It is a lifestyle focused on decreasing participation in the capitalist economy and minimizing the impact on the environment. The term is a fusion of “free” (which has to do with freedom or the absence of costs in English) and “veganism” (the practice of not consuming animal products), expanding resistance to consumption beyond food. The movement, decentralized and based more on individual than institutional practices, has no well-defined place of origin. What is known is that it gained strength in the 1990s, from anti-globalization initiatives. Currently, the US stands out as a center for disseminating the practice and for the number of freegan actions.
Alternative society
Meet the pillars of the freegan movement
ABUSE OF REUSE
Dumpster diving is used to look for discarded food that is still suitable for consumption. It rolls out on a larger scale in the US and some European countries where there are large dumpsters. In Brazil and the rest of the world, the most common way to recover food is to attend street fairs close to closing time.
ZERO WASTE
To reduce the disposal of food and products, optimizing consumption, freegans bet on various initiatives. Physical and virtual markets for exchanging items, encouraging the construction of gardens and community gardens and distribution networks for second-hand products are just some of them
URBAN OCCUPATION
Freegans believe that housing is not a privilege but a right. Thus, they encourage the occupation of abandoned and unoccupied properties. In return, they usually convert these spaces into community centers with educational and artistic activities.
VEGANISM
Vegans eliminate the consumption of meat and animal derivatives not only from their diet but from their lives. This includes clothing, cleaning and personal care products, cosmetics tested on animals, etc. Some also engage in guerrilla gardening (in abandoned spaces) and cultivating community gardens.
Sources Websites freegan.info, tastethewaste.com and foodnotbombs.net
Consultancy Maximus Thaler, cook and creator of the freegan kiosk The Gleaners¿ Kitchen, Gio Andollo, freegan writer, and Tim Keating, co-founder of the Rainforest Relief project and supporter of freeganism