The Art of Freeganism

David Hamilton paid nothing for his bed. The king-size wooden bed frame was found by Hamilton while scavenging. He found the mattress at Freecycle.com, a free online exchange site. In total, he paid £3, equivalent to $6 dollars, all on screws to hold the frame together.  Hamilton considers himself a freegan.

The art of freeganism is quite simple. Scrounge whatever you need by performing in the age old act of dumpster diving. The anti-consumerism movement is sweeping the United Kingdom by storm. The followers believe in scavenging, swapping, and receiving donations and gifts as the only ways to gain personal belongings including clothing, furniture, and more commonly food.

A freegan named Alf is traveling around Ireland, in his camper van that runs on vegetable oil waste, fulfilling his needs with whatever he can find. After quitting his job as an account executive in 1999, Alf transformed his life into that of a freegan. Alf says being a freegan is about reassessing needs, bartering, sharing and clamping down on wastage. "The amount of food we find round the back of supermarkets is colossal."

Another success story of freeganism is that of Susan and Roland Gianstefani. This pair (along with their 13 year old son) have been practicing freeganism for 20 years. They began practicing for religious reasons more so, than economical. They live in their RV, running on vegetable oil waste also, and use the large camper as a shield from curious eyes while performing their dumpster dives. The Gianstefanis say that beggars CAN BE choosers, especially when it comes to their favorites. Susan says they are pickiest about the bread they eat, choosing wholemeal and organic over other brands. The family's biggest pay day came when they stumbled upon a bin full of freshly, chilled Canadian lobsters. "We had a party" Susan said.

This lifestyle is very different from the normal way of living. It breaks many social norms and challenges people's belief systems. But is it possible that individuals who choose to follow the ways of freeganism are helping the environment by cutting down on the amount of waste produced in the world? Just think, 'one man's trash, is another man's treasure'.