Freegans Hit New York Dumpster

Joe Fornabaio for The New York Times

The day after the students move out, the Freegan hordes descend on the dumpsters of NYU to pick up free loot: televisions, paintings, half-fulled jars of detergent, even a working iPod. According to the New York Times:

"Freegans are scavengers of the developed world, living off consumer waste in an effort to minimize their support of corporations and their impact on the planet, and to distance themselves from what they see as out-of-control consumerism. They forage through supermarket trash and eat the slightly bruised produce or just-expired canned goods that are routinely thrown out, and negotiate gifts of surplus food from sympathetic stores and restaurants."

The food at a recent feast came from supermarket trash. Evan Sung for The New York Times

Freegans appear to be quite organized in New York, but the pickings are easy in such a rich, dense city. They have a website (freegan.info) where they post events like the NYU Dorm Dive, a directory and a message board. Once a week they get together and have a freegan feast.

It all sounds too disgusting, but as former investment banker and now bicycle repairman Christian Gutierrez says: “Opening that first bag of trash is the biggest step.” ::New York Times