Random word tuesday: freegan

Tightwad heard about freegans about a month ago on the TV. She was astonished, curious and dubious about it; simultaneously. In the show, a wealthy English woman had to switch lives with a freegan for two weeks (yes, I admit it, it was Wife Swap UK). In fact here's the link to that particular show. Even Oprah has covered freeganism - here's the link to a Lisa Ling report.

Wikipedia says that 'freeganism is an anti-consumerist lifestyle whereby people employ alternative living strategies based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources. Freegans embrace community, generosity, social concern, freedom, cooperation, and sharing in opposition to a society based on materialism, moral apathy, competition, conformity and greed.' (this is all on freegan.ca, too).

The freegan lifestyle involves salvaging discarded, unspoiled food from supermarket dumpsters. Freegans salvage for political reasons, rather than out of need. Freeganism started in the mid 1960s out of the antiglobalization and environmentalist movements. Here's another new term: rescued food. A short doco produced in 2008 exlores freeganism: Bin Appetit. Freegans also forage, garden and barter to obtain food. Another niche of freegans call themselves meagans - they eat meat. Non-food related practices include utilizing solar energy, conserving water and precycling.