Meet the freegans

Chezzie · Post by **Chezzie** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 1:11 pm

I posted about this in another thread but thought it may be a good subject to discuss on its own.

I watched wife swap the other week where one family lived as freegans, they didnt work, well they did but for God so no wage coming in. What they received via donations went to the church. They lived in a camper van. The poor 12 year old son was who I felt sorry for.

http://www.channel4.com/video/wife-swap ... n_p_1.html

They eat food they find in bins and are driven by conscience, not financial need. Meet the freegans.

There's no such thing as a free lunch, so the saying goes, but freegans beg to differ.

They only eat food they can scavenge for free from supermarket dustbins. Most is only just past its sell-by date, some is still within it but the packaging has been damaged.

The freegan philosophy of "ethical eating" is a reaction against a wasteful society and a way of highlighting how supermarkets dump tonnes of food every year that is still edible.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6933744.stm

Anyway my question is could you be a freegan

I most certainly could not.

kayleneaussie · Post by **kayleneaussie** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 1:16 pm

I wouldnt choose to live that way but there are the homeless who get by that way. It would be interesting maybe to try it for a week you would certainly then appreciate what you have and maybe not be so wasteful.

Sheryl · Post by **Sheryl** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 1:37 pm

I've saw a wife swap episode that had a freegan couple also. There work was performing on the streets for donations, which they kept. They lived in a house, but it was nasty. They had a sign in their bathroom that read " If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down". They also got their food from dumpsters and went around to the restaurants at closing for the leftovers. I'm sorry if an adult wants to live that way, fine. But I think it's wrong to bring a child up that way, it's just nasty!

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:06 pm

Hi Chez:-6,

I watched 'wife swap" for quite a while, but can no longer watch it. It just seemed so sad for the opposite family to abide by another's rules, and the poor kids would cry and be so upset.

I haven't watched a freegans episode, but the idea seems disturbing to me to force your children to live like that.

If adults want to live as freegans, that's fine, but don't subject your children to that lifestyle.

I could never live like that. I believe that it's good to live and respect nature and try not to waste things, but I'm not going dumpster diving:wah:

WonderWendy3 · Post by **WonderWendy3** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:23 pm

I've only watched wife swap once and I'm with Kathy, I had a hard time with the kids having a hard time with the "temporary" mom and some of the issues on the episode I saw (it was about a year or more ago though). I realize that it has somewhat of good intentions to show families how to appreciate what they have and to experience other ways of living, but it also appears to me that they go for the extremists to swap. Therefore the Christians are made to look like wacko's....and in this instance, I have to agree...living out of dumpsters is wrong...to say that Jesus would do it is obsurd. I agree with the fact if adults want to live out of dumpsters, go for it, but give that child to a loving family that cooks meals every night or at least doesn't spend their evenings dumpster diving.

One major thing I am adamant about ...is my kids eating well...unfortunately we like our "goodies" too, but I keep them to a minimum....they are treats...but fruits and veggies that are fresh are a MUST!!

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:28 pm

Hey Wendy:-4 I agree. Chezzie & Wendy....do you watch "Supernanny?" I love watching JoJo and even incorporated her techniques in my classroom. They work no matter how old the kids are:-4

WonderWendy3 · Post by **WonderWendy3** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:31 pm

Kathy Ellen;782204 wrote: Hey Wendy:-4 I agree. Chezzie & Wendy....do you watch "Supernanny?" I love watching JoJo and even incorporated her techniques in my classroom. They work no matter how old the kids are:-4

I've only heard about the show....I'm not really a tv watcher, I just started watching the show "Eli Stone" on Thursdays because a friend told me it was good, and I make a point to watch it....and American Idol....and that's about it...I like don't forget the lyrics...but I forget when its on!:o

When is Supernanny on? I'll try to make a point to watch it!

Chezzie · Post by **Chezzie** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:38 pm

Wife Swap is real mean on the kiddies of the families. In the freegan episode, the daughter of the millionaire family was more or less forced to eat megga over ripe mashed up bananas and left over food she hadnt eaten for her breakest which was served to her for her tea, she was crying her eyes out and heaving her guts up, her father put a stop to it immediatley.

When we were shown some of the food the freegan mother had rummaged out of a skip, which is stealing btw, I will admit some was like a pkt of 10 malteser sweets that the outer packaging was torn so all the individual pkts were fine.

I still couldnt touch it though.

Chezzie · Post by **Chezzie** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:40 pm

Kathy Ellen;782204 wrote: Hey Wendy:-4 I agree. Chezzie & Wendy....do you watch "Supernanny?" I love watching JoJo and even incorporated her techniques in my classroom. They work no matter how old the kids are:-4

I love supernanny, JoJo is great, I like Nanny911 too. Some of the parents need the nanny and not the kids though...:wah:

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:40 pm

Wendy, there's something wrong with my "copy and paste" functions. Tried to send you a link for this show. You can google "Supernanny schedule." Her name is JoJo and she's from the UK...think she had a show there. I think that she's fabulous...someone I love to go for a cuppa with or walk along the sea and just talk about how to improve your family relationships with. I think you'll like her.

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 2:52 pm

Chezzie;782212 wrote: I love supernanny, JoJo is great, I like Nanny911 too. Some of the parents need the nanny and not the kids though...:wah:

Hi Chez, ahhh, she did have a show in the UK. I think she's brilliant. You're right...it's often the parents that need parenting skills not the kids.

