental education.
, which calls for the avoidance of flesh foods, dairy and eggs, and further extends to avoid the consumption or use of furs, leather, wool, down, and cosmetics and chemical products tested on animals. Vegans choose their diet and lifestyle practices in an attempt to maintain a "cruelty-free" lifestyle. This lifestyle is based on the ideals of providing "numerous benefits to animals' lives, to the environment, and to our own health." A study from the United Nations' report on Livestock and the Environment found that "a vegan diet can feed many more people than an animal-based diet." In fact, in 1992 it was estimated that this particular year's food supply would have sufficed to feed approximately 6.3 billion people on a "purely vegan diet."
Freegans believe that even if a product is vegan, it does not guarantee that:
Freegans claim that people sincerely committed to living the "cruelty-free" lifestyle espoused by vegans must strive to abstain not only from eating, wearing, and using animal skins, secretions (e.g. milk and its by-products), flesh, and animal-tested products, but must attempt to remove themselves from participation in the capitalist economy altogether as workers and consumers.
But not all Freegans are vegans. There are some that consume animal products only if those animal products would otherwise be wasted.
, referred to as "humanure." The underlying purpose in this practice is to conserve resources such as electricity and water while furthering an environmentally conscious lifestyle. Rather than setting up plumbing, sewage, and water systems in bathrooms, humanure toilet proponents use simple materials (a few plywood boards, a couple of hinges and screws, and organic material such as sawdust) to create toilet
look-alikes that function with much less energy consumption. Humanure composting requires three basic components – a toilet receptacle, organic cover material, and an outdoor composting bin.
An estimated start-up cost for a humanure toilet is about twenty-five dollars. These toilets can also be referred to as sawdust toilets because of the organic material used in the composting process. Maintenance costs are also minimized, as rotted sawdust material can be acquired – if not for free from local lumber sources, then at least for a reasonably low price, while other organic scrap material consists of peat moss, leaf moulds, rice hulls, or grass clippings, all of which are easily accessible.
The structure of a sawdust toilet receptacle consists of the following: A collection receptacle is constructed out of plywood boards, and a toilet seat is fashioned to rest on top. It is strongly recommended that a cover be hinged on top of the toilet seat. The bottom of the container is lined a few inches high with either sawdust or with some other type of organic material. The type of sawdust to be used should not be "kiln-dried" or "pressure-treated," as either of these options could introduce toxins to the compost pile while also inhibiting maximum absorption of liquid wastes. Like a regular toilet, a sawdust toilet should be kept in its own room, preferably with ready access to the outdoors since it will have to be carried out of the house in order to add to a compost bin. A five-gallon size is recommended, as anything larger could be difficult to carry when full.
Sawdust and other organic scraps function as a natural biofilter for the human wastes accrued in the receptacle. Organic scraps can be added along with the sawdust, although it is recommended to always cover excrement and scraps with sawdust regardless of whether other scraps are used. The sawdust also reduces odors, and together these components aid in the composting and detoxifying process.
Most importantly, the outdoor composting bin is the site of the detoxification and composting of human waste. It is also constructed of plywood. Fresh manure should be added to the center of the pile, which should be kept slightly depressed relative to the rest of the bin. After emptying the contents of the receptacle, the compost pile should be covered with additional organic scraps and hay or the likes, both for smell and for composting purposes. The empty receptacle can then be rinsed with rain water and biodegradable soap if desired. Avoid using regular soaps or chlorine-based products, as these will contribute to environmental poisoning.
Contrary to popular belief, human manure can most certainly be used for agricultural purposes if composted correctly. Though commonly conceived to be toxic, humanure composts nicely given the variables of heat and time. Provided that the appropriate procedure is followed, one calendar year provides the necessary temperature changes to effectively remove possible pathogens from the compost.
Once the sawdust toilet three-part system is constructed and in place, it is possible to build multiple toilet receptacles so that usage and emptying labors can be rotated. After the initial compost pile has naturally processed itself during the course of a year, it can be used safely for any agricultural needs. The compost also functions as excellent and environmentally friendly fertilizer for flowers and shrubs.
