Freegans - advice and information about freeganism

geordie_joe

About nine or ten years ago I had a second job with Mr T. There was a story, although I was assured it was true, that a certain local family were banned from ever going into the store.

The reason was, and I am told they did this several times, a couple of the male members went into the store and peed into a couple of the freezers. Went and told a member of staff what they had done then legged it.

The rest of the family were outside waiting for the food to be chucked into the skip. Apparently they got a load of frozen chickens. turkeys and all sorts of other stuff.

I thought it was a myth at first, but a few people said they worked in the store when it happened. And pointed out the extra security measures in the loading area, which is where the skips are kept.

Trinny

Hi there

How many of us OS have ad a meal courtesy of a bin left outside a shop somewhere - i saw a programme on it - strange but true.

I confess to having a freegan lunch after getting the leftovers from a conference buffet.

What are your hints and tips for budding freegans,?

Do you support it as an ideology?

What is the best Freegan meal you have had?

Spill the beans!

Trin

Penelope_Penguin

As this has fallen from the front page of Old Style, I'll add it to the existing thread on the Green and Ethical Board

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

Freegan

This thread is for topical information on where to find the resources freegans value but others waste.

It's also for hints and tips for freegans [e.g. useful equipment or local waste collection times].

If you see any useful items discarded especially in bulk quantities please post on this thread and, hopefully, some local readers will "Keep Britain Tidy" and save a packet into the bargain.



I became a freegan ('though I didn't know what I was doing had a name) four or five years ago after a disastrous overspend on non-essentials and I've been living like a prince since then.

I eat foods I can't afford to buy and my grocery bill is a negligible amount (less than a pound a day).

The first of the month is a good day to check out the bins at the supermarkets for 'best before end of' consumables so take a rucksack and clear a space in the freezer.

A walking stick is useful for hooking out stuff in the deeper bins if you're less agile than you used to be.

I find that when the weather changes the supermarket bins fill up with the 'unseasonal' foods.

When the warm weather arrives we can stock up our freezers with the 'stodgy' foods in preparation for the inevitable cold snap when salads and fruits end up in the bins in bulk. (A good time for preserving and brewing at lowest cost.)

It isn't just the stores that are wasteful.

Many affluent families throw out perfectly servicable items expecting the binmen to take them to the landfill without a second thought to the environment.

Much of my furniture is made from recycled wood reclaimed from back alleys and skips and looks quite impressive if I say so myself.

My first few computers were found in back alleys before people became scared of identity theft.

I've often wondered if there is a business opportunity in the quantities of recyclables that I find (far more than one person can utilise).

I'd just like to see more people thinking of "Reduce, Re-use, Recycle." or as we used to call it "Make do and Mend."

If you get into this take a rucksack, plenty of plastic carrier bags (to prevent cross-contamination with burst packages) and a walking stick (to hook stuff out of the bottom of the bins if your not agile) and you will probably need to clear space in the freezer.

Remember, you'll be helping to cut down on greenhouse gasses, landfill and airborne fungal and bacterial spores as well as vermin.

And if you get any harrassment be polite and lecture them about climate change etc.
Once they realise that you have a case against the store on their lack of social responsibility their attitude softens.
Sometimes they'll leave you alone but if security insists on moving you on offer no resistance.

Rummer

I have never looked fro food but we often ask people for things from their skips and have been known to come back from the dump with more things than we took!

Freegan

Today [08/07/09] in Plymouth, Iceland on Mayflower Street have a number of quiche lorraine and Richmond pork sausages with yesterday's date on in their bin.

Tesco on New George Street have stacks of doughnuts (some today's date) assorted fruit and veg and the interminable supply of coleslaw.

In the same yard, House of Fraser are having a refit and have thrown out a perfectly recyclable shelving system.

skiTTish

Please please be careful doing this !!!
My hubby works in the food industry and quite often food is thrown out as it has become contaminated with something it shouldnt have or there has been a 'scare '

Penelope_Penguin

Freegan wrote: »

This thread is for topical information on where to find the resources freegans value but others waste.

And if you get any harrassment be polite and lecture them about climate change etc.

Lecture That way of persuading people rarely works

The Green and Ethical Board fits this thread better, so I'll move it over. I'll add it to the exisitng thread on Freeganism later

Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL].

Freegan

Lecture That way of persuading people rarely works

As a means of persuasion, I agree but as a means of disuasion (getting them to leave you alone) it's a different matter.
Who's got the time to hang around being lectured by some scruffy nutter waving a rancid haddock around to illustrate his point?

Freegan

Trinny wrote: »

Hi there

How many of us OS have ad a meal courtesy of a bin left outside a shop somewhere - i saw a programme on it - strange but true.

I confess to having a freegan lunch after getting the leftovers from a conference buffet.

What are your hints and tips for budding freegans,?

Do you support it as an ideology?

What is the best Freegan meal you have had?

Spill the beans!

Trin

Hi Trinny,

You've probably guessed from my username what my answers to your queries are.

For hints and tips for budding freegans check out my new thread. (Oops. It's this thread now that PP has merged them.)
If anyone has any hints, tips or even sightings I'd encourage posting there. (Here.)

I wouldn't class it an ideology, just a lifestyle choice motivated as much by social responsibility as by frugality.

My best freegan meal?

It would have to be Christmas lunch of two whole lobsters rescued a few weeks earlier, still frozen, from an M&S bin (before they got 'precious' over their waste), washed down with home made 'falling over juice' brewed from fruit rescued from bins.