The Basics
Is free stuff on the Net really free?
Read the firsthand accounts of those who clicked when their screens popped up offers for free iPods, laptops, trips, tickets and software. Here's what they really got and what they learned.
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E-mail to a friendTools IndexPrint-friendly versionSite MapDiscuss in a Message BoardArticle IndexBy Bankrate.com
You've seen the Internet ads: Click here to get your free laptop computer, iPod, trip to Bermuda . . .
Ever wondered what would happen if you tried to claim the freebie?
Generally, you'd end up earning the reward by answering surveys, completing product offers or referring friends.
To find out if the process proved worth the effort, we polled our newsletter readers for a week and asked about their experience with answering ads for free merchandise. Most responded that the freebie turned out to be anything but free.
Here is a sampling of the letters we received.
The free iPod that cost me
"I responded to a free iPod ad. After several requests to sign up for various services, I realized that the free iPod was not free at all. The killing part is, I actually did commit to a few services and have been billed for them, but because I got caught in a loop of pop-up windows and surveys, I became frustrated and did not follow through to get the free iPod.
"I keep saying that I am going contact someone about it, but being the procrastinator that I am, I just haven't gotten around to it yet." -- Rhonda
Free cell phone! What free cell phone?
"Free stuff, what a joke.
"After going through 11 questionnaires and saying no to all, you finally get to the last, and they say you must at least pick two items in order to be able to get whatever they are giving away.
"For instance, I answered a free cell phone ad and went through 11-12 questionnaires and at first it says no obligation to buy anything, but when I got to the last I must at least try magazines for 30 days and they're hoping I will forget to cancel before the 30 days. And the kicker was once I agreed to the free trial of magazines, they never ever mentioned the free cell phone again, and I will be watching and waiting to see what they do to my credit card and if I get the phone, and then that's when I will sue the company for 100 times the amount of the phone and the magazines.
More from MSN Money and Bankrate.com
How to quit the gym (or anything)
When is a freebie offer really free?
How to say NO! to anything or anyone
Have a frugal tip? Share it to win $100
5 reasons you overspend online
Internet scams to watch for in 2007
"By the way, once you give one company your credit card number you get charged $1 to $4.95 on your card, for other items I never heard of before and have to take the time to call them and get them to remove it.
"There should be a law against this thing." -- Bob
Free spam! Act now!
"Yes, they are all scams. There is always a 'short' questionnaire. You always have to answer many, many questions if you want this or that. You always have to give your e-mail address and other information. You always have to check 'yes' for at least one in order to qualify and continue. If you ever get to the end after 45 minutes or so -- yeah, short -- you end up having to buy or sign up for something or your name is put into a lottery for a chance to win. I, in my stupidity, have done this several times. Always thinking maybe this one is legit. Not! I have never gotten the free product or the free gift card, groceries, movie tickets, etc. Then your e-mail is bombarded with hundreds of advertisements that you can never seem to stop unless you change your e-mail address. What a deal. Moral of this story is: Nothing is free." -- Jean
Video: Are 'free' iPods worth the trouble?
"I filled out the questionnaire online for a $50 gift certificate for dinner at a well-known restaurant chain. They ask for your name and the rest of your personal information and e-mail address. Then the questionnaire opens up a new page and asks you if you would be interested in e-mails for specials on items that you could use in your life. You fill that page out then here comes another page with more questions. After about five pages I gave up. It just wouldn't quit. It was like a stupid carrot that they had hanging out there that you could never reach. I turned my computer off and said, 'Forget that!' After that I didn't check my e-mail for about a week and when I did I had over 200 spam messages, even sex ones. I never did get a dinner certificate. I had to close that e-mail account because the spam garbage would not quit. Moral of the story: There is no free lunch on the Internet." -- Sascha
"I have responded twice to freebie ads, using an alternative e-mail address and within 24 hours received hundreds of spam e-mails -- and no free anything. My perception is the purpose is to get folks to reply and then have access to their e-mail addresses." -- Bea
"After I gave my e-mail address and answered all the questions, I was informed that I had to order (buy) one item from several areas in order to receive the freebie. I canceled the 'adventure' and have been inundated with junk mail ever since. Never again. Big scam for addresses to sell, etc." -- Anita
Complete the never-ending survey
"I tried to win a few of those free products, but I am convinced they are the biggest fraud out there. For example, I spent three hours filling out questionnaires only to find out they never end, and the couple of times I got to the end they wanted me to buy something and you know what that means: They are asking for your credit card information.
"They are scam artists." -- Randy
Free (with shipping and handling)
"I purchased some software from a company that advertises if you pay for shipping you get four software titles for free.
"A few weeks later I got a $49 charge on my account. I looked up the company on the Web and none of the links I found went to the company. I tried the phone number that showed up on my statement and they simply tell you they are not available and to try back later before they hang up on you. So dissatisfied, I searched the Internet a little more only to find I wasn't the only one to be scammed. Turns out that they never tell you that you are signing up for a subscription but send you software and you have a short time frame to return it or be charged. Total scam." -- Kendal
Free (with Social Security and credit card numbers)
"I was scammed. The 'free' gift required my participation in at least six 'promotions,' each of which required signing up for a trial membership and/or paying shipping and handling fees for the information. Plus I was asked to provide credit card and Social Security numbers -- too much sensitive, private and personal information.
"The 'free' gift was never realized, and I felt scammed." -- Edward
Free (with purchase)
"Yes, I've answered ads for 'free' products. Please note the quote marks -- they're intentional. Many of the Internet freebies have extremely long forms to fill out, complete with a host of ads you need to reply 'not interested' to or else you'll receive hundreds of solicitations from various companies.
"The 'gift certificates' offered for sometimes hundreds of dollars almost always involve purchasing something, somewhere along the line or becoming a trial member of something. At which point you need to pay for your subscription or membership upfront, with the caveat it's 'fully refundable' within strict parameters. As the saying goes, there's no such thing as a free lunch!
"I do have to say that once I responded to an ad promising a free, expensive pet product in exchange for a 15-question survey. I was pleasantly surprised in its briefness and the fact that the product arrived in less than two weeks and was truly what had been offered -- an item worth about $100 retail! That was the one and only time I can say I was satisfied, and beyond what I expected!" -- Linda
This article was reported and written by Leslie McFadden for Bankrate.com.
Published March 9, 2007http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/ConsumerActionGuide/IsFreeStuffOnTheNetReallyFree.aspx
Showing posts with label Free. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Free. Show all posts
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Saturday, March 3, 2007
Watch CSI online
CSI
Season 1
Episode 1 - Pilot (Click Here)
Episode 2 - Cool Change (Click Here)
Episode 3 - Crate 'n Burial (Click Here)
Episode 4 - Pledging Mr. Johnson (Click Here)
Episode 5 - Friends & Lovers (Click Here)
Episode 6 - Who Are You? (Click Here)
Episode 7 - Blood Drops (Click Here)
Episode 8 - Anonymous (Click Here)
Episode 9 - Unfriendly Skies (Click Here)
Episode 10 - Sex, Lies and Larvae (Click Here)
Episode 11 - I-15 Murders (Click Here)
Episode 12 - Fahrenheit 932 (Click Here)
Episode 13 - Boom (Click Here)
Episode 14 - To Halve and to Hold (Click Here)
Episode 15 - Table Stakes (Click Here)
Episode 16 - Too Tough to Die (Click Here)
Episode 17 - Face Lift (Click Here)
Episode 18 - $35K O.B.O. (Click Here)
Episode 19 - Gentle, Gentle (Click Here)
Episode 20 - Sounds of Silence (Click Here)
Episode 21 - Justice is Served (Click Here)
Episode 22 - Evaluation Day (Click Here)
Episode 23 - The Strip Strangler (Click Here)
http://www.watchtvonline.ws/index.php?params=media/49/
http://www.watchtvonline.ws/tv/csi.html
Season 1
Episode 1 - Pilot (Click Here)
Episode 2 - Cool Change (Click Here)
Episode 3 - Crate 'n Burial (Click Here)
Episode 4 - Pledging Mr. Johnson (Click Here)
Episode 5 - Friends & Lovers (Click Here)
Episode 6 - Who Are You? (Click Here)
Episode 7 - Blood Drops (Click Here)
Episode 8 - Anonymous (Click Here)
Episode 9 - Unfriendly Skies (Click Here)
Episode 10 - Sex, Lies and Larvae (Click Here)
Episode 11 - I-15 Murders (Click Here)
Episode 12 - Fahrenheit 932 (Click Here)
Episode 13 - Boom (Click Here)
Episode 14 - To Halve and to Hold (Click Here)
Episode 15 - Table Stakes (Click Here)
Episode 16 - Too Tough to Die (Click Here)
Episode 17 - Face Lift (Click Here)
Episode 18 - $35K O.B.O. (Click Here)
Episode 19 - Gentle, Gentle (Click Here)
Episode 20 - Sounds of Silence (Click Here)
Episode 21 - Justice is Served (Click Here)
Episode 22 - Evaluation Day (Click Here)
Episode 23 - The Strip Strangler (Click Here)
http://www.watchtvonline.ws/index.php?params=media/49/
http://www.watchtvonline.ws/tv/csi.html
Friday, March 2, 2007
The Dumpster Lady Answers FAQs
Welcome! I'm Mary, the Dumpster Lady! You've probably read about dumpster diving on one of the AOL or internet message boards and you want to know more. Well, you've come to the right place!
