There’s a useable item to be found in every garbage receptacle according to Freegans or Dumpster Divers as they are also known. They believe that the contents of a grocery store’s trash could be dinner and that trash from someone moving out of an apartment could mean new furniture.
Do not think that this way of life for a Freegan is an economic choice. It is more like a visionary solution.
Freegans believe that today’s society is excessively wasteful and they are more than willing to go to the extreme to leave behind the cycle of buying, using, tossing and buying again – they simply refuse to buy anything to begin with.
Including food, they scavenge whatever they can and reuse what is already part of the system.
It’s a fact that we as a nation should waste less. Just look at how much food is wasted when you go out to eat. Portion sizes are out of control and what we do not eat goes straight to the dumpster.
Those living the Freegan lifestyle should be careful because dumpster diving can make you ill if you aren’t careful:
- You don’t know what’s in the dumpster
- There could be sharp materials i.e. glass, metal
- There could be hazardous materials
- You could ingest things that are poisonous
- There could be “sharps” or needles left over from drug users that could have diseases such as HIV or Hepatitis
Taking food from a dumpster may be especially dangerous because you don’t know where it’s been or if it has been contaminated with Salmonella or other bacteria.
Diving for reclaimed household goods might bring an infestation of insects into your house. Old mattresses have a high percentage of bringing bedbugs into your home. Head lice could be embedded in old hats, and if these items have been lying in a dumpster for a length of time, you could be introducing your home to molds of all types.
If you do decide to do this, make sure your shots are up to date because if you jump in a dumpster and get cut, Tetanus is going to be the biggest concern and after that an infection.
Express Recycling and Sanitation discourages the practice for the safety reasons mentioned in this article. We encourage you to use our various recycling programs.
Express offers quick delivery and pickup of dumpsters.
Dumpsters are ideal for construction projects or just cleaning out the clutter from your basement or garage.
All of our dumpsters have a back door which provides for access and easy loading. You can walk or wheelbarrow debris directly inside the dumpster.
Source: www.nj.com
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