# Any Freegan dopers? Is the Freeganism lifestyle sustainable? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 10, 2008, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987 "2008-11-10T04:04:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/21 "2008-11-10T19:29:14Z")
That’s not an ethos - it’s what used be be called ‘being a bum.’ ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/22 "2008-11-10T19:52:56Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > I would be astounded to find that Ghandi drank his own urine unless he was in the direst of situations. Given where he was from and the stigma associated with uncleanliness there, it seems virtuall impossible that he would have done something like that. For what it’s worth, I have read this about Ghandi in many unrelated primary sources and am prepared to believe it. It is an [ayurvedic](http://www.ayushveda.com/ayurvedic-massage/urine-therpy-massage.htm) practice and [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urine_therapy) confirms that the it was not unknown in India: > [@](#): > > In 1978, the former Prime Minister of India, Moraji Desai, a longtime practitioner of urine therapy spoke to Dan Rather on 60 Minutes about urine therapy. Desai stated that urine therapy was the perfect medical solution for the millions of Indians who cannot afford medical treatment. ---
**Author:** ![discodancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@discodancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/discodancer)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/23 "2008-11-11T00:51:17Z")
A few years ago I did one night of dumpster diving with a freegan who showed me how to do it. She had a method of knowing when most grocery stores, cafes, and bakeries closed, so you had to be there soon after their trash was thrown out to get there before the rats. There were trash bags on the sidewalk, and she was very good at figuring out which bags had food just by feeling the outside of the bag. There were bags of produce, cheese, etc that expired on that same day that were edible. Outside Au Bon Pain, there was a bag of individually wrapped sandwiches (and other baked goods) that sold for $6 just a few minutes before we got there. It was very educational and not as disgusting as you may think because the food we took was all individually wrapped and expired that same day. I did take a sandwich from Au Bon Pain and ate it, and I took home a package of cheese that was completely sealed. The food products were in separate garbage bags from the regular garbage. I never had to touch or see anything disgusting. The woman who did this was sane as far as I could tell, and she said she had not purchased food for 2 years. She didn’t dressed fashionably but otherwise seemed normal. The only reason I never did it again was the social stigma, but I respected that she did that. It dispelled a lot of misconceptions I had. ---
**Author:** ![discodancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@discodancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/discodancer)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/24 "2008-11-11T00:54:17Z")
I wanted to add that I respected that she could get over the social stigma that I could not. I wish I could, but I’m not cool enough for that. ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/25 "2008-11-11T01:06:13Z")
SO I spoke with a buddy of mine from Chicago who knowsa bunch of Freegans. Apparently, Portland, OR is their Mecca, as the city mandates that all food items be thrown away in green plastic bags…I don’t know the official reason, but practically, it just makes things even easier for a Freegan lookin’ for some chow. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/26 "2008-11-11T01:24:34Z")
> [@Karyn](#): > > That was the same thing that I thought about when I looked at the website. Many years ago I lived in a commune who would have described themselves that way. They were utterly full of shit. They had no problem spending OPM (like mine) as long as they didn’t have to work for it themselves. They decried any interaction with ‘the beast’ but happily accepted welfare checks and food stamps. Ripping off businesses was OK by them too. Their children were uneducated and barely supervised. I’m not saying that all communes were like that but this one sure was. I only lasted a few months before leaving in utter disgust. I never lived on a commune but I visited a few; I was invited to join one due to my being a VW mechanic but I declined. Anyway, the behavior you describe fit the average street person as well as commune dwellers. I escaped all that behavior since I always worked; in those days, a VW mechanic could count on finding either a job or a bunch of free lance work wherever he went. But even today, I’m nostalgic for what the hippies were when the movement began, before it became corrupted. I had some wonderfully enlightening experiences back then and I never took any hallucinogenic drugs at all. ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/27 "2008-11-11T01:26:44Z")
Freegans, Don’t come here. We’ve got enough homeless hippies. I’ve not heard the green plastic bag thing. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/28 "2008-11-11T01:36:09Z")
> [@](#): > > originally posted by **discodancer** : > I wanted to add that I respected that she could get over the social stigma that I could not. I wish I could, but I’m not cool enough for that. Me neither. My husband and I once accidentally happened into a freegan-like bonanza. It was about 11:50 pm and we stopped into a bakery that closed at midnight to order about 6 pastries. We gave our order, then proceeded to choose our six. Each time we made a selection, the guy would say “here, take 'em all” and then when we were done, he threw in a huge additional number of pastries we hadn’t even asked for. Of course, it wasn’t strictly a freegan acquisition, because it was initiated by the fact we were paying for something. However, it was quite clear that if we timed it right, we would be able to get “two dozen for the price of one” deals on delicious pastry simply by frequenting that bakery just before midnight. And yet, we never did it again. Once was serendipitous. Knowingly doing it again would have felt like begging/cadging. ---
