New in Hugg: Freeganism
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 06.28.07
Alexandra Smith writes: In America, over 100 billion pounds of food are lost to waste by retailers, consumers and restaurants. The average four-person family in the States discards $590 of food each year before it has reached its expiration date.
While I work to counter this amount of lost waste by still filling just my canvas bag at the store, there are others both in the States and abroad fighting the consumer/waste results of the capitalist system another way: freeganism.
I have gone dumpster diving a few times, and I can assure you the process takes a great deal of time and effort. The result, though, is a feeling of fulfillment in literally reducing human waste while walking away with perfectly good produce, bread, and even coffee tables and iPods. Consumption is clearly an issue on any environmentalists mind. We wonder, what food is the best way to consume? Is veganism the clearest path to green eating or can we just eat local and in season?
Read it all via ::Hugg
Treehugger on freeganism:
Freeganism: The Art of Dumpster Diving
Freegans Hit New York Dumpster
Also in Hugg: Linton finds Barbara Kingsolver reading the first chapter of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. ::Hugg
back in my punk days, after the 3rd wave of ska had washed over, i remember a 'freegan' being someone that was a vegan but would eat meat or dairy when it was free. i guess this is similar in nature, but a bit broader.