This FAQ page represents the first phase of my planned dumpster diving web site. I did the FAQs first because it will save me a lot of time in sending email and posting responses on the message boards.
Is diving or scavenging legal?
The very first thing you have to do is find out whether dumpster diving and
scavenging are legal in your town and county. Diving is illegal in a few
towns and counties.
You can either go to the library and do the research yourself, or you can call
local law enforcement and ask. Most divers choose to call from a pay phone
so as not to identify themselves to law enforcement
I will tell you that local law enforcement is not always aware of the exact laws.
I've heard of cases where cops told divers that diving was illegal when the divers
know for a fact that it isn't.
Be respectful, neat, and quiet. Don't make a mess. Don't ever dump your own
trash in someone else's dumpster -- that's always against the law. If it says
"No Trespassing", don't. If a dumpster or an enclosure is locked, don't mess
with it.
If you find that it's illegal in your area, then dive outside the city or county limits.
Obey all laws. Period. End of story.
How do I get started?
Dumpster diving is not rocket science. There's nothing difficult about it. For most
folks, the hardest part is getting up the nerve to do it.
Most divers start by scoping out likely dumpsters. Do a few "drive-bys" where
you just look for likely dumpsters. You're looking for dumpsters that are
free-standing and are not compactors. Compactors are those large dumpsters
that are attached to buildings with a chute and have no visible openings.
Dumpster divers hate compactors. Apartment and office complex compactors
aren't too bad though. You can still salvage stuff out of those.
Enclosures are OK as long as they're not locked. You might find locked dumpsters
as well. Stay away from anything or anyplace that's locked.
Once you've scoped out likely dumpsters, then get up enough nerve to park the
car and walk over and look inside. It's that easy!
Where should I dive?
You can dive retail store, office, and residential dumpsters. Most folks choose to
dive retail, but I'm more of a residential diver. All of my 50 best and most valuable
diving finds have come from one apartment and one condo dumpster.
Any store that sells stuff that you want can be a good place to dive. Grocery stores,
bakeries, and health food stores are by far the most consistent producers. You can
find something almost every single day at these stores.
Other stores can be great too. Craft stores, book stores, housewares stores,
electronics stores, toy stores...ALL good diving spots.
When should I dive?
Every diver has a preference. Folks dive at all times of the day and night.
I prefer to dive between 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. and very early on weekend
mornings. I've found that these are the times when I'm least likely to be confronted
at my particular stores.
But, the deciding factor is that I have a partner to go with me at night. If you're
diving alone, you may want to think twice.
I don't recommend that you dive much later than 10:30 at night. You're always
going to look like you're up to no good if you're rummaging around behind
stores at 1:30 a.m.
How can I find a buddy?
A lot of people (especially women) are hesitant to dive alone for a variety
of reasons. I have CAM to dive with me at night. But, I like to dive alone on
Sunday mornings if I can.
If you insist on having a buddy, the best way is to convince a real-life friend or
family member to go with you. Most kids love diving, and a lot of parents
dive with their kids.
You can try advertising for a buddy on one of the AOL message boards or
on the alt.dumpster newsgroup on the internet. Buddies are occasionally
made that way.
But don't feel bad if someone doesn't want a partner even if they live near you.
Folks spend a LOT of time developing their sources, and they don't always want
to share those sources with others. Divers are especially protective of their food
sources. Plus, dumpsters end up getting locked when lots of folks start frequenting
them. The Dumpster Lady saw this happen with her favorite housewares store
dumpster after she mentioned it at a dinner party.
You have to be self-actualizing to be a diver....well...you don't have to be, but it
helps. And remember.....safety first!
What do I do if someone sees me or I get caught?
Folks that can see you fall into two categories:
People you know.
People you don't know.
People that you know -- if you're worried about people you know seeing you,
there's not much I can tell you except that it gets easier with time. You will
eventually get to a point where you won't care one bit who sees you dive or
who knows that you dive. You can always dive far from home if you've got
a reputation to maintain.
The Dumpster Lady has always been out of the dumpster closet. Everyone that
knows me knows that I dive. Most have seen me do it at one point or another.
Most have received dived gifts from me as well.
People that you don't know -- store employees are the nemesis of dumpster
divers everywhere. For some reason, a few of them just can't stand divers.
Most employees will just pretend that they don't see you. John Hoffman
calls it the "Ninja Diver" syndrome. They really can't face up to the fact that
there are divers. I've experienced this many times.
I suggest that if someone asks you what you're doing, you should say:
"I'm looking for boxes." Be prepared to drop whatever you've nabbed.
(But never drop your Unger.)
If you're asked to leave, leave quietly without saying anything other than "OK"
or "Yes Sir". Treat your confronters with the respect that they THINK they
deserve. If you're asked to leave and never come back, leave and never come
back. To do so would be trespassing. There's always another store, always
more stuff.
Say nothing...or nothing substantive to store employees. You're never going to
win an argument about diving with a store employee. Never. Never ASK if it's
OK for you to dive, because they will almost always say "No!". And once you're
told "No", you can't legally go back.
The Dumpster Lady has been diving almost daily for 4-1/2 years. I have only
been confronted a couple of times. Know why? Because I'm very discreet.
I never pull my car up to a dumpster. Doing this is like having a 2-ton gold
(as in gold Volvo) flag that says, "Hey! I'm illegally dumping stuff in your
dumpster!"
I dive at night after the last of the store trash is taken out or very early on
Sunday morning when the stores are short-staffed. I park a ways away
from the dumpster and approach it quietly. I never make noise. I seldom
get into dumpsters (only 3 or 4 times in 4-1/2 years).
I don't linger. If I can't get something in 5-7 minutes, I don't get it. Usually it's
2 minutes or less. Hanging around for longer periods of time increases your chance of confrontation. The Dumpster Lady hates confrontations -- at least when she's diving.
Do I need any special tools?
You don't need any special tools or equipment to dumpster dive. But there are a
few things that are helpful....
Most divers use some kind of grabber stick. The sturdiest and best grabber stick
(in the Dumpster Lady's opinion) is the Unger Nifty Nabber. You can take a look
at the Unger (or "Felix" as folks call it on the message boards) here:
Unger Nifty Nabber
LM Colker Supply is a wonderful source for 51" Ungers. We can get them for
$19.95 plus shipping. The Dumpster Lady paid about $27 for hers, so this is a
very good deal. Identify yourself as a Dumpster Diver to get the discount.
Contact them at 800-533-6561 or email info@lmcolker.com. They accept
credit cards by phone, but you can mail a check. They are very nice folks.
Your Unger will pay for itself the first time you use it. But if you can't afford
it at first, you can use some makeshift puller/lifter tools. Put a coat hook into
the end of a wooden broom handle. Use an L-shaped curtain rod. Use a hoe.
There's lots of possibilities. They're not so hot at grabbing stuff, but they
work well for lifting stuff, poking stuff, and pulling stuff toward the dumpster
opening. The Dumpster Lady loves her Unger, though.
I can pick up a quarter off the bottom of an otherwise empty dumpster with
my Unger.
Other things are good to have: flashlight, leather work gloves, a stepping stool
of some kind, duct tape for taping slit bags closed, trash bags, grocery bags.
I always have plastic grocery bags in the glove compartment of the Volvo. Wet
wipes and some anti-bacterial hand gel are useful. You should always have a basic
first aid kit as well.
Do you REALLY dive for food??????
Yes, some of us really dive for food. If you keep an open mind about this, food
diving can end up making a huge difference in your life. Many of us get to the
point where we just don't want to deal with any more nonfood "stuff".
