# Dumpster Diving This Is The "Freegan" Life By Ben Preiss | Published 2007-09-13 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/freegan References: [latimes](http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-freegan11sep11,1,7180517.story?coll=la-headlines-frontpage&track=crosspromo) & [lifeandhealth.guardian](http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,2149304,00.html) 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." ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.7/10 - Popularity: 32% | Activity: 11% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Voluntary Minimalism:** Embracing a lifestyle of minimalism and rejecting consumerist society to live off discarded items. - **Freeganism:** Choosing to eat others' leftovers as a conscious choice rather than a necessity. - **Dumpster Diving Culture:** Growing subculture of people actively searching dumpsters for discarded items to sustain their lifestyle. ### Who This Affects Most - **Food Waste Management:** Innovative approaches to reduce food waste, redirect excess food to those in need, and minimize dumpster-diving practices. - **Alternative Living Solutions:** Developing innovative housing solutions that cater to individuals embracing voluntary minimalism and freeganism lifestyles. - **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. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Hyper-Local Gifting Communities](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/buy-nothing-project.md) - [Unusual Food Waste Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/food-waste-campaigns.md) - [Affordable Grocery Store Subscriptions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/affordable-grocery-store.md) - [Renewable Circular Trash Cans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mill.md) - [Retail Overconsumption Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/coachtopia-1.md) - [Upcycled Dog Foods](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/doggiebag.md) - [Consumer-Run Supermarkets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hyperburgers.md) - [Walk-In Freezer Concept Stores](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sainsfreeze.md) - [Waste Diversion Grocer Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/giant-food-and-divert.md)