. One of the main aims of freeganism is to reduce waste and limit the amount of destruction that results from the production of goods. These objectives correlate with the environmentalism goals of conservation, and preventing abuse of the environment. "The preservation and careful use of natural resources" that is rooted in environmentalism is an approach to dealing with issues such as famine, population growth, loss of forests, and pollution of water and air. Some of the practices established in freeganism serve the function of addressing many of these same concerns. Squatting, for example, makes use of empty buildings for the homeless, and dumpster diving practices recovering food that is being wasted (with the motivation in mind that there are billions of people starving who could survive on foraged food from dumpsters of industrialized countries). Adam Weissman, eco-activist and creator of www.freegan.info, states that "Freeganism is a reaction to waste, but also to injustices like sweatshop
s and the destruction of rainforest
s that go into producing goods in the first place".
Freeganism is about more than looking through trash, there is significance behind not participating in a consumerist society. It is an attempt to remove oneself from being a part of the exploitation that is perceived to be a result of consumerism. Many aspects within consumerism that freeganism is protesting are also what environmentalism is fighting. There is an obvious relationship between sustainability and consumption. Freeganism and environmentalism are trying to highlight this relationship, and assist in enabling the consumer to see how their actions impact the world. While freeganism symbolizes the contrast of consumerism, freegans are still consuming but it is a "specialized" consumerism. Like environmentalists, freegans have "standards by which they base their purchasing decisions from". By not participating in the labor force and using money, freegans are distinguishing themselves from the mainstream economy. It is these components of freeganism that coincide with the two categories that are used to describe environmentalism in Faith in Nature. These two entities are "Green consumerism that focuses on changing society from within and bioregionalism that focuses on finding a new life outside of the established economy and becoming in tune with the land".
Another comparison between environmentalism and freeganism is the perspective that they can be viewed as a religion. There is an idea of "religious obligation to nature in the form of political action". Freegans and environmentalists believe that consumerism leads to exploitation of people and the environment. This conviction that organizing around the environment and human issues is inevitably linked to our moral obligation to nature is what qualifies the Green movement and the freeganism movement as religious. Environmentalism has been described as a "binding philosophy, the start of environmentalism was a religious reformation; an epiphany; an awakening to desecreated surroundings". Freeganism is another form of this awakening, and also entails concepts of this religious reformation. The religious gratitude for nature that environmentalists and freegans possess may have stemmed from nature idealism that is the foundation of Transcendentalism.
Freegans and environmentalists both view the Earth as a living body that we must care for, and help sustain. They are very similar in their beliefs regarding the environment, conservation, consumerism, and a need for political action. Many of their objectives are based on solving the same problems. These problems revolve around a need for food, a need for shelter, and solution to stopping the destruction of the Earth. Freegans and environmentalists have a desire to make a change, and alter the ways of consumerism and waste. It is apparent in many ways that freegans are "hard core environmentalists".
Freeganism is often seen as part of a wider "anti-consumerist" ideology, and freegans often employ a range of 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 word "freegan" is a portmanteau of "free" and "vegan
Veganism
Veganism is the practice of eliminating the use of animal products. Ethical vegans reject the commodity status of animals and the use of animal products for any purpose, while dietary vegans or strict vegetarians eliminate them from their diet only...
"; not all freegans are vegan, but the ideology of ethical veganism is similar to that of freeganism. Freeganism started in the mid 1990s, out of the antiglobalization and environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
movements. The movement also has elements of Diggers
Diggers (theater)
The Diggers were a radical community-action group of activists and Improv actors operating from 1966–68, based in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. Their politics were such that they have sometimes been categorized as "left-wing." More accurately, they were "community anarchists"...
, an anarchist street theater group based in Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco in the 1960s, that gave away rescued food.