Then, we start thinking about diving for expendable items
The first day I dived for food, I had just been IN the store buying marked
down 1/2 gallons of orange juice for $0.50. While I was doing the rest
of my shopping, someone came with a cart and loaded up all the
orange juice into a shopping cart.
So, I hung around to see what happened to it. They wheeled the cart out
and threw scores of gallons and 1/2 gallons of orange juice away...that were
still 2 days from their due date. They were pasteurized. They were still cold.
It was winter, so it was cool. I went to the dumpster and grabbed as many
as I could carry. This experience was life changing for me.
Where would you draw the line? Would you not buy the marked down OJ?
Would you take it out of the guy's cart if he were a few feet from the dumpster and
asked you if you wanted it for free? Would you take it out of the dumpster?
We food divers tap into the sad fact that we're throwing away 96 BILLION
pounds of perfectly good food into land fills each year in this country.
By EPA estimates, we're spending $4.8 BILLION a year disposing of that
perfectly good food.
You can read more about food waste here:
Food Recovery and Gleaning - USDA
I'm working on a separate page for food diving. Check back later.
I looked, but all I saw was trash. I must be unlucky.
The reasons why beginners sometimes find nothing are simple:
* You have to look every day or almost every day.
* Persistence is everything.
* You have to find dumpsters that are consistent providers.
* You have to see with "dumspter diver" eyes.
I've had quite a few diving proteges online get discouraged during the first week or
two until they found dumpsters that produced stuff for them on a regular basis.
If you go once or twice and take a peek, chances are you'll see nothing.
For every good find you hear about from me or the other veteran divers,
there are days when I find nothing particularly great.
I used to look at the pharmacy dumpster every week -- just once a week on the
same day of the week when I dropped off dumpster dived donations to the
thrift store -- and I never saw anything. When I started peeking every day,
I found a LOT of stuff. I found that their toss-out cycles go in months, not
days or weeks.
Plus, I can go out diving with CAM (Mr. Dumpster Lady) or a friend and we
can both look in the dumpster. They'll say, "Nothing here!" But I can look in and
come out with a carload of stuff. Things aren't always out in the open and in plain
view. You learn to tell by how a bag looks or feels when you poke it.
You learn store discard patterns.
Don't get discouraged! Once you establish some consistent sources, you'll be
on Dumpster Easy Street. Trust me!
How much can I expect to find? Will this save me money?
Can you say "Early retirement?" Can you say, "Honey, we need to rent another
storage space?" Can you say, "I spent $20 on food for 10 people this month?"
Trust me, if you stick with this, you can find more stuff that you and 10 other
families can use. We have quite a few diver friends who are now selling dumpster
dived stuff at flea markets and other places.
We've got Moms who can now stay at home because of diving. We have diving
friends who are supporting themselves almost entirely with diving. There are folks
who have been able to go back to school because of diving.
Be frugal. Use the money you save for diving in ways that really matter -- college
for yourself or the kids, buying a home, saving for retirement. If you want to make
diving a TRUE savings, you have to SAVE that money, not blow it all.
Tithe What You Dive
I encourage ALL divers to Tithe What You Dive. The more you donate or give
away, the more you'll find. It's a simple Law of the Universe, but a profound one.
For many divers, this is the only opportunity that they have to get back because
they are financially strapped.
Give to thrift stores, churches, food banks, crisis assistance ministries, friends....
just GIVE it away. It's fun!
My personal ministry is clothing for the poor. I usually pull between 3,000 and
4,000 items of clothing from one apartment and one condo complex dumpster
each year. That's a lot of clothing. I give it to a place that gives it away for free
to those in need. It's where they take foster kids when they're first taken into
protective custody.
I now have my neighbors trained to just leave the clothing at my door. That way,
I don't have to dig it out of that awful compactor-like new dumpster in my
apartment complex.
Why all the fake names on the message boards?
There are people who are paid to search for brand and company names on the
internet. With the advent of the new message board search feature on AOL,
it's even more important that we be discreet.
We don't want to end up with locked dumpsters or even more purposely destroyed
goods than we see now.
The best way to figure out the names is to say them outloud. Think of words that
sound like the fake name or think of simple word substitution. "Dollar" may
become "buck" "General" may become "private". Get it?
How do I contact the Dumpster Lady?
I'm always happy to answer more questions. Feel free to contact me at:
TheDumpsterLady@aol.com
SalHemings@aol.com
You can also IM me on AOL or using AIM. If I'm not busy with work, I'll answer.
(Yes, being The Dumpster Lady is not my full-time job.)
(c) 2000 The Dumpster Lady. All rights reserved. No portion of this web site may be reproduced or copied without prior written permission of The Dumpster Lady.
http://members.aol.com/TheDumpsterLady/thedumpsterlady.htm
This FAQ page represents the first phase of my planned dumpster diving web site. I did the FAQs first because it will save me a lot of time in sending email and posting responses on the message boards.
Is diving or scavenging legal?
The very first thing you have to do is find out whether dumpster diving and
scavenging are legal in your town and county. Diving is illegal in a few
towns and counties.
You can either go to the library and do the research yourself, or you can call
local law enforcement and ask. Most divers choose to call from a pay phone
so as not to identify themselves to law enforcement
I will tell you that local law enforcement is not always aware of the exact laws.
I've heard of cases where cops told divers that diving was illegal when the divers
know for a fact that it isn't.
Be respectful, neat, and quiet. Don't make a mess. Don't ever dump your own
trash in someone else's dumpster -- that's always against the law. If it says
"No Trespassing", don't. If a dumpster or an enclosure is locked, don't mess
with it.
If you find that it's illegal in your area, then dive outside the city or county limits.
Obey all laws. Period. End of story.
How do I get started?
Dumpster diving is not rocket science. There's nothing difficult about it. For most
folks, the hardest part is getting up the nerve to do it.
Most divers start by scoping out likely dumpsters. Do a few "drive-bys" where
you just look for likely dumpsters. You're looking for dumpsters that are
free-standing and are not compactors. Compactors are those large dumpsters
that are attached to buildings with a chute and have no visible openings.
Dumpster divers hate compactors. Apartment and office complex compactors
aren't too bad though. You can still salvage stuff out of those.
Enclosures are OK as long as they're not locked. You might find locked dumpsters
as well. Stay away from anything or anyplace that's locked.
Once you've scoped out likely dumpsters, then get up enough nerve to park the
car and walk over and look inside. It's that easy!
Where should I dive?
You can dive retail store, office, and residential dumpsters. Most folks choose to
dive retail, but I'm more of a residential diver. All of my 50 best and most valuable
diving finds have come from one apartment and one condo dumpster.
Any store that sells stuff that you want can be a good place to dive. Grocery stores,
bakeries, and health food stores are by far the most consistent producers. You can
find something almost every single day at these stores.
Other stores can be great too. Craft stores, book stores, housewares stores,
electronics stores, toy stores...ALL good diving spots.
When should I dive?
Every diver has a preference. Folks dive at all times of the day and night.
I prefer to dive between 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. and very early on weekend
mornings. I've found that these are the times when I'm least likely to be confronted
at my particular stores.
But, the deciding factor is that I have a partner to go with me at night. If you're
diving alone, you may want to think twice.
I don't recommend that you dive much later than 10:30 at night. You're always
going to look like you're up to no good if you're rummaging around behind
stores at 1:30 a.m.
How can I find a buddy?
A lot of people (especially women) are hesitant to dive alone for a variety
of reasons. I have CAM to dive with me at night. But, I like to dive alone on
Sunday mornings if I can.
If you insist on having a buddy, the best way is to convince a real-life friend or
family member to go with you. Most kids love diving, and a lot of parents
dive with their kids.
You can try advertising for a buddy on one of the AOL message boards or
on the alt.dumpster newsgroup on the internet. Buddies are occasionally
made that way.
But don't feel bad if someone doesn't want a partner even if they live near you.
Folks spend a LOT of time developing their sources, and they don't always want
to share those sources with others. Divers are especially protective of their food
sources. Plus, dumpsters end up getting locked when lots of folks start frequenting
them. The Dumpster Lady saw this happen with her favorite housewares store
dumpster after she mentioned it at a dinner party.
You have to be self-actualizing to be a diver....well...you don't have to be, but it
helps. And remember.....safety first!
What do I do if someone sees me or I get caught?
Folks that can see you fall into two categories:
People you know.
People you don't know.
People that you know -- if you're worried about people you know seeing you,
there's not much I can tell you except that it gets easier with time. You will
eventually get to a point where you won't care one bit who sees you dive or
who knows that you dive. You can always dive far from home if you've got
a reputation to maintain.
