Freegans

bokbadok · Senior Bucketkeeper

Freegans

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

I would not, could not.

I heard of that (maybe not under the freegan name) years ago. Too gross for me.

I have, however, dumpster dived for stuff. The dumpsters outside of the dorms at the end of the school year were like one huge, free garage sale.

dianoia · Senior Member

Not food.

But I've dumpster-dived for stuff before. Actually, at our local dump they've got a building where people can bring stuff they don't want and were going to throw away. The kids love it, "Woohoo, we're going to the dump!"

And in our last city, a recycling truck came by on the same day as the garbage truck, so people would set out stuff they'd want recycled. More than once on the way to school my boys would spot something they liked in someone else's garbage.

I've never forgotten the first time it happened, because I'd picked them up at lunchtime and was driving home, and they started yelling, "Stop the van, mom! Stop the van!" Being somewhat confused, I let the boys out to discover they'd seen some pool noodles they'd liked in a neighbor's recycle bin, so they'd hidden them in another neighbor's bushes so they could pick them up later. I still laugh over that memory.

Wow. My family sure sounds like trailer trash right now.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

The woman who drove her car all over campus in the dead of night and filled it to capacity will not be pointing any fingers or calling anyone else any names.

Duke of Mirth · Profuse Pontificator

My brother used to get couches from the drive in when he went to Ricks. He said people would go get a cheap DI couch for watching the movie and leave it there.

bokbadok · Senior Bucketkeeper

See, I think I could do the food thing. Not some half eaten sandwich, mind you. But a half case of salad greens, still wrapped in cellophane? Heck yes! Bread still sealed in it's wrapper? You betcha.

I'm not grossed out by things like some prissy folks are.

hiccups · Future Queen in Zion

PRISSY? Don't make me come kick yer butt.

LoudmouthMormon · Profuse Pontificator

bokbadok wrote:
Would you, could you, be a Freegan?

No, but I wouldn't mind having one as a friend. And I might not throw a fit if one of my kids decided to become one or marry one. And I am certainly not above dumpster diving or shopping at Goodwill/Deseret Industries.

IMO, the political statement they're making is relevant, and it makes me a bit uncomfortable at how close to home it strikes. But not too uncomfortable, because we ain't rich enough to throw good stuff away.

LM

bokbadok · Senior Bucketkeeper

I have an occasional job at a catering business - weddings, receptions, dinner parties, that kind of thing. Sometimes I serve, but mostly I do food prep. I am appalled at how easy it is for them to throw perfectly good food away. Mostly they send the leftovers home with employees, but they still chuck a lot of stuff, just because it can't be used again, and it's faster/easier to throw it away than to store it or give it away. Every time I work there I bring stuff home, just because no one else wants it.

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

Very interesting!

I completely appreciate the political statement. I attended a Girls' Camp once where we did a lunch and everyone drew numbers out of a hat to see which table they would be sitting at. A, B or C. Well, about 10% got C's, 30% got B's and 60% got A's. I can't remember the exact percentages, but it was supposed to be roughly reflective of the world's population. The C's got all kinds of "normal" food... sandwiches, desserts, chips, the whole shebang. B's (and I was a B) got a small bowl of rice and beans. The A's got a smaller bowl of rice only. So we ate there and sat around wondering what was going to happen next and when we were getting our freakin' Ding Dongs! Anyway... very good lesson, I thought. To think how others live on pretty much nothing. That's so *far away* from our thoughts and lives, though, isn't it?

And yeah, I've eaten roadkill on my mission, so garbage food? No problem. All you pansyasses can be all ... Eww... I'm not touching THAT. bok and I will survive.

bokbadok · Senior Bucketkeeper

It's part of my plan to keep grocery costs down.

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

Excellent! Alright kids, we're going out to dinner tonight! No dishes! Yeah!

Seriously, places like Wal-Mart throw away a lot of food, too. Like all their marked-down bakery items that don't sell just get pitched. Older produce and stuff... Total waste.

I worked at Mullboon's restaurant for a while and they actually recycled the shrimp.

Jen · Senior Bucketkeeper

When I was a kid my mom used to shop at the Eddie's Bakery Outlet when we made our bi-monthly trip into town. One time she caught them throwing away a big garbage bag full of Zingers, Twinkies, and the like, and I can't remember how she started the conversation but we ended up taking them home. Into the big upright freezer they went, and man those things lasted forever.

I wonder why I have eating issues?