"Why Freegan" pamphlet
Even the manifesto pamphlet "Why Freegan" (written by former Against Me!Against Me!
Against Me! is an American punk rock band formed in 1997 in Naples, Florida and relocated to Gainesville, Florida in 1999. Their first full-length album, released on No Idea Records in 2002, was Against Me! Is Reinventing Axl Rose. They have released music on Misanthrope Records, Crasshole Records,...
drummer Warren Oakes
Warren Oakes
Warren Oakes is an American drummer best known for his eight years spent as the drummer for the punk rock band Against Me!.On June 8, 2009 he announced that he was leaving the band to pursue a career as a restauranteur...
in 1999) is unclear in its definition of what constitutes freeganism. At one point, it defines freeganism as "an anti-consumeristic ethic about eating" but goes on to describe practices including dumpster diving, plate scraping, wild foraging
Foraging
- Definitions and significance of foraging behavior :Foraging is the act of searching for and exploiting food resources. It affects an animal's fitness because it plays an important role in an animal's ability to survive and reproduce...
, gardening
Gardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
, theft
Shoplifting
Shoplifting is theft of goods from a retail establishment. It is one of the most common property crimes dealt with by police and courts....
, employee scams, and barter
Barter
Barter is a method of exchange by which goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money. It is usually bilateral, but may be multilateral, and usually exists parallel to monetary systems in most developed countries, though to a...
as alternatives to paying for food
Food
Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
. Motivations are varied and numerous; some adhere to freeganism for environmental reasons, some for religious reasons and others embrace the philosophy as a form of political consciousness
Political consciousness
Following the work of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Karl Marx outlined the workings of a political consciousness.-The politics of consciousness:...
. A short 2008 documentary film
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, Bin Appetit, gives reasons people become freegans.
The pamphlet does include a lengthy section on non-alimentary practices, including conserving water
Water conservation
Water conservation refers to reducing the usage of water and recycling of waste water for different purposes such as cleaning, manufacturing, and agricultural irrigation.- Water conservation :Water conservation can be defined as:...
, precycling
Precycling
Precycling is the practice of reducing waste by attempting to avoid bringing items which will generate waste into home or business.The original three-pronged push for trash management is "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle." Precycling emphasizes "reducing and reusing", while harnessing and questioning the...
, reusing goods, and using solar energy. Some freegans consider these non-alimentary practices components of freeganism itself; others simply consider them complementary.
Food discarded by retailers
Many freegans get free food by pulling it out of the trash (bins), a practice commonly nicknamed "dumpster diving" in North America and "skippingSkip (container)
A rubbish skip is usually called merely a skip or waste bin. A skip is a large open-topped container designed for loading onto a special type of lorry. Differing from dumpster, instead of being emptied into a waste vehicle onsite, a skip is replaced by an empty skip and then tipped at a landfill...
" or "bin diving" in the UK, as well as "bin raiding" or "skipitarianism" (so called because the person's diet mostly involves eating out of a skip). Retail suppliers of food such as supermarket
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
s, grocery stores, and restaurants routinely throw away food in perfectly good condition, often because it is approaching its sell-by date (without thereby becoming dangerous), or has damaged packaging. Freegans find food in the garbage
Waste
Waste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly...
of such establishments, which they say allows them to avoid spending money on products that exploit the world's resources, contribute to urban sprawl
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
, treat workers
Labour movement
The term labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and governments, in particular through the implementation of specific laws governing labour...
unfairly, or disregard animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
. By foraging, they believe they are keeping perfectly edible food from adding to landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
clutter and that can feed people and animals who might otherwise go hungry.
Dumpster diving is not, however, limited to rummaging for food. Many "dumpster divers" search for anything that can be recycled or reused, from accessories to power tools in need of small repairs. Some divers collect aluminum cans, which they can then sell for a small profit. Often, these people have all sorts of equipment such as a long pole that they use to move items in the dumpster around.