The Dumpster Lady has always been out of the dumpster closet. Everyone that
knows me knows that I dive. Most have seen me do it at one point or another.
Most have received dived gifts from me as well.
People that you don't know -- store employees are the nemesis of dumpster
divers everywhere. For some reason, a few of them just can't stand divers.
Most employees will just pretend that they don't see you. John Hoffman
calls it the "Ninja Diver" syndrome. They really can't face up to the fact that
there are divers. I've experienced this many times.
I suggest that if someone asks you what you're doing, you should say:
"I'm looking for boxes." Be prepared to drop whatever you've nabbed.
(But never drop your Unger.)
If you're asked to leave, leave quietly without saying anything other than "OK"
or "Yes Sir". Treat your confronters with the respect that they THINK they
deserve. If you're asked to leave and never come back, leave and never come
back. To do so would be trespassing. There's always another store, always
more stuff.
Say nothing...or nothing substantive to store employees. You're never going to
win an argument about diving with a store employee. Never. Never ASK if it's
OK for you to dive, because they will almost always say "No!". And once you're
told "No", you can't legally go back.
The Dumpster Lady has been diving almost daily for 4-1/2 years. I have only
been confronted a couple of times. Know why? Because I'm very discreet.
I never pull my car up to a dumpster. Doing this is like having a 2-ton gold
(as in gold Volvo) flag that says, "Hey! I'm illegally dumping stuff in your
dumpster!"
I dive at night after the last of the store trash is taken out or very early on
Sunday morning when the stores are short-staffed. I park a ways away
from the dumpster and approach it quietly. I never make noise. I seldom
get into dumpsters (only 3 or 4 times in 4-1/2 years).
I don't linger. If I can't get something in 5-7 minutes, I don't get it. Usually it's
2 minutes or less. Hanging around for longer periods of time increases your chance of confrontation. The Dumpster Lady hates confrontations -- at least when she's diving.
Do I need any special tools?
You don't need any special tools or equipment to dumpster dive. But there are a
few things that are helpful....
Most divers use some kind of grabber stick. The sturdiest and best grabber stick
(in the Dumpster Lady's opinion) is the Unger Nifty Nabber. You can take a look
at the Unger (or "Felix" as folks call it on the message boards) here:
Unger Nifty Nabber
LM Colker Supply is a wonderful source for 51" Ungers. We can get them for
$19.95 plus shipping. The Dumpster Lady paid about $27 for hers, so this is a
very good deal. Identify yourself as a Dumpster Diver to get the discount.
Contact them at 800-533-6561 or email info@lmcolker.com. They accept
credit cards by phone, but you can mail a check. They are very nice folks.
Your Unger will pay for itself the first time you use it. But if you can't afford
it at first, you can use some makeshift puller/lifter tools. Put a coat hook into
the end of a wooden broom handle. Use an L-shaped curtain rod. Use a hoe.
There's lots of possibilities. They're not so hot at grabbing stuff, but they
work well for lifting stuff, poking stuff, and pulling stuff toward the dumpster
opening. The Dumpster Lady loves her Unger, though.
I can pick up a quarter off the bottom of an otherwise empty dumpster with
my Unger.
Other things are good to have: flashlight, leather work gloves, a stepping stool
of some kind, duct tape for taping slit bags closed, trash bags, grocery bags.
I always have plastic grocery bags in the glove compartment of the Volvo. Wet
wipes and some anti-bacterial hand gel are useful. You should always have a basic
first aid kit as well.
Do you REALLY dive for food??????
Yes, some of us really dive for food. If you keep an open mind about this, food
diving can end up making a huge difference in your life. Many of us get to the
point where we just don't want to deal with any more nonfood "stuff".
Then, we start thinking about diving for expendable items
The first day I dived for food, I had just been IN the store buying marked
down 1/2 gallons of orange juice for $0.50. While I was doing the rest
of my shopping, someone came with a cart and loaded up all the
orange juice into a shopping cart.
So, I hung around to see what happened to it. They wheeled the cart out
and threw scores of gallons and 1/2 gallons of orange juice away...that were
still 2 days from their due date. They were pasteurized. They were still cold.
It was winter, so it was cool. I went to the dumpster and grabbed as many
as I could carry. This experience was life changing for me.
Where would you draw the line? Would you not buy the marked down OJ?
Would you take it out of the guy's cart if he were a few feet from the dumpster and
asked you if you wanted it for free? Would you take it out of the dumpster?
We food divers tap into the sad fact that we're throwing away 96 BILLION
pounds of perfectly good food into land fills each year in this country.
By EPA estimates, we're spending $4.8 BILLION a year disposing of that
perfectly good food.
You can read more about food waste here:
Food Recovery and Gleaning - USDA
I'm working on a separate page for food diving. Check back later.
I looked, but all I saw was trash. I must be unlucky.
The reasons why beginners sometimes find nothing are simple:
* You have to look every day or almost every day.
* Persistence is everything.
* You have to find dumpsters that are consistent providers.
* You have to see with "dumspter diver" eyes.
I've had quite a few diving proteges online get discouraged during the first week or
two until they found dumpsters that produced stuff for them on a regular basis.
If you go once or twice and take a peek, chances are you'll see nothing.
For every good find you hear about from me or the other veteran divers,
there are days when I find nothing particularly great.
I used to look at the pharmacy dumpster every week -- just once a week on the
same day of the week when I dropped off dumpster dived donations to the
thrift store -- and I never saw anything. When I started peeking every day,
I found a LOT of stuff. I found that their toss-out cycles go in months, not
days or weeks.
Plus, I can go out diving with CAM (Mr. Dumpster Lady) or a friend and we
can both look in the dumpster. They'll say, "Nothing here!" But I can look in and
come out with a carload of stuff. Things aren't always out in the open and in plain
view. You learn to tell by how a bag looks or feels when you poke it.
You learn store discard patterns.
Don't get discouraged! Once you establish some consistent sources, you'll be
on Dumpster Easy Street. Trust me!
How much can I expect to find? Will this save me money?
Can you say "Early retirement?" Can you say, "Honey, we need to rent another
storage space?" Can you say, "I spent $20 on food for 10 people this month?"
Trust me, if you stick with this, you can find more stuff that you and 10 other
families can use. We have quite a few diver friends who are now selling dumpster
dived stuff at flea markets and other places.
We've got Moms who can now stay at home because of diving. We have diving
friends who are supporting themselves almost entirely with diving. There are folks
who have been able to go back to school because of diving.
Be frugal. Use the money you save for diving in ways that really matter -- college
for yourself or the kids, buying a home, saving for retirement. If you want to make
diving a TRUE savings, you have to SAVE that money, not blow it all.
Tithe What You Dive
I encourage ALL divers to Tithe What You Dive. The more you donate or give
away, the more you'll find. It's a simple Law of the Universe, but a profound one.
For many divers, this is the only opportunity that they have to get back because
they are financially strapped.
Give to thrift stores, churches, food banks, crisis assistance ministries, friends....
just GIVE it away. It's fun!
My personal ministry is clothing for the poor. I usually pull between 3,000 and
4,000 items of clothing from one apartment and one condo complex dumpster
each year. That's a lot of clothing. I give it to a place that gives it away for free
to those in need. It's where they take foster kids when they're first taken into
protective custody.
I now have my neighbors trained to just leave the clothing at my door. That way,
I don't have to dig it out of that awful compactor-like new dumpster in my
apartment complex.
Why all the fake names on the message boards?
There are people who are paid to search for brand and company names on the
internet. With the advent of the new message board search feature on AOL,
it's even more important that we be discreet.
We don't want to end up with locked dumpsters or even more purposely destroyed
goods than we see now.
The best way to figure out the names is to say them outloud. Think of words that
sound like the fake name or think of simple word substitution. "Dollar" may
become "buck" "General" may become "private". Get it?
How do I contact the Dumpster Lady?
I'm always happy to answer more questions. Feel free to contact me at:
TheDumpsterLady@aol.com
SalHemings@aol.com
You can also IM me on AOL or using AIM. If I'm not busy with work, I'll answer.
(Yes, being The Dumpster Lady is not my full-time job.)
(c) 2000 The Dumpster Lady. All rights reserved. No portion of this web site may be reproduced or copied without prior written permission of The Dumpster Lady.
http://members.aol.com/TheDumpsterLady/thedumpsterlady.htm
Freegan Sites in NYC
Manhattan
This directory is organized from north to south. Keep scrolling down to find more neighborhoods and more stuff.
