Freegan Finds

[louann5840]

But isn't it hard to pick up stuff there? I mean you have to pay to park your car if you can even find a place to park and then you have to carry the item to your car if you want to take it. That's really hard. That's why noone wants to take that stuff on the side of the road. Food is easier. But it wouldn't be easy for me...I'm diabetic.

[MarcfromTreasureNet1]

enjoy your bed bugs you hippie freak

[mud2skipper]

Here in Washington state we are big on recycling and things like once a year free appliance pick up, so much of the waste is disposed of properly. However, there are still great finds if a person want to find something specific and is willing to be patient and wait for it to come along. I go to Craigslist every day and am amazed at how much and what people get rid of. Life is really good when you find something great in a free pile or on the net.

[westend104]

@mud2skipper Thanks so much for your comments! I agree with you that it's wonderful to find something free or inexpensive. One person's trash is another person's treasure - it's so true. 

[onewomanandsomesongs]

I'm not one to dumpster dive for food, each to his own on that. :) However, I am one to dumpster dive or trash pick for furniture and other finds. I also frequent flea markets and yard sales, so some of my stuff I've paid for, but I've gotten it at a very reasonable price. I've furnished my house with such finds and stayed out of debt because of it.

I truly believe in the old adage, waste not, want not.

[jw13303]

like the "good book" says; waste not, want not.

[camh344]

Freegans are the biggest losers in the world. Just be normal and get a job and buy your own food!

[gregspencewolf]

I'm a righteous dumpster diver dude. Yeah I'm a righteous dumpster diver dude. I get all of my apparel, From the bottom of a barrel. All my favorite music, Someone else refused it. My letterhead has many styles, Because it comes from the circular file. If it's in a bottle or a can, Then I figure that I can, Eat it all up, Without throwing up! I go to Campus every spring, To look for all of the good things, That people throw away, Because they go away.

[westend104]

Fantastic verse.

I'd do much worse.

So dive for grub

And thanks for the sub.

Keep looking for treasure

And watch our vids -- they're a pleasure

to shoot for good folks like you.

[kooldaug]

I started raiding a bin today and this is what i found. 3 packs of blueberries 2 packets of pecan cookies 2 packets of donuts iced buns 8 nets of minneloas (oranges) cheddar bacon steak lemons leak sugar I think thats pretty good for my first time and i can't wait to do it next saturday. That might sound weird but i actually enjoyed the hunting element to it.

[westend104]

This is GREAT. I think that my initial thoughts about being turned off by freegan food finds has evolved a lot. If you're finding good food that hasn't yet been hit by rodents or pests, then I think it's a great way to "hunt," as you call it. I'm sure you can find some furniture and other home treasures, too. Search for the NY Times article called "Not Buying It," which is a good overview of freegans. Thanks for watching!

[realar]

clever title

[Bulleadzcc]

@kooldaug i found a lot of things in bins : books (a lot of them) , furniture , a hifi radio/cassettes/cds reader , clothes (a lot of them) , a wooden snake , a plastic hedgehog that i can turn into a wig ^^ ... but i never found any food except one avocado. i would love to do this , just you tell me where the heck you find your miraculous food bins !

[centry96]

hippy

[the20thcenturyfox]

I live in the city and used to work in a survey center and one time we had to ask people "If it would save the city money should we stop recycling?" and the amount of people that said yes was astonishing. I mean I would have been shocked by only one just cuz' to me recycling is an obvious thing especially with a city that produces as much waste as NYC.

Also the food Freegans take is 100% quality food still in the packaging sometimes and fresh no need to be scared. I'm Freegan serious! ha ha :)

[westend104]

Thanks so much for watching and commenting -- I found your insights on recycling very interesting; it's such an important issue to recycle and reuse society's waste. And it's good to get a Freegan's confirmation of the food that is recycled! Thanks again for your great comments!

[reaperette]

i first heard about freeganson oprah. i'm in NZ now, and the supermarkets sell slightlywithered produce at low prices and usually when we buy those things we basically waver the rights to sue should we get food poisoning. but on oprah i saw that they throw out perfectly good food (packaged corn, looked very fresh)

it's sad cause people are starving elsewhere and food just easily goes down the trash.

[the20thcenturyfox]

Well the sad reality in America is as my cousin puts it "our world of fuckin lawyers". In America people will sue for anything and pretend that personal accountability doesnt exist. Which is probably one of the reasons GW isnt behind bars right now. It also makes it hard to donate things like used medical equipment (crutches in the case of my cousin) because the organizations are afraid of getting sued for the equipment possibly being faulty.

[reaperette]

sad. really sad.

[Bingling65]

I took a trampoline that was going to be thrown away, and now it's for sale on ebay. You'd be surprised what people throw out that you can sell on ebay.

[westend104]

Great! It makes perfect sense that if something is clean and it still serves a function, it should be recycled and enjoyed by others. Thanks for watching and sharing!

[LordLebu]

Man , you Americans waste a lot of food . It is time to realize that there is a food crisis the world over .

