Freeganism

Before I start, let me say that I'm writing this from a certain level and would prefer not to do the definition roundup. If you don't know what freeganism is, then hit up freegan.info to learn a bit, then come back and read. Please then note that I do not espouse every single idea of the freegan standard. I mean, my family owns an SUV, and an SUV is required to get us all around. Carpooling would be economical if our vehicle had any excess space. I am also a proponent of capitalism and entrepreneurship. This is not limited to the acceptable market, but also the sub (or black) market economy that keeps smaller countries and larger families alive.

The Denver/Boulder area does not seem to have a cohesive group of freegans, through it obviously has plenty of them. The site Meetup wants me to pay to start a group, but I wonder if they'd get me for spam if I started a yahoo group then emailed everyone on the Meetup waiting list to advertise it? I might find out. I looked up a dumpster diving yahoo group for the area, but its 75% sex ads easily and had no discernible moderation system. Look people, even hippie freegans need rules and free stuff shouldn't come at the cost of wading through bots looking for money.

As a part-time freegan, I tend to look for housewares, kids stuff, anything I can sell, anything I can use, and in the right cases... food. Freegans aren't just dumpster divers though. The movement espouses charity, friendship, and sensible amounts of eco-responsibility.

So I have some goals, assuming I start feeling better medically. My goals are pretty achievable, seeing as the bulk of their work relies on my ability to use the internet, speak coherently to people, and give/receive free items. Not too hard, huh?


1. Start a cohesive online freegan group for the Denver/Boulder area
2. Start a monthly dumpster dive club and foster others to do the same in their areas
3. Begin a mobile free market or swap meet (probably at the park, but the location varies).
4. Compile a dumpster map of my area to include both locations and best foraging times.
5. Eventually purchase land where my family might live relatively sustainably