Inwood
Know what's happening here? Have ideas for a trailblaze? Send your ideas to ask@freegan.info.
Washington Heights
Bravo Supermarket
Broadway near 181st
Good selection of produce, includes some Latin American specialty items
Mike’s Bagels
4033 Broadway at W 168th Street
Harlem and East Harlem
Know what's happening here? Have ideas for a trailblaze? Send your ideas to ask@freegan.info.
Morningside Heights
Morton-Williams
Broadway and 115th Street. When I've gone the staff have been in the process of throwing stuff out, so 9 or 9:30, and they were friendly enough about letting us dive away. It's a very busy corner, and well-lit, so its high-profile dumpster diving, not for the shy.
Dagostino
Broadway and 110th Street. I'm not sure what the best time is, but I think 9-9:30 is when I've had good luck there.
Absolute Bagel
Broadway and 108th St. The usual bagel abundance, plenty fresh.
Garden of Eden
Broadway between 108th and 109th Streets. One of the best diving sites in the city—super-high end fresh produce in huge plastic barrels, bags of fresh-made packaged entrees, loose buffet bar food, lots more. Enormous volume. Lots of exotic produce. You'll find stuff there from 9:30 or 10 on.
Upper West Side
Silver Moon Bakery
Broadway and 105th Street
We found meat and cheese sandwiches as well as bread.
Hot and Crusty
2 Broadway locations: at 105th St, and between 87th and 88th Sts.
All the bready stuff-- muffins, pizza slices, rolls, croissants, etc. We had more luck with the store in the 80s.
Gristedes
Broadway and 103rd St.
Normal supermarket stuff, although we didn't find much produce. Lots of eggs and bread though.
Health Nuts
Broadway between 98th and 99th Sts.
We found mostly prepared foods, some vegetarian and vegan, some not.
West Side Health Food
Broadway between 96th and 97th Sts.
We had good luck with packaged foods.
Gourmet Garage
Broadway and 96th St., next to West Side Health Food
In the Village and Soho you can't get food from Gourmet Garage any more, but this outlet has fresh produce and packaged goods in abundance in their small, easy-to-unload dumpsters. On the night we went we found an abundance of fresh fettucini and ravioli in perfect condition.,P. Gary Null's Uptown Whole Foods
Broadway and 89th Street
Produce, pretty much. Food's out by 10:30 pm, perhaps earlier.
Barzini's
Broadway between 90th and 91st
Lots of good produce.
Supersol
Amsterdam betwen 85th and 86h, west side
Kosher supermarket. On 2 trips, we found many non-vegan protein staples not often found elsewhere, such as whitefish and cheese, plus dry macaroni, etc.
Godiva
Broadway at 84th Street
Often throws out fancy quality strawberries that they dip in chocolate. Sometimes chocolate as well.
Barnes & Noble
Broadway at 82nd Street
Barnes & Noble recently instituted a country-wide recycling policy, so their dumpster may no longer hold loads of "stripped" magazines and paperbacks. Direct reuse is always more resource-efficient than recycle, so if the books are still there it's worth saving them. In the past we have also occasionally found sealed boxes of hardcover books at this location. If you're in the neighborhood, please check and let us know what you find. Boxcutter recommended.
Zabars and Fairway would seem like sure bets, but we haven't seen anything there yet. If anyone does, please email us.
Upper East Side
In our experience, the goods get fancier and fresher as you go south.
Key Food
2nd Avenue and 92nd Street, in the Rupert Towers building
On our first foray, we found only some shrink-wrapped produce, plus local street people hanging out seemed hungry. If folks find more another time, please email us.
Patak's (Gourmet Deli)
Madison Avenue between 89th and 90th Streets
Lots of black bags, but comparatively little good food. Some pre-made sandwiches and bread.
Patak's (Gourmet Deli)
Madison Avenue between 89th and 90th Streets
Lots of black bags, but comparatively little good food. Some pre-made sandwiches and bread.
Gristedes
Lexington Avenue and 89th Street
Dairy and eggs galore, a little not-so-great quality produce.
Eli's
3rd Avenue between 80th and 81st Sts.
Most of their trash goes through a compressor, but on our first dive we found about five bags of uncompressed food including yogurt, almonds and butter.
Associated
1st Avenue between 81st and 82nd Sts.
Produce, bread and more.
Gristedes
2nd Avenue between 75th & 76th
Huge piles of bags on blindingly lit stretch of 2nd Avenue-- not for the shy. Similar to what's found at Gristedes in other parts of town, including produce, bread, dairy and more.
Grace's Market
71st and 3rd Avenue: (north east corner)
This is a large gourmet supermarket with wonderful and copious food thrown out. When the trailblaze team visited in September 06, there were citrus fruits (grapefruit and oranges), a great deal of good corn on the cob, plenty of good bread and good bagels. And there were cute little pineapples, the size of a baseball.
Really Cool Foods
3rd Avenue between 62 and 63rd, east side
Fantastic location for prepared organic foods that were wildly overpriced. We found shrimp in various forms, portobello mushrooms in a vinagrette seasoning, packaged peas, organic muffins and other cakes, loads of organic goat's milk ice cream and some other gelatos with flavors like mocha and butterscotch, croissants (chocolate!), chicken meals in individual packages, sauces (Asian sweet and sour,lobster, some kind of cream sauces).
Food Emporium
63rd and and 3rd Avenue, north west corner
In September 06 we found loads of packaged foods: foie gras (several), many cookies and crackers (Triscuits, Wheat Thins, Doritos, boxes of individually wrapped bags of 100 calories in the bag cookies), candies , chocolates.
Midtown East
D'Agostino
1st Avenue and 56th
Bread and good produce in large quantities, including bananas, spinach, and citrus.
Café Europa
42nd Street between 5th and Madison
Pizza, salads, sandwiches
Midtown West
D'Agostinos
57th Street and 9th Avenue, on the northeast corner
Gray garbage cans and bags are in front of the store on 57th Street.
We found lots of good veggies, a bunch of dairy products, and some bags of kitty litter.
Bread Factory Cafe
8th Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets
Bagels galore.
Gristedes
8th Avenue and 54th Street
Black plastic bags of veggies, bread and cookies, plus the usual supermarket assortment of packaged goods. We found loads of tofu and "cookie kits."
Bagel Stix
8th Avenue and 53rd Street
Bagels plus breakfasty muffins
Food Emporium
Dumpsters are on 49th Street just east of 8th Avenue
Loads of stuff. We found veggies, tofu, bread, dairy, nuts and seeds.
Hale and Heary Soup
42nd between 5th and 6th
Bread, salads.
Pret A Manger
42nd Street between 5th and 6th Aves (north side of Street)
Large volumes of really fancy prepackaged sandwiches and salads. Bags of loaves of sliced seven grain bread. Enormous volumes of fresh squeezed juices (not every night).
Pax
42nd Street between 7th and 8th.
Wrap sandwiches, pizza, baked goods.
Fairly narrow time window—stuff goes out late and is picked up by 1:30 AM or so.
Pax
40th Street and 6th Avenue
Bagels, rolls, variety of other stuff. Less consistent than other Pax stores.
Midtown Comics
W. 40th Street at 7th Avenue
Comics books, magazines, paperback novels, comic book protective bags and boards. Check the black bags and the sealed cardboard boxes. With the store to your back (entrance on 40th St, NOT 7th Ave), you will see a street sign right in front of you. Everything to the immediate right of the sign pole is Midtown Comics trash. Everything to the left is their neighbors’.
Pax
Broadway between W 35th and W 36th Streets
LOTS of really expensive sandwiches, esp. wraps. Muffins, bagels. Very popular, so sometimes stuff is gone by the time you get there.
Hale and Hearty Soup
35th and 7th Avenue
Entire bag of cut romaine lettuce, prepacked mixed salads in plastic sealed bowls. Soup veggies and beans sometimes.
Chinatown Express
7th Avenue 32nd Street and 33rd Street
Bags and bags of Chinese buffet food. All food is discarded at the end of the day. The stuff is still hot for hours, even on cold nights.
Murray Hill/Kips Bay
Gristedes
460 Third Avenue & 32nd Street
Quite a lot of packaged, precooked food, including deli cheeses and meats, in 2 large dumpsters on the 32nd Street side. Easy location to sort through without being harassed. Well known to neighborhood regulars.
Gristedes
Third Avenue between 36th and 37th Streets
On the avenue, generally tolerant and sometimes chatty management.