Had to turn my washing machine off for the winter as the pipes freeze. So, I went to the laundramat...yuk and there sat this young boy at 8 yrs. and his Dad...the 2 were fighting and yelling at each other. The child took out his cell phone and said, "I'm going to call Mom and tell her that you......"

I felt so badly for both of them. From what I could gather from all their yelling is that the parents were divorced and dad had his child for the weekend. I'm sure the child wanted to be at home playing with his friends, but dad to do the laundry.

I though that if "JoJo" were here, she'd tell them what to do. "Dad, do your laundry before the child comes to you, and take him to the park to play ball." And, don't argue with a child...here's how you act...."

sunny_bunny · Post by **sunny_bunny** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:14 pm

Kathy Ellen;782188 wrote: Hi Chez:-6,

I watched 'wife swap" for quite a while, but can no longer watch it. It just seemed so sad for the opposite family to abide by another's rules, and the poor kids would cry and be so upset.

I haven't watched a freegans episode, but the idea seems disturbing to me to force your children to live like that.

If adults want to live as freegans, that's fine, but don't subject your children to that lifestyle.

I could never live like that. I believe that it's good to live and respect nature and try not to waste things, but I'm not going dumpster diving:wah:

I agree that children shouldn't be forced to live like this. Likewise the children of New Age Travellers shouldn't be forced to live their lifestyle of non-education and stealing, but where do you draw the line between not agreeing with someone's life style and forcing a Big Brother attitude where we are all ruled by the State?

Likewise, I wouldn't want to eat from a dumpster but I also feel too much food is needlessly dumped when there are people who are hungry with very limited funds. Food that is on its sell-by date could be given to the homeless who live on the streets. I also feel that food should be cheaper. Huge supermarkets can afford to have a massive waste bill from all the food they waste, why can't they sell cheaper food so people could afford to buy more and better quality for their families?

I'm afraid I'm a fence-sitter - I can see both sides of the argument but can't come up with a suitable solution to the problems.

Oh, I also want to say that where I live the supermarkets lock the giant bins that contain the waste food, so people can't steal it! It's a mad world!

Kathy Ellen · Post by **Kathy Ellen** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:43 pm

Hi Sunny B,

Nice to meet you...don't think I've said hello before.

What do you think of the new age travellers? It's hard for me to understand that way of life. I need roots and structure to function with my everyday life.

theia · Post by **theia** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:44 pm

sunny_bunny;782235 wrote: I agree that children shouldn't be forced to live like this. Likewise the children of New Age Travellers shouldn't be forced to live their lifestyle of non-education and stealing, but where do you draw the line between not agreeing with someone's life style and forcing a Big Brother attitude where we are all ruled by the State?

Likewise, I wouldn't want to eat from a dumpster but I also feel too much food is needlessly dumped when there are people who are hungry with very limited funds. Food that is on its sell-by date could be given to the homeless who live on the streets. I also feel that food should be cheaper. Huge supermarkets can afford to have a massive waste bill from all the food they waste, why can't they sell cheaper food so people could afford to buy more and better quality for their families?

I'm afraid I'm a fence-sitter - I can see both sides of the argument but can't come up with a suitable solution to the problems.

Oh, I also want to say that where I live the supermarkets lock the giant bins that contain the waste food, so people can't steal it! It's a mad world!

It used to be, years ago, sunny bunny. But now, with all the health and safety regulations, stores can no longer do this. It's a kind of Catch 22 situation.

Omni_Skittles · Post by **Omni_Skittles** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 7:00 pm

Could i be a freegan... nope my mentality is not there... my stomach and wallet maybe but my mentality is not...

WonderWendy3 · Post by **WonderWendy3** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:37 pm

Omni_Skittles;782388 wrote: Could i be a freegan... nope my mentality is not there... my stomach and wallet maybe but my mentality is not...

I thought about you after I responded to this thread....and wondered if it would influence you.....actually I would understand if it was a one time thing, in desperate times, but to live that way imo is just not right....

Omni_Skittles · Post by **Omni_Skittles** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:40 pm

WonderWendy3;782471 wrote: I thought about you after I responded to this thread....and wondered if it would influence you.....actually I would understand if it was a one time thing, in desperate times, but to live that way imo is just not right....

lol i'm just not eating for like a weekend! haha... well actually i have noodles but the caf here opens up again tuesday... mmm caf food. lol Please i am way too cool for taht

pantsonfire321@aol.com · Sun Feb 24, 2008 4:24 am

I watched that show, the poor little boy was ashamed to invite his friends over because the Camper van they lived in was manky and bloody dirty, damp and cold . Poor boy, it's sad to see parent's forcing their kids to live by their warped ways .

The father looked like he needed a good bath and a hair brush wouldn't of gone a miss .

I think they were just scroungers.... lazy actually .

I think Kids need structure so the parent's earning a wage would of done the kid more good ...at least then they could of afforded to buy him some nice clothes instead of letting him walk around like a tramp .

Could i be a freegan ; No way i believe you should work for what you need in life . I hate scroungers and theft is wrong full stop.:-5

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 11:07 am

I watch Wife-Swap also. I always feel that when the "new" wife has her turn to make changes, she should do so tactfully, and not insult the parent or their lifestyle.

A parent's duty is to provide a a safe, nurturing, and loving environment for the child. Part of that involves cleanliness. I did not say perfection.

Supernanny is a great show as well. Poor Jo...she has to undo years of "ineffective"parenting in a short period od time.