When searching for food, a forager may come across food waste that is not entirely sealed from the unwanted waste in the same rubbish sack. This lower quality food is commonly referred to as "Scree." As bugs, rodents and other disease carriers also forage in such places, there are some risks associated with sourcing and eating such food.
Food producers
Much food is discarded by producers for reasons to do with food standards of retailers and consumers. Examples include huge amounts of fruit and vegetables which are smaller or larger than sizes required by supermarkets, much perfectly Edible offalOffal
Offal , also called, especially in the United States, variety meats or organ meats, refers to the internal organs and entrails of a butchered animal. The word does not refer to a particular list of edible organs, which varies by culture and region, but includes most internal organs other than...
, and a species of Dover sole
Dover sole
Dover sole refers to two species of flatfish:* The common sole, Solea solea, found in European waters, the "Dover sole" of European cookery....
with all the qualities of sole but small size.
Wild foraging and urban gardens
Instead of buying industrially grown foods, wild foragers find and harvest food and medicinal plants growing in their own communities. Some freegans participate in "guerrillaGuerrilla gardening
Guerrilla gardening is gardening on another person's land without permission. It encompasses a very diverse range of people and motivations, from the enthusiastic gardener who spills over their legal boundaries to the highly political gardener who seeks to provoke change through direct action. It...
" or "community
Community gardening
A community garden is a single piece of land gardened collectively by a group of people.-Purpose:Community gardens provide fresh produce and plants as well as satisfying labor, neighborhood improvement, sense of community and connection to the environment...
" gardens, with the stated aim of rebuilding community and reclaiming the capacity to grow one's own food. In order to fertilize those guerrilla gardens, food obtained from dumpster diving is sometimes also reused. In many urban guerrilla gardens, vermiculture is used instead of ordinary composting techniques in order to keep the required infrastructure/room small. Guerrilla gardeners claim to seek an alternative to dependence and participation in what they perceive as an exploitative and ecologically destructive system of global, industrialized corporate food production. Many rural freegans choose to learn about native wild plants which are easily sustainable and either bring favored species home to cultivate or identify wild populations from which to forage. Often rural freegans are also "homesteaders" who also raise their own dairy livestock and employ alternative energy sources to provide energy for their homesteads, occasionally living "off the grid
Off the grid
Off the grid may refer to:*Off-the-grid, housing not connected to public utilities*Off the Grid , the first single from the Beastie Boys album The Mix-Up...
" entirely.
Sharing
Sharing is also a common freegan practice. Food Not BombsFood Not Bombs
Food Not Bombs is a loose-knit group of independent collectives, serving free vegan and vegetarian food to others. Food Not Bombs' ideology is that myriad corporate and government priorities are skewed to allow hunger to persist in the midst of abundance...
recovers food that would otherwise go to waste to serve warm meals on the street to anyone who wants them. The group promotes an ethic of sharing and community, while working to show what they consider to be the injustice of a society in which they claim fighting wars is considered a higher priority than feeding the hungry.
Really, Really Free Markets are free social events in which freegans can share goods instead of discarding them, share skills, give presents and eat food. A free store is a temporary market where people exchange goods and services outside of a money-based economy.
Freegans also advocate sharing travel resources. Internet-based ridesharing reduces but does not eliminate use of cars and all the related resources needed to maintain and operate them.
Community bicycle program
Community bicycle program
A bicycle sharing system is a service in which bicycles are made available for shared use to individuals who do not own them. Bicycle sharing systems can be divided into two general categories: "Community Bike programs" organized mostly by local community groups or non-profit organizations; and...
s and collective
Collective
A collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together on a specific project to achieve a common objective...
s facilitate community sharing of bicycles, restore found and broken bikes, and teach people how to do their own bike repairs. In the process they build a culture of skill and resource sharing, reuse wasted bikes and bike parts, and create greater access to green transport.
In general, co-ops function to provide their local community with additional resources; they are also typically vegan-friendly and local-produce-friendly.