[westend104]

Greetings to you and beautiful India! Well, not ALL Americans waste food. I'd say the big problems are too much meat addiction (which demands clearing of land for grain to feed and let cattle graze) and the insane packaging and transportation of foodstuffs that is wasteful. There is a strong, positive movement in America to buy produce and crops from farmers markets and to eat locally produced and raised foods, avoiding food that is processed and shipped from far away.

[LordLebu]

"which demands clearing of land for grain to feed and let cattle graze"

omg, that is unthikable here, lol . People here used to make 100% use of almost everything . Even the wastes , like coconut shells or even cattle poop went on to be used as fuel or even natural pesticides .

Unfortunately ,dude, people here think just the opposite , processed food are becoming more popular here . The old village lifestyle is simply loosing its foothold .

[westend104]

Thanks so much for sharing! A lot of us would love to move to a more village lifestyle if we could; the U.S. has to do something quickly if we're to stop hoarding so much of the world's natural resources. Your comment on cattle made me laugh; how true in India!!! Lord Lebu, thanks so much for watching (and subscribing!). Best, Jay

[the20thcenturyfox]

The wasting of food is a world problem. Trust me America is not the only country...not by far.

[LordLebu]

yes ofcourse , i know , people who have lots of money are actually the ones wasting it .

[Billybreezerboy]

I like your points and you make them clearly...BRAVO! :)

[westend104]

Thanks so much for watching and the kind comments! And a shout out to you in the beautiful UK.... Best, Jay

[BelligerentAuthority]

So do you pick out useless, but still recyclable shit like empty glass or plastic bottles?

[westend104]

People are separating the regular recyclables like glass, plastic, newspapers in their own pickup bins here in NYC, but larger items like furniture get tossed to the curb regularly. It's not uncommon to see people going through the garbage piles, collecting glass and aluminum cans to get the recycling money, too.

[thestalkinghead]

i wouldn't eat trash but anything else seems logical to me

[westend104]

I like recycling; it makes so much sense to me. My son would often move from one apartment to another in Chicago, he's not a big one on keeping possessions like furniture, so he would line his furniture up on the curb for people to pick up and use as they wished. I think that's great (although I stopped buying him furniture when I learned he was just giving it away!). LOL Many thanks for watching and commenting! Best, Jay

[malcontent1984]

Great way to introduce bedbugs into your home.

[westend104]

I agree. If you bring home anything upholstered, be careful. There are probably some kind of bug-killing bombs you can buy to kill bedbugs, but your room or garage has to be closed up and they'll be poison in the air, which is a bit of an eco nightmare.

[mstrbear318]

people, its one thing to " trash pick " for such items as furniture, antiques, bike's, tools, etc. but come one, getting FOOD outta the trash is beyound WRONG!, is so nasty, and un-healthy, a FREEGAN is a cheap fuck to swoop to taking food outta the trash, the homeless yes, but people who wake up in a bed everyday, and use the tools that we have should not be eating outa the trash, you sick fucks! cheap fucks! nasty fucks!

[vivitar45]

i colect trash finds i sell my stuff at the flea market with no cost in to it and bought a cheep car with it i drive everyware yep free car its just like steeling i asked the cops and they can't bother me and my place every thing works looks grate all finds just the matress new

[westend104]

Thanks for watching and your comments are great. Trash finds are excellent, particularly wood and solid furniture. Be careful with upholstered furniture and old mattresses -- I've heard of bedbugs and insect infestations that can get a bit nasty. Maybe someone has a good way to get rid of possible pests in upholstery in a safe and cheap way .... Best, Jay

[kimmarie801]

confusious say; garden works well for food...dumpster works well for garden... ripe time to be vegetarian.

[westend104]

So true! It's all about recycling, reusing, and utilizing what others discard. Another wise saying: Waste not, want not. Thanks so much for watching and commenting, KimMarie! Best, Jay

[rudoray26]

Is there a freegan group in Dallas?..and is this illegal?

[westend104]

I just googled freegans and Dallas and found some Craigslist questions trying to find places to dumpster dive for food, clothes, and furniture in your area. I'm not familiar with Dallas-Ft. Worth, but dumpster diving is done everywhere, all the time, and it's not really illegal. My son in Chicago has found beautiful furniture on the streets and brought it home, I've found great art in the trash in Minneapolis, and last week I passed a leather sofa in great condition along the curb in Manhattan.

[rudoray26]

Okay thank you.

[westend104]

Good luck -- and happy trashin!  :>)

[samasher]

Cool! My best friend once found a old wooden "ANTIQUES" shop sign in the street, and it's now one of my favorite things!!

Thank God you draw the line at dumpster diving for food!!! You need to stay healthy so you can keep posting your fab videos!!

Hugs,

Sam xox

[westend104]

:>) Thanks so much, Sam! I rescued an oil painting once. Lovely old village scene, but impressionistic. Old woman bent over her cane. It's on my office wall, and it's a favorite, too. Letting things recycle is what it's all about. Freegans rock, but yes, Sam, free food from trash is not my idea of a banquet! xxooJay