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Basically, its a person who instead of buys food from the grocery store, they go through the garbage looking for food which has nothing wrong with it.
And make a meal from found foods. They do this to preserve resources.

Of course, we all have saved a thing from the dumpster, we have a desk, 3 files cabinets, a living room chair and a microwave all from the dumpster. But i don't think my dad would go get food from the trash.

In this world, especially the Western worlds, this is highly taboo. But in the beginning and in more 3rd world countries, homo sapiens are still considered hunters and scavengers.

So why is it so taboo for Western countries?

Its thought once people throw it away, it's not longer food, its now rubbish - don't touch it, don't eat it. Its trash.

Thats no matter whether its edible, or half eaten, or expired.
Once its thrown away and discarded, its seen as weird to go through and get it.

Discuss:

* Is anyone here a Freegan?
* Would you, could you live like this?

We've done some of it. About 10 years ago, my husband was working construction, and they were building a hotel next to a Sam's Club. The guys working on the upper stories could see what was getting thrown out, and so some of them started going over on their lunch breaks to see what was there.
In those days, we never knew what he would bring home. There were huge packages of cheeses, imported olives, tropical plants, cut flowers---never anything that would hurt anyone, and always more than we could use, so of course we shared with everyone. Chocolate bars, cookies, even my great jigsaw and binoculars.

Can't do that anymore, though. Too many people were taking questionable things, I guess, or they just thought that it was hitting their business a little too hard, or maybe were afraid of someone grabbing food that made them sick and deciding to sue. Anyway, that stuff is all crushed and "baled" now, what a mess. And a waste.

He'll still decide to go looking for stuff sometimes, though, and has brought home stuff from behind candle shops, greenhouses, etc.

He did find a rifle with the numbers filed off once, and had to call the cops.

When we raised chickens, ducks, and geese, we used to get the produce from a grocery store here for them. I can tell you that the birds didn't get it all, lots of it went to make jam and pickles. I wasn't afraid of anything that had to be that hot, for that long!

We also got a truckload of watermelon once, just because another load was coming in and they didn't have room for it all. Took it to church, and everyone had some, plus vacation bible school was going on, so the kids loved it. Did it again with pumpkins in the fall!

We have asked why lots of this food wasn't donated to the shelters here, and were told that the shelters were afraid of lawsuits. Good grief.

If I had easy access to a dumpster (as in I could walk there instead of driving this huge, conspicuous white van xd ) and I could find good stuff, I'd love to do this! I'd probably still buy fresh produce from the farmer's markets, but if I was packaged I'd love to nab it whee

Our local grocery store used to mark the expired produce and meat down to half price or lower and a lot of people bought that. That is, until the health department came in and fined them for it.. stressed

He works late now, and it's always late if/when this hunter-instinct-behavior kicks in. Lots of times, I think he just stops for coffee or something on the way home, and something catches his eye--

I think later is just better anyway, that's when the stores get ready for the next day, so that's when they pitch stuff.

I also have boxes of ceramic tile for floors AND walls, even some really pretty tile for pools, so it doesn't have to be food---for you crafty ones, sometimes when you're at the home improvement store, just ask what they have they'd be willing to give away. Sometimes it's surprising what you can get to "play" with. biggrin That's how we got some stuff for VBS projects, like the pretty tile. Contractors are a good source of this stuff, too.

I would not do it either willingly, i am FAR too OCD sweatdrop

I dont think i could clean or peel the food enough to where i could eat it.

As for bin diving, thats my dad.
He eats around the mold on the bread, so bin diving is nothing for him.
He has no shame.

I felt that way too, Pixie---the first time he came home with all this stuff in the truck, I was horrified!

Then, when I realized that there was several hundred dollars worth of cheese, etc., all still perfectly packaged and cold, I was amazed, then almost angry at the waste. It seemed ridiculous, and it was. I knew that this was the same stuff that people paid full price for an hour before, and nothing had changed in that hour except the ownership of the food. So we shared it, stored it, ate it. And didn't feel one bit bad about it. And neither did the people we shared it with.

I've taken a number of things from the dumpster/garbage cans. But, because of working in a hospital, and seeing some of these people come in, food is where I draw the line.