Squatting
In addition to the belief that people should not have to go without food when plenty of unused food is thrown away everyday, freeganism also encompasses the idea that people should not be homeless when unused buildings are available. Freegans consider housing to be a right instead of a privilege. As a result of this philosophy, many freegans are involved in squattingSquatting
Squatting consists of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use....
. Squatting is the act of someone occupying a building that they do not have any legal claim or ownership over.
"Squatters take a stand against councils and landlords, who would rather keep properties boarded up if they cannot make a sufficient profit from them". Freegans see this practice as senseless and a counter-productive use of resources. The questionable legality of squatting makes it hard to accurately track the number of people involved in this activity; however, there are estimated to be around one million squatters worldwide.
Striving for equality and reform, squatting is a political action that has been incorporated in numerous movements. Squatters view the act as a necessity because of the lack of housing available. They believe that there should not be buildings remaining empty when there are people who are in crucial need of a home but lack the resources to legally obtain one. Ultimately, squatting is a way of housing the homeless. However, the buildings that squatters reside in are sometimes used for other purposes as well, such as being changed into community centers that house programs for children, community organizations, and environmental education.
Working less
Working less is another component of freeganism. Freegans oppose the notion of working for the sole purpose of accumulating material items. The need to work is reduced by only purchasing the basic necessities for things such as housing, clothing, and food. Not working resists the idea that joy can only be found through the purchase of material items. Working is seen as sacrificing valuable time to "take orders from someone else, stress, boredom, monotony, and in many cases risks to physical and psychological well-being". This time could be spent volunteering in service activities, bonding with family, or participating in a number of other endeavors. The concept of voluntary joblessness has been described as means of completing tasks out of love for others while not expecting anything in return for one’s services". Working is viewed as a component of a system that has abused our world both socially and ecologically. It is realized that not working at all is not an option for everyone, but that there are ways to limit the need to work as much. Employment does not need to take over or define one’s life, and such complete control does not need to be given to supervisors and managers".Veganism
Another aspect of the freegan lifestyle addresses the basic human necessity for food. Freegans often practice veganismVeganism
Veganism is the practice of eliminating the use of animal products. Ethical vegans reject the commodity status of animals and the use of animal products for any purpose, while dietary vegans or strict vegetarians eliminate them from their diet only...
, which calls for the avoidance of flesh foods, dairy and eggs, and further extends to avoid the consumption or use of furs, leather, wool, down, and cosmetics and chemical products tested on animals. Vegans choose their diet and lifestyle practices in an attempt to maintain a "cruelty-free" lifestyle. This lifestyle is based on the ideals of providing "numerous benefits to animals' lives, to the environment, and to our own health." A study from the United Nations' report on Livestock and the Environment found that "a vegan diet can feed many more people than an animal-based diet." In fact, in 1992 it was estimated that this particular year's food supply would have sufficed to feed approximately 6.3 billion people on a "purely vegan diet."
Freegans believe that even if a product is vegan, it does not guarantee that:
- Workers were not exploited in the product's production;
- PesticidePesticidePesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
s were not used in its growing; - Non-renewableNon-renewable resourcesA non-renewable resource is a natural resource which cannot be produced, grown, generated, or used on a scale which can sustain its consumption rate, once depleted there is no more available for future needs. Also considered non-renewable are resources that are consumed much faster than nature...
and radioactive resources (such as petroleumPetroleumPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
, coalCoalCoal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, and nuclear powerNuclear powerNuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
) were not used in production, energy use and shipping; - RainforestRainforestRainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
was not cleared to generate plantation land; - WildlifeWildlifeWildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
was not harmed in production; - Wasteful packaging was not used.
Freegans claim that people sincerely committed to living the "cruelty-free" lifestyle espoused by vegans must strive to abstain not only from eating, wearing, and using animal skins, secretions (e.g. milk and its by-products), flesh, and animal-tested products, but must attempt to remove themselves from participation in the capitalist economy altogether as workers and consumers.
