So I was reading and interacting with the folks at the freegan community. And obviously like every other thing, there are plus and minus points as well.
Firstly, these are some stuffs that I don't really like about freegans as a community and freeganism as a practice. It doesn't mean I'm slamming them or that I'm not going to be involved. It's like kimchi. I don't like garlic in general, so I have a love hate relationship with kimchi. I like eating kimchi in general, but I don't like the garlic flavours in it.
Similarly, for freegans and freeganism, I like some concepts with the whole idea, but there are other things which I don't like.
Top of the list, I joined the freegan community and learnt about freeganism cos I wanted to reduce my costs. Free stuff, why not right. Ok so my main priority is to get things free. Of course when I get free second hand items, it also means I'm reducing waste and recycling items. But let's not put the cart in front of the horse. I want free stuffs first, if it happens to save the earth, it's a good second result.
There's a bunch of people in the freegan community acting like Captain Planet. Now, saving the earth is all great. I'm all for it. Reducing waste and all that... But hey, to me, this is supposed to be a freegan community. So free stuff first, saving the earth is not the first priority.
But I find a bunch of folks acting pretty self righteous putting saving the earth as their motivation to get free stuff.
So if someone buys me a free meal, I'll eat it. I don't want to eat someone's left overs just cos I don't want to waste it.
Same as if someone wants to buy me a new laptop... Well, I don't need one so I won't want anyone to buy me one. But if I can get a free new one, then I'm not going to reuse a 2nd one which I might have picked up from the trash.
Next, there are normal folks who think that Daniel is the final goal. People who think that to be freegan, they have to eat leftovers. I have nothing against what Daniel does. Rather, I read about people who feel squeamish about eating other people's leftovers at the food court, but they somehow feel compelled that to be freegan, they need to advance to that level. Now, I think that that's just dumb. To be freegan, it's just to like getting stuff free. Some stuff, if they don't feel comfortable doing it, then they should just avoid it. It's not a cult, it's not about how extreme each one can go.
Rather, it's about how one can try to find ways to obtain stuff for free, and usually it is getting stuff that others might not want anymore. Like foodstuffs which is past best before date.
So yea... There are folks who think this whole freegan thing is about everyone progressing to the highest form of freeganism. And I think that's just wrong. Each one should assess how they want freeganism in their lives and adjust what they feel is appropriate.
Another gripe I have is that people tend to want to out do each other. Dumpster diving is somewhat borderline illegal. It's debatable. So there are people within the community who take it as a challenge to try to find the hidden dumpsters of large supermarkets and try to raid them. Essentially going out of the way trying to find the hidden dumpsters, taking pictures of it and trying to grab stuff there.
Now, once again, I'm entirely ok with dumpster diving at HDBs or supermarkets. And I'm going to try it myself once I find sometime after I get back. But this is not about being Robin Hood. It's not about finding the hidden dumpsters and trying to find new exotic dumpsters to raid. The more experienced dumpster divers just run daily or weekly routes around dumpsters within where they stay.
And the worst thing is, the community seems to be patting themselves in the back, encouraging each other to do more extreme stuff, or seeking legal advice so that they can console themselves that they are doing the right thing.
As I said, I'm ok with dumpster diving. But I think it's important to be respectful. People shouldn't be trespassing or going out of the way to find hidden dumpsters to raid them as an adventure. There's plenty to be found in numerous places without having to go out of the way. Furthermore, if people need to get legal advice to protect themselves, then I think might as well don't do it.
Simply put, if want to do it, then do it, if some security guard says anything, then just apologize and go away. That's it. Don't try to throw some Section 123 at them.
Also, to be a freegan, there's also some level of hoarding. I'm not going down this route. But I do think that the deeper the level of freeganism, eventually there will need to be some level of hoarding or stockpiling. Cos you never know when you'll get the free shampoo or soap or food. So when these items are available for free, the freegan would need to pick it up and store it. I don't mean this in the way of the typical hoarders who keep all kinds of junk. Rather, to live as a high level freegan who gets most things for free, he won't know when he'll get his stuff so he just needs to keep a stockpile of essentials. Hey, I also keep a stockpile cos I buy stuff in bulk. The only difference is that a freegan gets it for free.
Now, I'm not saying that freegans are bad or all of them are extreme, I also think that saving the planet is important. So I don't want people to misunderstand this.