D’Agostino’s
528 Third Avenue & 35th Street
D’Agostino’s 578 Third Avenue and 38th Street
Both D’ags are on the west side of 3rd Avenue, with their trash right outside the stores. Both put out lots of produce, much of it very high quality; the northern store puts out lots of excellent bread. They tend to have a very short window between putting out and having their private trash carrier pick up; arrive by 9pm for best results.
Chelsea
Garden of Eden
162 West 23rd Street
Yupscale NYC based chain that specializes in produce, prepared foods and luxury products.
Guy and Gallard
29th Street at 7th Ave
Dumpster on 29th Street side
Bagels, bread, salads, fruit salads, sandwiches, prepared gourmet meal thingees, fresh squeezed juice, yogurt and granola, etc. Kind of have to really reach in the bags to find good stuff sometimes, but there’s lots of it.
Krispy Crème
W 23rd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues
Donuts, of course.
Flower market
28th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
Stores throughout the block.The stores all close by 6pm; regulars check early, but there are still flowers and plants for all until late at night.
Chelsea Piers
West Side Highway at 20th St
There are a lot of TV and film productions at their Silver Screen Studios building, which means a lot of catered food thrown out. Some other stuff, too. Come late at night and look for the dumpsters facing the bike path.
Gramercy/Flatiron
Garden of Eden
310 3rd Avenue at 23rd Street
Yupscale NYC based chain that specializes in produce, prepared foods and luxury products.
Zaro's
920 Broadway between 20th and 21st; dumpsters are on the south side of 21st St just east of Broadway
Tip came in from a worker there: "Every night, a huge load of bread and pastries from that morning are discarded. Last night, I put out two bags of bread so heavy I could hardly lift them. I try to put the bags of clean food on the right or left side of the dumpsters rather than IN them." It's worth checking other Zaro's locations as well, including Penn Station and Grand Central.
Associated Supermarket
Park Ave around 22nd
mainly produce
Natural Green Market
16th at 3rd Ave
health food store
closes at 10:30, collects after 12:30
David’s Bagels
1st Avenue between 19th and 20th Streets
Gramercy Bagels
3rd Avenue and 20th Street
Around Union Square
Profiting from the success of the farmers market (which collaborates with City Harvest to find homes for the farm-fresh produce), upscale chains are moving in.
Garden of Eden
14th Street between 5th and University
In addition to their bags, which sometimes bear meat and fish, check the large rolling garbage containers, which hold all the deli hot food (a specialty of this chain; may contain cooked chickens) as well as salad bar.
Gristedes
14th Street between 5th and 6th Aves
Recently (autumn '06) this store either has its trash picked up very early, or it's not putting it out any more.
Au Bon Pain
Park Ave and 14th Street by Union Square
Bread and pastry chain. Lots of sweets, bagels, rolls, breadsticks, etc.
also--
Au Bon Pain
5th Avenue and 16th Street
Petco
Union Square North and Broadway
Lots of companion animal food.
(Keep in mind that carnivorous companions generally love the meat and fish “fit for human consumption” that all the supermarkets throw out. With a little care – don’t take animal products that are not quite cold or quite hot; wash everything in cold water and wrap in clean packaging; freeze what you can’t use right way; always cook before you serve it—your companions need never eat overprocessed byproduct kibble again.)
Zen Palate
Lots of cooked soup stock veggies. Not exactly amazing stuff, but it’ll do in a pinch.
West Village
Bagelry
14th Street and 7th Ave
Puts out more bagels than Bagel Bob's, and sometimes Krispy Kreme donuts or salads as well
Food Emporium
6th Ave below 12th
upscale supermarket chain
Now puts out between 10:00 and 11:30 pm, earlier than they used to. Recently (autumn '06) this location has become somewhat less wasteful. There are seldom the entire cases of produce there used to be. Very popular, because of its former hyper-wastefulness, but still seldom gets completely cleaned out, especially if you dig deep in the miscellaneous bags. Stuff is in bags on several large rolling carts. They are open still at 11pm and the night manager often talks with folks. Be especially careful about putting stuff back neatly.
Lifethyme Natural Market
6th Ave between 8th and 9th
Large health food store
Closes at 10. Those who are feeling bold and polite can go into the store at 9:45 pm to ask for food from the organic hot food bar. Be sure to thank the manager on duty and the workers who empty the food trays and will wait until you're done, within reason. Store personnel will want you to use their packaging since they don't want to alienate "regular" customers still in the store. If you don't want to use their packaging or you get there later, feel for the hot trash bag, which has only stuff from the hot food bar. Brown rice, vegan chili, sweet potatoes, steamed veggies, plus chicken and turkey, although at that point everything's mixed together. Their other black bags yield packs of nuts, vegan baked goods, dried fruit, small amounts of produce, lots of patches of cut live wheatgrass, and lots more.
Gourmet Garage
7th Ave at W. 10th Street
Perhaps the neighbors complained, because the dumpsters that used to sit outside this yuppie store are no longer there. If you notice the situation change, email us.
Gristedes
Barrow between 7th Avenue and W. 4th Street.
The trash is around the corner from the market itself, next to a parking garage, across from “One if By Land” (fancy restaurant) and west of the trash for the apartment building. Lotsa stuff, not often seriously dived.
Gristedes
Trash also around the corner from the market, on Bank St west of Hudson.
The usual Gristedes assortment.
Le Pain Quotidien
8th St just west of 5th Ave
Huge rounds of crusty whole grain sourdough bread, stays moist inside for many days after being tossed. Even on days when the whole loaves aren't there, you'll find quarter and half loaves. Also some baguettes and occasionally sweets.
Integral Yoga
13th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues
small health food store; no produce.
Unnamed shop (no sign)
Sells chinese buns and smoothies
West 3rd just east of 6th Ave, north side
After 10:30 or 11, you'll find one or more bags of various buns filled with meat or vegetables, still warm. Vegetarians beware, as the meat and veggie buns often look the same.
Temple in the Village
3rd St. east of Thompson, below Washington Sq. Park
vegan restaurant
Whole bag of stir-fried Asian food after 10 every night
Jamaican Flavors
3rd St. and Sullivan, below Washington Sq. Park
Caribbean restaurant
Every day, throws out a bag of nothing but beans and rice, and another bag of meat and veggie rotis (pouches)
Peanut Butter and Co.
3rd St. and Sullivan, below Washington Sq. Park
Peanut butter and banana sandwiches, whole grain bread, celery and carrot sticks, cups of peanut butter
produce market (large, I forget the name)
Carmine at Varick St.
Several cartons of very good produce
East Village
fruit stand
University below Union Square, next to Amazing Savings
Several black bags of good produce, stuff is usually available as early as 6 PM.
Produce stand
Northeast corner of 7th Street and 1st Avenue
Lime Tree
1st Avenue and 9th Street
fruit and vegetable store
Gristedes
University Place between 8th and 9th Street
This one is a little more abundant with produce and less with packaged food than most of this chain.
Puts out at about 8:30, collects early, well-frequented.
Gristedes
14th Street between 1st and 2nd Aves
Gristedes
Mercer St and 3nd St
Lots of fruit and other produce. Bread, hummus, other packaged foods.
Gracefully
Avenue A between 3rd and 4th
upscale produce and grocery store
Caravan of Dreams
6th St east of 1st Ave
vegan restaurant
Not much to be found, but what is there is really good
closes at 11 most days
Counter
1st Ave around 7th St
vegan restaurant/lounge
closes late (after 12:30)- good stuff my be disguised in other bags
open 24 hours, had stuff out around 7:30/8; others say to check barrels around 10pm.
Commodities
1st Ave and 10th St
health food store
seldom anything good, but others beg to differ
Urban Roots
Avenue A between 3rd and 4th Streets
Small health food store
Healthfully
4th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue
Small health food store
Bagel Bob's
University between 9th and 10th
An East Village freegan legend; out of the many bags of plain old trash, feel for the one to three bags that contains obvious bagel and bialy shapes. Huge bags of bagels, mini bagels, bagel bits (sort of like Munchkins, but bagels), cinnamon buns, struedels, and bialys not intermingled with other food and garbage Very popular. Don’t bother on Mondays.
David’s Bagels
1st Avenue between 14th and 13th St
The Black Hound
2nd Avenue between 10th & 11th Streets
decadent desserts
Dean & De Luca
11th Street and University
Taylors
2nd Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets
tray of sandwiches every night, around 10pm
Au Bon Pain
3rd Street between Broadway and Lafayette
Bread and pastry chain. This one tosses lots of pastries when it closes around 11:30 pm. Also, bagels, rolls, breadsticks, etc.