But not all Freegans are vegans. There are some that consume animal products only if those animal products would otherwise be wasted.
Humanure composting and sawdust toilets
As part of the anti-consumerist lifestyle, many freegans practice what is known as collecting and composting human faeces to be used as manureManure
Manure is organic matter used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Manures contribute to the fertility of the soil by adding organic matter and nutrients, such as nitrogen, that are trapped by bacteria in the soil...
, referred to as "humanure." The underlying purpose in this practice is to conserve resources such as electricity and water while furthering an environmentally conscious lifestyle. Rather than setting up plumbing, sewage, and water systems in bathrooms, humanure toilet proponents use simple materials (a few plywood boards, a couple of hinges and screws, and organic material such as sawdust) to create toilet
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
look-alikes that function with much less energy consumption. Humanure composting requires three basic components – a toilet receptacle, organic cover material, and an outdoor composting bin.
An estimated start-up cost for a humanure toilet is about twenty-five dollars. These toilets can also be referred to as sawdust toilets because of the organic material used in the composting process. Maintenance costs are also minimized, as rotted sawdust material can be acquired – if not for free from local lumber sources, then at least for a reasonably low price, while other organic scrap material consists of peat moss, leaf moulds, rice hulls, or grass clippings, all of which are easily accessible.
The structure of a sawdust toilet receptacle consists of the following: A collection receptacle is constructed out of plywood boards, and a toilet seat is fashioned to rest on top. It is strongly recommended that a cover be hinged on top of the toilet seat. The bottom of the container is lined a few inches high with either sawdust or with some other type of organic material. The type of sawdust to be used should not be "kiln-dried" or "pressure-treated," as either of these options could introduce toxins to the compost pile while also inhibiting maximum absorption of liquid wastes. Like a regular toilet, a sawdust toilet should be kept in its own room, preferably with ready access to the outdoors since it will have to be carried out of the house in order to add to a compost bin. A five-gallon size is recommended, as anything larger could be difficult to carry when full.
Sawdust and other organic scraps function as a natural biofilter for the human wastes accrued in the receptacle. Organic scraps can be added along with the sawdust, although it is recommended to always cover excrement and scraps with sawdust regardless of whether other scraps are used. The sawdust also reduces odors, and together these components aid in the composting and detoxifying process.
Most importantly, the outdoor composting bin is the site of the detoxification and composting of human waste. It is also constructed of plywood. Fresh manure should be added to the center of the pile, which should be kept slightly depressed relative to the rest of the bin. After emptying the contents of the receptacle, the compost pile should be covered with additional organic scraps and hay or the likes, both for smell and for composting purposes. The empty receptacle can then be rinsed with rain water and biodegradable soap if desired. Avoid using regular soaps or chlorine-based products, as these will contribute to environmental poisoning.
Contrary to popular belief, human manure can most certainly be used for agricultural purposes if composted correctly. Though commonly conceived to be toxic, humanure composts nicely given the variables of heat and time. Provided that the appropriate procedure is followed, one calendar year provides the necessary temperature changes to effectively remove possible pathogens from the compost.
Once the sawdust toilet three-part system is constructed and in place, it is possible to build multiple toilet receptacles so that usage and emptying labors can be rotated. After the initial compost pile has naturally processed itself during the course of a year, it can be used safely for any agricultural needs. The compost also functions as excellent and environmentally friendly fertilizer for flowers and shrubs.