But the thing is, I think freeganism is about getting stuff for free generally. Living without spending money. If it so happens to help the earth, that's great. But people shouldn't be preaching in the community about food wastage or over-usage of plastic, etc.
Of course we shouldn't waste food, but people shouldn't be arguing with event organisers and being self righteous about it. If the event organisers want to throw away the food, then it's their right to do it.
Remember, it's a freegan community, not a save the earth community. So I think debating about the use of free plastic bags from supermarkets somewhat ironic.
Anyway, like I said. I'm taking all this in a positive sense. In any group, there are people more enthusiastic or passionate about the topic. For me, I'll try how best to incorporate freegan living for myself. Where I find it acceptable, and comfortable, I'll incorporate it, else I can live how I've been living. It's always about how each of us wants to balance each aspect in our lives.
Although it does turn me off at times when i read the communication of these overenthusiastic folks. Cos I do ask myself... What kind of people am I hanging around?
Cos I don't want to be hanging around a bunch of overenthusiastic folks who got caught raiding a dumpster of a large supermarket and leaving a mess. And I don't want to be associated with a group who argues with the authorities, trying to impose their self righteous ideals on others.
As of now. I think it's still pretty acceptable, although I feel that more people are trying to save the earth as their reason for why they want to be freegan. Whereas, for me, I want free stuff, and it so happens that it reduces waste at times. It might seem like a small difference, but I think the difference is significant.
Cos to me, I know I'm selfish. I'm doing it for myself. So if I can get something free, I am grateful, cos I'm not expecting free stuff most of the time.
Whereas for those interested in saving the earth, some of them take it that they are doing the world a favour and that everyone should be living like them cos it's better for the world.
Anyway, this is just a personal opinion and my own feelings and observations. I do think that there's a lot of consumption within the economy and also a lot of wastage. I'm all for saving the earth and Captain Planet. I enjoyed the cartoon when I was young.
But when I first joined the freegan community, I was expecting more discussions and lobang about where to get free stuff. Instead, I got a bit more "Heal the world, make it a better place" than I expected.
<<PREVIOUS POST // NEXT POST>>
Did you like this post? If so, could you "blanjah" me 1/4 cup of my morning coffee pls.
Many thanks for continuing to come to this blog to read my posts.
Firstly, these are some stuffs that I don't really like about freegans as a community and freeganism as a practice. It doesn't mean I'm slamming them or that I'm not going to be involved. It's like kimchi. I don't like garlic in general, so I have a love hate relationship with kimchi. I like eating kimchi in general, but I don't like the garlic flavours in it.
Similarly, for freegans and freeganism, I like some concepts with the whole idea, but there are other things which I don't like.
Top of the list, I joined the freegan community and learnt about freeganism cos I wanted to reduce my costs. Free stuff, why not right. Ok so my main priority is to get things free. Of course when I get free second hand items, it also means I'm reducing waste and recycling items. But let's not put the cart in front of the horse. I want free stuffs first, if it happens to save the earth, it's a good second result.
There's a bunch of people in the freegan community acting like Captain Planet. Now, saving the earth is all great. I'm all for it. Reducing waste and all that... But hey, to me, this is supposed to be a freegan community. So free stuff first, saving the earth is not the first priority.
But I find a bunch of folks acting pretty self righteous putting saving the earth as their motivation to get free stuff.
So if someone buys me a free meal, I'll eat it. I don't want to eat someone's left overs just cos I don't want to waste it.
Same as if someone wants to buy me a new laptop... Well, I don't need one so I won't want anyone to buy me one. But if I can get a free new one, then I'm not going to reuse a 2nd one which I might have picked up from the trash.
Next, there are normal folks who think that Daniel is the final goal. People who think that to be freegan, they have to eat leftovers. I have nothing against what Daniel does. Rather, I read about people who feel squeamish about eating other people's leftovers at the food court, but they somehow feel compelled that to be freegan, they need to advance to that level. Now, I think that that's just dumb. To be freegan, it's just to like getting stuff free. Some stuff, if they don't feel comfortable doing it, then they should just avoid it. It's not a cult, it's not about how extreme each one can go.
Rather, it's about how one can try to find ways to obtain stuff for free, and usually it is getting stuff that others might not want anymore. Like foodstuffs which is past best before date.
So yea... There are folks who think this whole freegan thing is about everyone progressing to the highest form of freeganism. And I think that's just wrong. Each one should assess how they want freeganism in their lives and adjust what they feel is appropriate.