Au Bon Pain
8th Street and Mercer
Dunkin’ Donuts
1st Avenue between 12th and 13th Streets
Old Fashion Donuts
1st Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets
Soho
Gourmet Garage
453 Broome Street at Mercer
This is the flagship store, so when you can get at it, it’s a motherlode. Several giant dumpsters on the Mercer Street side. Rumor has it that these dumpsters are sometimes locked; it is more likely that security or a night manager will yell at you and/or chase you away. Go after 11pm.
Dean & Deluca
450 Broadway between Prince and Spring Sts
sushi, pastries, etc
produce stand
Southeast corner of Houston and Broadway
Gray barrels have compostable food.
Tribeca
Food Emporium
316 Greenwich St at Duane St
Massive quantities of produce, fancy cakes, and all manner of other items in dumpsters in front of the store.
Lower East Side
Essex Street Market
Essex between Rivington and Delancey
Large indoor market; check dumpsters in the afternoon.
Economy Candy
Rivington between Essex and Ludlow
Candy and nuts.
Earth Matters
Ludlow between Houston and Stanton
Small health food store.
Chinatown
Fay Da Bakery
82 Elizabeth St. between Hester & Grand
Mott & Canal
Sweet & meaty baked goods.
Financial District/Battery Park City
Know what's happening here? Have ideas for a trailblaze? Send your ideas to ask@freegan.info.
This directory is organized from north to south. Keep scrolling down to find more neighborhoods and more stuff.
Inwood
Know what's happening here? Have ideas for a trailblaze? Send your ideas to ask@freegan.info.
Washington Heights
Bravo Supermarket
Broadway near 181st
Good selection of produce, includes some Latin American specialty items
Mike’s Bagels
4033 Broadway at W 168th Street
Harlem and East Harlem
Know what's happening here? Have ideas for a trailblaze? Send your ideas to ask@freegan.info.
Morningside Heights
Morton-Williams
Broadway and 115th Street. When I've gone the staff have been in the process of throwing stuff out, so 9 or 9:30, and they were friendly enough about letting us dive away. It's a very busy corner, and well-lit, so its high-profile dumpster diving, not for the shy.
Dagostino
Broadway and 110th Street. I'm not sure what the best time is, but I think 9-9:30 is when I've had good luck there.
Absolute Bagel
Broadway and 108th St. The usual bagel abundance, plenty fresh.
Garden of Eden
Broadway between 108th and 109th Streets. One of the best diving sites in the city—super-high end fresh produce in huge plastic barrels, bags of fresh-made packaged entrees, loose buffet bar food, lots more. Enormous volume. Lots of exotic produce. You'll find stuff there from 9:30 or 10 on.
Upper West Side
Silver Moon Bakery
Broadway and 105th Street
We found meat and cheese sandwiches as well as bread.
Hot and Crusty
2 Broadway locations: at 105th St, and between 87th and 88th Sts.
All the bready stuff-- muffins, pizza slices, rolls, croissants, etc. We had more luck with the store in the 80s.
Gristedes
Broadway and 103rd St.
Normal supermarket stuff, although we didn't find much produce. Lots of eggs and bread though.
Health Nuts
Broadway between 98th and 99th Sts.
We found mostly prepared foods, some vegetarian and vegan, some not.
West Side Health Food
Broadway between 96th and 97th Sts.
We had good luck with packaged foods.
Gourmet Garage
Broadway and 96th St., next to West Side Health Food
In the Village and Soho you can't get food from Gourmet Garage any more, but this outlet has fresh produce and packaged goods in abundance in their small, easy-to-unload dumpsters. On the night we went we found an abundance of fresh fettucini and ravioli in perfect condition.,P. Gary Null's Uptown Whole Foods
Broadway and 89th Street
Produce, pretty much. Food's out by 10:30 pm, perhaps earlier.
Barzini's
Broadway between 90th and 91st
Lots of good produce.
Supersol
Amsterdam betwen 85th and 86h, west side
Kosher supermarket. On 2 trips, we found many non-vegan protein staples not often found elsewhere, such as whitefish and cheese, plus dry macaroni, etc.
Godiva
Broadway at 84th Street
Often throws out fancy quality strawberries that they dip in chocolate. Sometimes chocolate as well.
Barnes & Noble
Broadway at 82nd Street
Barnes & Noble recently instituted a country-wide recycling policy, so their dumpster may no longer hold loads of "stripped" magazines and paperbacks. Direct reuse is always more resource-efficient than recycle, so if the books are still there it's worth saving them. In the past we have also occasionally found sealed boxes of hardcover books at this location. If you're in the neighborhood, please check and let us know what you find. Boxcutter recommended.
Zabars and Fairway would seem like sure bets, but we haven't seen anything there yet. If anyone does, please email us.
Upper East Side
In our experience, the goods get fancier and fresher as you go south.
Key Food
2nd Avenue and 92nd Street, in the Rupert Towers building
On our first foray, we found only some shrink-wrapped produce, plus local street people hanging out seemed hungry. If folks find more another time, please email us.
Patak's (Gourmet Deli)
Madison Avenue between 89th and 90th Streets
Lots of black bags, but comparatively little good food. Some pre-made sandwiches and bread.
Patak's (Gourmet Deli)
Madison Avenue between 89th and 90th Streets
Lots of black bags, but comparatively little good food. Some pre-made sandwiches and bread.
Gristedes
Lexington Avenue and 89th Street
Dairy and eggs galore, a little not-so-great quality produce.
Eli's
3rd Avenue between 80th and 81st Sts.
Most of their trash goes through a compressor, but on our first dive we found about five bags of uncompressed food including yogurt, almonds and butter.
Associated
1st Avenue between 81st and 82nd Sts.
Produce, bread and more.
Gristedes
2nd Avenue between 75th & 76th
Huge piles of bags on blindingly lit stretch of 2nd Avenue-- not for the shy. Similar to what's found at Gristedes in other parts of town, including produce, bread, dairy and more.
Grace's Market
71st and 3rd Avenue: (north east corner)
This is a large gourmet supermarket with wonderful and copious food thrown out. When the trailblaze team visited in September 06, there were citrus fruits (grapefruit and oranges), a great deal of good corn on the cob, plenty of good bread and good bagels. And there were cute little pineapples, the size of a baseball.
Really Cool Foods
3rd Avenue between 62 and 63rd, east side
Fantastic location for prepared organic foods that were wildly overpriced. We found shrimp in various forms, portobello mushrooms in a vinagrette seasoning, packaged peas, organic muffins and other cakes, loads of organic goat's milk ice cream and some other gelatos with flavors like mocha and butterscotch, croissants (chocolate!), chicken meals in individual packages, sauces (Asian sweet and sour,lobster, some kind of cream sauces).
Food Emporium
63rd and and 3rd Avenue, north west corner
In September 06 we found loads of packaged foods: foie gras (several), many cookies and crackers (Triscuits, Wheat Thins, Doritos, boxes of individually wrapped bags of 100 calories in the bag cookies), candies , chocolates.
Midtown East
D'Agostino
1st Avenue and 56th
Bread and good produce in large quantities, including bananas, spinach, and citrus.
Café Europa
42nd Street between 5th and Madison
Pizza, salads, sandwiches
Midtown West
D'Agostinos
57th Street and 9th Avenue, on the northeast corner
Gray garbage cans and bags are in front of the store on 57th Street.
We found lots of good veggies, a bunch of dairy products, and some bags of kitty litter.
Bread Factory Cafe
8th Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets
Bagels galore.
Gristedes
8th Avenue and 54th Street
Black plastic bags of veggies, bread and cookies, plus the usual supermarket assortment of packaged goods. We found loads of tofu and "cookie kits."
Bagel Stix
8th Avenue and 53rd Street
Bagels plus breakfasty muffins
Food Emporium
Dumpsters are on 49th Street just east of 8th Avenue
Loads of stuff. We found veggies, tofu, bread, dairy, nuts and seeds.
Hale and Heary Soup
42nd between 5th and 6th
Bread, salads.
Pret A Manger
42nd Street between 5th and 6th Aves (north side of Street)
Large volumes of really fancy prepackaged sandwiches and salads. Bags of loaves of sliced seven grain bread. Enormous volumes of fresh squeezed juices (not every night).
Pax
42nd Street between 7th and 8th.
Wrap sandwiches, pizza, baked goods.
Fairly narrow time window—stuff goes out late and is picked up by 1:30 AM or so.
