Any Freegans on SC?

[frugalmaniac]

Are there any Freegans on the list? Just curious if anyone would share their experiences dumpster diving for food or other goods at stores.

I realize there may be a lot of opinions about doing this. Hopefully Boo's rules about trolls keep any strong negative opinions from being shared.

thanks

[corbinx]

I loved that episode on Oprah. It was amazing what they found! Never did it myself and likely won't but my husband used to find all sorts of things beside the dumpster at his apartment years ago: a working TV, computer, and other stuff.

[kt_9333]

this is so interesting... does anyone know where i can watch this episode online? searched but cant find.. im never good at searching for shows online...

just so im clear...at no point would i ever do it for food, but it is an interesting topic, i thought it was for everything like household items ect...

[mrsjanuary]

finding food in a dumpster and then eating it just creeps me out. i dont know why.

but im totally not opposed to finding things you can reuse like furniture, etc.

[Tuktu60]

I love the concept of being a freegan - that Oprah show was the best - I have it on my PVR and I'm keeping it. Its shocking what they found in the dumpsters. The reality of eating out of dumpsters is a little daunting, but I hate to think of all the food that is just being tossed out. Its idealistic, but I like what they are trying to do.

There are some videos on youtube.com if you search for freegan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIEGGxJFuSM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dAOy...eature=related

[blondiemib]

ok someone fill me in cause i totally missed the opra episode and have no idea what this is....

[lekate]

ok someone fill me in cause i totally missed the opra episode and have no idea what this is....

It's basically not paying for food and just foraging it in anyway that's "free", so dumpster diving, finding berry bushes, etc.

Also, I'm with Mrs. January on this! I would be grossed out. I mean, sometimes moldy bread doesn't show signs of mold, they start way before they look "moldy", etc. I don't know why people throw food stuffs out and therefore don't want to risk it.

[blondiemib]

don't think I could do this with food.... and not sure if my bf would approve of me doing this for much else...lol he's still adjusting to the coupons binder. lol

[SmackUTwice]

uh, food from a garbage? not for me, I say, not for me. But anything else... quite possibly!

I think a big reason for the good finds in garbages/recycle bins is the "I don't need/want this anymore, it's SO easy to take it out back and never see/deal with it again"... instead of "I don't need/want this anymore, I shall sell it or ask my friends if they would like it... etc" sort of thing. Hmm!

[Miss_April]

Interesting! Not for me though.

I don't think any store or restaurant would let you go through their garbage around here though, probably get in trouble!

[kris10]

I'd leave the food in the garbage to the homeless who really need it. Never saw this episode before. I think somewhere there is a line for most of us,unless of course you are desperate and living on the streets then you probably have not much of a choice. I think I get enough freebie coupons to save enough money on food to not be disgusting.

Berry bushes wouldn't be so bad i guess as long as you know what you are doing and wash them and everything,still kinda untrustworthy so why not just grow your own?

[truckerofbc]

Well I must say, I have grabbed food from a garbage can while I was trucking along. I had a delivery to the Winnipeg Coop (Federated Coop) if anyone wants to get technical. It's on the NE side of Winnipeg. And in doing my delivery there I watched them throw out cases of Pears in the cans and cases of Head and Shoulders. I brought them back and they are still good and that was a year and a half ago. I think alot of times it is scratch and dent that the store doesn't want to deal with. A broken open jar, a smashed can, expiry date on the shampoo is getting close (which is usually for the medicinal part of head and shoulders...not the actual shampoo properties).
However, I draw the line if it is an opened product. I also have grabbed lots from the previous yearly throwaways that Delta had (the Husqvarna lawnmower) I still use and that was 2 years ago. Still cuts the lawn like the day it came out of the factory. the collector bag still works and isn't torn or anything.
I guess it all depends on how you view things. I also go through the garbage bins at Safeway for the codes that you enter online if any of you remember that. A total of 7 people including myself won Bulova watches from those pin#'s I retrieved from the garbage can. And that was only the tip of the iceberg if any of you remember that thread.

[Abby5]

If you can do it ..go for it!!

[army_girl29]

I find in Canada they throw things away once they are past the due date. In Opreah they found food before the due date. I think it is so unfair, if they did that here I would consider it.

[princsnuk]

In the states it is way different.They were finding cases of of un opened cereal, cookies, crackers...But the fish and meat they picked up? No way. That scares me, but cans and boxed items are different. The US throws out mass quantities where as canada would probably donate it to charities or atleast have to recycle the cardboard!

We have different manufacture return policies so I honestly dont think our grocery store dumpsters would ever look like that, or be unlocked to check. I'm not sure I could actually eat the food either but if people need to do it and can stomache it, I say go for it.