Categories: Opinion and Editorial

Freegan Lifestyle: Oprah and Lisa Ling Report

Lisa Ling has investigated the Freegan lifestyle for Oprah and the report entitled, “Living on the Edge” is the topic of the February 27, 2008 Oprah Show.

According to the Oprah show and Lisa Ling, Freegan is a combination of the word free and vegan and the Freegan movement is “people around the world who are trying to eliminate waste basically by surviving off of food that is thrown away…sometimes literally into the trash.” The Oprah show details Lisa Ling’s investigation of the Freegan lifestyle and her interview with a “former executive turned freegan” in New York City who taught her dumpster diving 101 and how to prepare meals using free food. Lisa Ling’s blog has a link to the website of an organization called Freegan.info.com and states that it is the organization where Lisa Ling’s New York contact can be found. Daniel and Amanda Burt were also part of the Oprah show. Lisa Ling’s website gives the wordpress blog for Daniel and Amanda Burt. They are Freegans in Nashville, TN. Lisa Ling spent time with Daniel and Amanda Burt for the Oprah show about Freegans. Daniel Burt is an optometrist and Amanda Burt is a civil engineer.

The wordpress blog of Daniel and Amanda Burt has a wealth of information about the Freegan lifestyle The Burts state that they are Christians who are seeking to live out their faith. One of their blog entries is called “The Joys of Living Simply”. Other blog entries of Daniel and Amanda Burt include “Why We Dumpster Dive and Re-cycle” Parts 1,2 and 3. The Freegan movement includes many people of varied backgrounds and Freegans live out their lifestyles in ways that are just as varied and unique. Daniel and Amanda Burt’s blog answers questions that most of us have concerning the Freegan lifestyle and the safety and other concerns we would have about the Freegan lifestyle. Daniel and Amanda Burt also have a blog entry about their appearance on the Oprah show.

The website for Freegan.info states that it has “Strategies for Sustainable Living Beyond Capitalism”. Expanding on the explanation that Freegan is the combination of the words free and vegan, Fregan.info states that that while vegans “…. avoid products from animal sources or products tested on animals in an effort to avoid harming animals (Freegan) take this a step further by recognizing that in a complex, industrial, mass-production economy driven by profit, abuses of humans, animals, and the earth abound at all levels of production (from acquisition to raw materials to production to transportation) and in just about every product we buy.” Freegan.info not only contains a section called “Dumpster Directory: Foraging Sites”, but also one called “Recalls, Market Withdrawals and Safety Alerts.

On a personal level, I can identify just a little bit with some of the sentiments of the Freegan lifestyle presented by Daniel and Amanda Burt on the Oprah show and on their website. One of the interesting tidbits on their site is a list of new or nearly new products that that they have obtained by foraging in the dumpsters of local businesses. “Dumpster diving” (at local businesses) is an addiction of a person who is near and dear to me. While I try to discourage it because many times the junk that is “found” is just that-junk, there have also been times that the “found” object has turned into something much needed and useful. I also agree with the concept that people in America (and many other countries) have a lifestyle of excess and waste. I am concerned about ” the abuses of humans, animals and the earth”. Daniel and Amanda Burt state the reasons that they believe the forage and use of food and personal items are safe, but I could never live the Freegan lifestyle to that extent. Thankfully, neither could the one who is near and dear to me. However, I do admire Fregans Daniel and Amanda Burt and others who not only believe in a cause but are committed enough to make sacrifices to live out their beliefs.