**Author:** ![Karyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/fbc32d/32.png) [@Karyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karyn)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/29 "2008-11-11T01:58:11Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > I never lived on a commune but I visited a few; I was invited to join one due to my being a VW mechanic but I declined. Anyway, the behavior you describe fit the average street person as well as commune dwellers. I escaped all that behavior since I always worked; in those days, a VW mechanic could count on finding either a job or a bunch of free lance work wherever he went. But even today, I’m nostalgic for what the hippies were when the movement began, before it became corrupted. I had some wonderfully enlightening experiences back then and I never took any hallucinogenic drugs at all. VW mechanics were pretty valuable, especially to people trying to figure it out from the Idiot’s Guide. I was a programmer and could always pick up contract work too when I wanted to so money was easy to come by. I came in at the very tail end of that era and there weren’t many real hippies left that weren’t living on communes. The people that looked like hippies were basically just street people with tie-dyes. The closest thing that was left for people my age was Dead tour and it didn’t really compare well since we didn’t stay in one place. I visited a few places that were blissninny-sweet and where everyone worked hard to make a home together and there was something tempting about a living life that simply, but I had other ideas. I can’t say the same about hallucinogenics. Most of the enlightening experiences I had that way made no sense at all in the morning, if I remembered them at all. I had loads of fun though. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/30 "2008-11-11T02:06:44Z")
I’ve known people who have dumpster dove for food. They’ve been people on the RenFest circuit - which isn’t usually one of those ‘living the high life’ career options. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/31 "2008-11-11T02:21:12Z")
I’m no freegan, but I do enjoy a good dumpster dive. I wouldn’t have bothered to post this except…I had a major “holy shit I can’t believe it!” find today! A gen-yoo-ine [IBM buckling spring keyboard](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=486683)! It’s totally filthy and I have no idea if it works–but if it does, me and that baby are gonna have a date with some q-tips and rubbing alcohol, and then it’s clicky clicky clicky all the way home! ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/32 "2008-11-11T03:01:30Z")
> [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](#): > > SO I spoke with a buddy of mine from Chicago who knowsa bunch of Freegans. Apparently, Portland, OR is their Mecca, as the city mandates that all food items be thrown away in green plastic bags…I don’t know the official reason, but practically, it just makes things even easier for a Freegan lookin’ for some chow. It probably also helps keep the actual garbage (the disgusting stuff) from getting scattered on the street. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/33 "2008-11-11T11:46:50Z")
Wow… that’s… um… certainly a different and unique lifestyle choice. Sounds more like an attempt to justify being a Derro to me, though. I’ll stay with my Capitalist buying food from the supermarket (or shooting it myself), having a job, and not having to scrounge through bins like a homeless person, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/34 "2008-11-11T15:30:20Z")
> [@cowgirl](#): > > For what it’s worth, I have read this about Ghandi in many unrelated primary sources and am prepared to believe it. It is an [ayurvedic](http://www.ayushveda.com/ayurvedic-massage/urine-therpy-massage.htm) practice and [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urine_therapy) confirms that the it was not unknown in India: Interesting. Thanks for the link! ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/35 "2008-11-11T15:44:00Z")
My brother dumpster-dives. I must say it’s an absolute scandal how much perfectly good food gets thrown away. Trader Joe’s will throw out a dozen eggs if one is cracked, and a bag of oranges if one is imperfect. I can’t bring myself to do it, but I don’t think it’s horrible that he lessens the wastage in the world. ---
**Author:** ![discodancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9c0ed/32.png) [@discodancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/discodancer)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/36 "2008-11-11T17:39:20Z")
Maybe we could form a Straight Dope dumpster diving club. We can call it the SDDDC. Catchy, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/37 "2008-11-11T20:13:06Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > Wow… that’s… um… certainly a different and unique lifestyle choice. > > Sounds more like an attempt to justify being a Derro to me, though. I’ll stay with my Capitalist buying food from the supermarket (or shooting it myself), having a job, and not having to scrounge through bins like a homeless person, thanks. Apropos of nothng, one of my cousins and I were once accused of being evil, soulless bastards for eating venison from a deer he had killed during hunting season. The complainer was eating steak and that time and did not grasp any contradiction in her position. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/38 "2008-11-11T21:11:47Z")
Maybe it is a personal quirk of mine, but I simply can’t imagine myself eating stuff out of the garbage, unless I was forced to it by starvation. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2008, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987/39 "2008-11-11T21:16:38Z")
\*Garbage dump, oh garbage dump Why are you called a garbage dump? Garbage dump, oh garbage dump Why are you called a garbage dump? You could feed the world with my garbage dump You could feed the world with my garbage dump You could feed the world with my garbage dump That sums it up in one big lump.\* -Charles Manson Very forward-thinking, Charlie. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-freegan-dopers-is-the-freeganism-lifestyle-sustainable/471987.md?page=1)