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Freegans in New York City

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The Freegans are a community of people whose aim is to recover wasted food and other items from the refuse of retail stores, where goods are frequently discarded, although still in almost perfect condition. They do so not for profit, but to serve their own immediate needs and to share freely with others.

According to a USDA-commissioned study by Dr. Timothy Jones at the University of Arizona, half of all food in the United States is wasted at a cost of $100 billion dollars every year. Unbelievably, 4.4 million people in the United States alone are classified by the USDA as hungry, while global estimates place the annual rate of starvation deaths at well over 8 million.

Freegans practice strategies for everyday living based on sharing resources and minimizing the detrimental impact of our consumption. They advocate living ethical, free, and happy lives centered around the community and uphold the notion that a healthy society must function on interdependence, while people should have the right and responsibility to reclaim their stolen time.

By dramatically reducing their financial needs, Freegans can devote more time to family life, helping communities, being active in social change, or simply enjoying life.

View the Full Set at: My PhotoShelter's page.

TO ARRANGE AN INTERVIEW: The contacts of a wide range of Freegans and experts are available. Please write to Alex Masi.

A bag full of bagels and bread just before the arrive of the Freegans in one of the numerous dump sites in Manhattan, New York, NY, USA.

Sima, 27, (right) Janet, 43, (centre) and another member of the Freegan community searching for edible food in one of the numerous damp sites in Manhattan, New York, NY, USA.

Stephanie, 21, member of the Freegan community, standing by the food recovered from dump sites along 3rd Avenue in Manhattan, New York, NY, USA.

Part of the food recovered during a Freegan trash tour to dump sites along 3rd Avenue in Manhattan, New York, NY, USA.

Sima, 27, member of the Freegan community, looking at part of the food recovered from one place only, during a Freegan trash tour to dump sites along 3rd Avenue in Manhattan, New York, NY, USA.

Janet, 43, one of the founders of the Freegan community, looking for some edible food in the rubbish during a trash tour along groceries on 3rd Avenue in Manhattan, New York, NY, USA.

Part of the food recovered from one place only, during a Freegan trash tour to dump sites along 3rd Avenue in Manhattan, New York, NY, USA.

Stephanie, 21, member of the Freegan community, walking along 3rd Avenue in Manhattan with two bags full of the food just recovered from damp sites along the road, New York, NY, USA.d from dumping sites around the island of Manhattan, New York, NY, USA.

Members of the Freegan community preparing the food at a dinner cooked entirely with items recovered from dumping sites around the island of Manhattan, New York, NY, USA.

Christian, 35, (left) dumpster diving since more than eight years is having some fun with another member of the Freegan community while taking some time away from the kitchen at a dinner cooked entirely with food recovered from dumping sites around the island of Manhattan, New York, NY, USA.

Stephanie, 21, (centre) Sima, 27, (right) and another member of the Freegan community are preparing bread and vegetables at a dinner made entirely with food recovered from dumping sites around the island of Manhattan, New York, NY, USA.

Table covered with the delicacies cooked at a Freegan dinner, using food entirely recovered from dumping sites around the island of Manhattan, New York, NY, USA.

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