Relationship to environmentalism
Although freeganism is a movement that has sprung from anti-consumerism and anti-capitalism, the movement also has much in common with environmentalismEnvironmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
. One of the main aims of freeganism is to reduce waste and limit the amount of destruction that results from the production of goods. These objectives correlate with the environmentalism goals of conservation, and preventing abuse of the environment. "The preservation and careful use of natural resources" that is rooted in environmentalism is an approach to dealing with issues such as famine, population growth, loss of forests, and pollution of water and air. Some of the practices established in freeganism serve the function of addressing many of these same concerns. Squatting, for example, makes use of empty buildings for the homeless, and dumpster diving practices recovering food that is being wasted (with the motivation in mind that there are billions of people starving who could survive on foraged food from dumpsters of industrialized countries). Adam Weissman, eco-activist and creator of www.freegan.info, states that "Freeganism is a reaction to waste, but also to injustices like sweatshop
Sweatshop
Sweatshop is a negatively connoted term for any working environment considered to be unacceptably difficult or dangerous. Sweatshop workers often work long hours for very low pay, regardless of laws mandating overtime pay or a minimum wage. Child labour laws may be violated. Sweatshops may have...
s and the destruction of rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s that go into producing goods in the first place".
Freeganism is about more than looking through trash, there is significance behind not participating in a consumerist society. It is an attempt to remove oneself from being a part of the exploitation that is perceived to be a result of consumerism. Many aspects within consumerism that freeganism is protesting are also what environmentalism is fighting. There is an obvious relationship between sustainability and consumption. Freeganism and environmentalism are trying to highlight this relationship, and assist in enabling the consumer to see how their actions impact the world. While freeganism symbolizes the contrast of consumerism, freegans are still consuming but it is a "specialized" consumerism. Like environmentalists, freegans have "standards by which they base their purchasing decisions from". By not participating in the labor force and using money, freegans are distinguishing themselves from the mainstream economy. It is these components of freeganism that coincide with the two categories that are used to describe environmentalism in Faith in Nature. These two entities are "Green consumerism that focuses on changing society from within and bioregionalism that focuses on finding a new life outside of the established economy and becoming in tune with the land".
Another comparison between environmentalism and freeganism is the perspective that they can be viewed as a religion. There is an idea of "religious obligation to nature in the form of political action". Freegans and environmentalists believe that consumerism leads to exploitation of people and the environment. This conviction that organizing around the environment and human issues is inevitably linked to our moral obligation to nature is what qualifies the Green movement and the freeganism movement as religious. Environmentalism has been described as a "binding philosophy, the start of environmentalism was a religious reformation; an epiphany; an awakening to desecreated surroundings". Freeganism is another form of this awakening, and also entails concepts of this religious reformation. The religious gratitude for nature that environmentalists and freegans possess may have stemmed from nature idealism that is the foundation of Transcendentalism.
Freegans and environmentalists both view the Earth as a living body that we must care for, and help sustain. They are very similar in their beliefs regarding the environment, conservation, consumerism, and a need for political action. Many of their objectives are based on solving the same problems. These problems revolve around a need for food, a need for shelter, and solution to stopping the destruction of the Earth. Freegans and environmentalists have a desire to make a change, and alter the ways of consumerism and waste. It is apparent in many ways that freegans are "hard core environmentalists".
See also
- List of subsistence techniques
- PermaculturePermaculturePermaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and agricultural systems that is modeled on the relationships found in nature. It is based on the ecology of how things interrelate rather than on the strictly biological concerns that form the foundation of modern agriculture...
- Regiving
- Simple livingSimple livingSimple living encompasses a number of different voluntary practices to simplify one's lifestyle. These may include reducing one's possessions or increasing self-sufficiency, for example. Simple living may be characterized by individuals being satisfied with what they need rather than want...
- Tax resistanceTax resistanceTax resistance is the refusal to pay tax because of opposition to the government that is imposing the tax or to government policy.Tax resistance is a form of civil disobedience and direct action...
External links
- Waste Not Want Not - A Freegan Documentary (UK) http://vimeo.com/4423506
- Trashwiki Freegan wiki-encyclopedia
- Freegan.info 100 pages on freegan theory & practice with events and directories primarily in NYC
- Freegan.fr French freegan site, including an active forum. Vivent les déchétariens! (in French)
- Freegan.at Austrian Freegan page (English version)
- Frigan.se Swedish Freegan page (in Swedish, but many pictures)
- Freegans who eat cake Freegan blog/guide (contactable via email)