Another gripe I have is that people tend to want to out do each other. Dumpster diving is somewhat borderline illegal. It's debatable. So there are people within the community who take it as a challenge to try to find the hidden dumpsters of large supermarkets and try to raid them. Essentially going out of the way trying to find the hidden dumpsters, taking pictures of it and trying to grab stuff there.
Now, once again, I'm entirely ok with dumpster diving at HDBs or supermarkets. And I'm going to try it myself once I find sometime after I get back. But this is not about being Robin Hood. It's not about finding the hidden dumpsters and trying to find new exotic dumpsters to raid. The more experienced dumpster divers just run daily or weekly routes around dumpsters within where they stay.
And the worst thing is, the community seems to be patting themselves in the back, encouraging each other to do more extreme stuff, or seeking legal advice so that they can console themselves that they are doing the right thing.
As I said, I'm ok with dumpster diving. But I think it's important to be respectful. People shouldn't be trespassing or going out of the way to find hidden dumpsters to raid them as an adventure. There's plenty to be found in numerous places without having to go out of the way. Furthermore, if people need to get legal advice to protect themselves, then I think might as well don't do it.
Simply put, if want to do it, then do it, if some security guard says anything, then just apologize and go away. That's it. Don't try to throw some Section 123 at them.
Also, to be a freegan, there's also some level of hoarding. I'm not going down this route. But I do think that the deeper the level of freeganism, eventually there will need to be some level of hoarding or stockpiling. Cos you never know when you'll get the free shampoo or soap or food. So when these items are available for free, the freegan would need to pick it up and store it. I don't mean this in the way of the typical hoarders who keep all kinds of junk. Rather, to live as a high level freegan who gets most things for free, he won't know when he'll get his stuff so he just needs to keep a stockpile of essentials. Hey, I also keep a stockpile cos I buy stuff in bulk. The only difference is that a freegan gets it for free.
Now, I'm not saying that freegans are bad or all of them are extreme, I also think that saving the planet is important. So I don't want people to misunderstand this.
But the thing is, I think freeganism is about getting stuff for free generally. Living without spending money. If it so happens to help the earth, that's great. But people shouldn't be preaching in the community about food wastage or over-usage of plastic, etc.
Of course we shouldn't waste food, but people shouldn't be arguing with event organisers and being self righteous about it. If the event organisers want to throw away the food, then it's their right to do it.
Remember, it's a freegan community, not a save the earth community. So I think debating about the use of free plastic bags from supermarkets somewhat ironic.
Anyway, like I said. I'm taking all this in a positive sense. In any group, there are people more enthusiastic or passionate about the topic. For me, I'll try how best to incorporate freegan living for myself. Where I find it acceptable, and comfortable, I'll incorporate it, else I can live how I've been living. It's always about how each of us wants to balance each aspect in our lives.
Although it does turn me off at times when i read the communication of these overenthusiastic folks. Cos I do ask myself... What kind of people am I hanging around?
Cos I don't want to be hanging around a bunch of overenthusiastic folks who got caught raiding a dumpster of a large supermarket and leaving a mess. And I don't want to be associated with a group who argues with the authorities, trying to impose their self righteous ideals on others.
As of now. I think it's still pretty acceptable, although I feel that more people are trying to save the earth as their reason for why they want to be freegan. Whereas, for me, I want free stuff, and it so happens that it reduces waste at times. It might seem like a small difference, but I think the difference is significant.
Cos to me, I know I'm selfish. I'm doing it for myself. So if I can get something free, I am grateful, cos I'm not expecting free stuff most of the time.
Whereas for those interested in saving the earth, some of them take it that they are doing the world a favour and that everyone should be living like them cos it's better for the world.
Anyway, this is just a personal opinion and my own feelings and observations. I do think that there's a lot of consumption within the economy and also a lot of wastage. I'm all for saving the earth and Captain Planet. I enjoyed the cartoon when I was young.
But when I first joined the freegan community, I was expecting more discussions and lobang about where to get free stuff. Instead, I got a bit more "Heal the world, make it a better place" than I expected.
<<PREVIOUS POST // NEXT POST>>
Did you like this post? If so, could you "blanjah" me 1/4 cup of my morning coffee pls.
Many thanks for continuing to come to this blog to read my posts.
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