We've all heard of "dumpster diving" - searching through garbage for useful items - but few people know there is a growing social movement associated with this practice. Freegans (playing on 'vegan') boycott consumer goods to demonstrate the vast and unnecessary waste generated by corporate capitalism. Steven Kurutz profiles several freegans in today's NY Times. While there is fear and stigma attached to consuming things from a dumpster (especially food), freegans argue that supermarkets and restaurants regularly throw away items that are safe and should be used. A manifesto entitled "Why Freegan?" calls for the public to "tread lightly on the Earth" by not purchasing food, driving, or working meaningless jobs in order to buy useless things.
It's an extreme stance, but freegans are headed in the right direction. Look at any impoverished country or region and you'll realize that Americans take the (seemingly) endless amounts of stuff around them for granted. Take 15 seconds to think about the waste you're creating and how you can put it to better use.
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