A growing subculture in North America and Europe is voluntarily dropping out of consumerist society and living off of what others throw away. They call themselves “Freegans†and some of them are former managers who became fed up with their capitalist lifestyles. Now they revel in how little money they spend, getting by mostly on things -- including food -- that they find on the street and in dumpsters.
Implications - The most unique thing about this phenomenon is that these people are not beggars, but are making the conscious choice to eat others' leftovers. Further, these particular individuals do not eat the food on the spot, but rather use it as an ingredient for an entire dish.
An example is observed in a female freegan name Nelson. Allegedly, "she thawed a slab of pate that she found three days before its expiration date in a dumpster outside a health food store. She made buttery chicken soup from another health food store’s hot buffet leftovers, which she salvaged before they were tossed into the garbage."
Dumpster Diving
This Is The "Freegan" Life
Trend Themes
1. Voluntary Minimalism - Embracing a lifestyle of minimalism and rejecting consumerist society to live off discarded items.
2. Freeganism - Choosing to eat others' leftovers as a conscious choice rather than a necessity.
3. Dumpster Diving Culture - Growing subculture of people actively searching dumpsters for discarded items to sustain their lifestyle.
Industry Implications
1. Food Waste Management - Innovative approaches to reduce food waste, redirect excess food to those in need, and minimize dumpster-diving practices.
2. Alternative Living Solutions - Developing innovative housing solutions that cater to individuals embracing voluntary minimalism and freeganism lifestyles.
3. Sustainable Food Systems - Creating sustainable food systems that prioritize minimizing food waste and promoting the use of surplus ingredients in order to support the freegan community.