Pax
40th Street and 6th Avenue
Bagels, rolls, variety of other stuff. Less consistent than other Pax stores.
Midtown Comics
W. 40th Street at 7th Avenue
Comics books, magazines, paperback novels, comic book protective bags and boards. Check the black bags and the sealed cardboard boxes. With the store to your back (entrance on 40th St, NOT 7th Ave), you will see a street sign right in front of you. Everything to the immediate right of the sign pole is Midtown Comics trash. Everything to the left is their neighbors’.
Pax
Broadway between W 35th and W 36th Streets
LOTS of really expensive sandwiches, esp. wraps. Muffins, bagels. Very popular, so sometimes stuff is gone by the time you get there.
Hale and Hearty Soup
35th and 7th Avenue
Entire bag of cut romaine lettuce, prepacked mixed salads in plastic sealed bowls. Soup veggies and beans sometimes.
Chinatown Express
7th Avenue 32nd Street and 33rd Street
Bags and bags of Chinese buffet food. All food is discarded at the end of the day. The stuff is still hot for hours, even on cold nights.
Murray Hill/Kips Bay
Gristedes
460 Third Avenue & 32nd Street
Quite a lot of packaged, precooked food, including deli cheeses and meats, in 2 large dumpsters on the 32nd Street side. Easy location to sort through without being harassed. Well known to neighborhood regulars.
Gristedes
Third Avenue between 36th and 37th Streets
On the avenue, generally tolerant and sometimes chatty management.
D’Agostino’s
528 Third Avenue & 35th Street
D’Agostino’s 578 Third Avenue and 38th Street
Both D’ags are on the west side of 3rd Avenue, with their trash right outside the stores. Both put out lots of produce, much of it very high quality; the northern store puts out lots of excellent bread. They tend to have a very short window between putting out and having their private trash carrier pick up; arrive by 9pm for best results.
Chelsea
Garden of Eden
162 West 23rd Street
Yupscale NYC based chain that specializes in produce, prepared foods and luxury products.
Guy and Gallard
29th Street at 7th Ave
Dumpster on 29th Street side
Bagels, bread, salads, fruit salads, sandwiches, prepared gourmet meal thingees, fresh squeezed juice, yogurt and granola, etc. Kind of have to really reach in the bags to find good stuff sometimes, but there’s lots of it.
Krispy Crème
W 23rd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues
Donuts, of course.
Flower market
28th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues
Stores throughout the block.The stores all close by 6pm; regulars check early, but there are still flowers and plants for all until late at night.
Chelsea Piers
West Side Highway at 20th St
There are a lot of TV and film productions at their Silver Screen Studios building, which means a lot of catered food thrown out. Some other stuff, too. Come late at night and look for the dumpsters facing the bike path.
Gramercy/Flatiron
Garden of Eden
310 3rd Avenue at 23rd Street
Yupscale NYC based chain that specializes in produce, prepared foods and luxury products.
Zaro's
920 Broadway between 20th and 21st; dumpsters are on the south side of 21st St just east of Broadway
Tip came in from a worker there: "Every night, a huge load of bread and pastries from that morning are discarded. Last night, I put out two bags of bread so heavy I could hardly lift them. I try to put the bags of clean food on the right or left side of the dumpsters rather than IN them." It's worth checking other Zaro's locations as well, including Penn Station and Grand Central.
Associated Supermarket
Park Ave around 22nd
mainly produce
Natural Green Market
16th at 3rd Ave
health food store
closes at 10:30, collects after 12:30
David’s Bagels
1st Avenue between 19th and 20th Streets
Gramercy Bagels
3rd Avenue and 20th Street
Around Union Square
Profiting from the success of the farmers market (which collaborates with City Harvest to find homes for the farm-fresh produce), upscale chains are moving in.
Garden of Eden
14th Street between 5th and University
In addition to their bags, which sometimes bear meat and fish, check the large rolling garbage containers, which hold all the deli hot food (a specialty of this chain; may contain cooked chickens) as well as salad bar.
Gristedes
14th Street between 5th and 6th Aves
Recently (autumn '06) this store either has its trash picked up very early, or it's not putting it out any more.
Au Bon Pain
Park Ave and 14th Street by Union Square
Bread and pastry chain. Lots of sweets, bagels, rolls, breadsticks, etc.
also--
Au Bon Pain
5th Avenue and 16th Street
Petco
Union Square North and Broadway
Lots of companion animal food.
(Keep in mind that carnivorous companions generally love the meat and fish “fit for human consumption” that all the supermarkets throw out. With a little care – don’t take animal products that are not quite cold or quite hot; wash everything in cold water and wrap in clean packaging; freeze what you can’t use right way; always cook before you serve it—your companions need never eat overprocessed byproduct kibble again.)
Zen Palate
Lots of cooked soup stock veggies. Not exactly amazing stuff, but it’ll do in a pinch.
West Village
Bagelry
14th Street and 7th Ave
Puts out more bagels than Bagel Bob's, and sometimes Krispy Kreme donuts or salads as well
Food Emporium
6th Ave below 12th
upscale supermarket chain
Now puts out between 10:00 and 11:30 pm, earlier than they used to. Recently (autumn '06) this location has become somewhat less wasteful. There are seldom the entire cases of produce there used to be. Very popular, because of its former hyper-wastefulness, but still seldom gets completely cleaned out, especially if you dig deep in the miscellaneous bags. Stuff is in bags on several large rolling carts. They are open still at 11pm and the night manager often talks with folks. Be especially careful about putting stuff back neatly.
Lifethyme Natural Market
6th Ave between 8th and 9th
Large health food store
Closes at 10. Those who are feeling bold and polite can go into the store at 9:45 pm to ask for food from the organic hot food bar. Be sure to thank the manager on duty and the workers who empty the food trays and will wait until you're done, within reason. Store personnel will want you to use their packaging since they don't want to alienate "regular" customers still in the store. If you don't want to use their packaging or you get there later, feel for the hot trash bag, which has only stuff from the hot food bar. Brown rice, vegan chili, sweet potatoes, steamed veggies, plus chicken and turkey, although at that point everything's mixed together. Their other black bags yield packs of nuts, vegan baked goods, dried fruit, small amounts of produce, lots of patches of cut live wheatgrass, and lots more.
Gourmet Garage
7th Ave at W. 10th Street
Perhaps the neighbors complained, because the dumpsters that used to sit outside this yuppie store are no longer there. If you notice the situation change, email us.
Gristedes
Barrow between 7th Avenue and W. 4th Street.
The trash is around the corner from the market itself, next to a parking garage, across from “One if By Land” (fancy restaurant) and west of the trash for the apartment building. Lotsa stuff, not often seriously dived.
Gristedes
Trash also around the corner from the market, on Bank St west of Hudson.
The usual Gristedes assortment.
Le Pain Quotidien
8th St just west of 5th Ave
Huge rounds of crusty whole grain sourdough bread, stays moist inside for many days after being tossed. Even on days when the whole loaves aren't there, you'll find quarter and half loaves. Also some baguettes and occasionally sweets.
Integral Yoga
13th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues
small health food store; no produce.
Unnamed shop (no sign)
Sells chinese buns and smoothies
West 3rd just east of 6th Ave, north side
After 10:30 or 11, you'll find one or more bags of various buns filled with meat or vegetables, still warm. Vegetarians beware, as the meat and veggie buns often look the same.
Temple in the Village
3rd St. east of Thompson, below Washington Sq. Park
vegan restaurant
Whole bag of stir-fried Asian food after 10 every night
Jamaican Flavors
3rd St. and Sullivan, below Washington Sq. Park
Caribbean restaurant
Every day, throws out a bag of nothing but beans and rice, and another bag of meat and veggie rotis (pouches)
Peanut Butter and Co.
3rd St. and Sullivan, below Washington Sq. Park
Peanut butter and banana sandwiches, whole grain bread, celery and carrot sticks, cups of peanut butter
produce market (large, I forget the name)
Carmine at Varick St.
Several cartons of very good produce
East Village
fruit stand
University below Union Square, next to Amazing Savings
Several black bags of good produce, stuff is usually available as early as 6 PM.
Produce stand
Northeast corner of 7th Street and 1st Avenue
Lime Tree
1st Avenue and 9th Street
fruit and vegetable store
Gristedes
University Place between 8th and 9th Street
This one is a little more abundant with produce and less with packaged food than most of this chain.
Puts out at about 8:30, collects early, well-frequented.
Gristedes
14th Street between 1st and 2nd Aves
Gristedes
Mercer St and 3nd St
Lots of fruit and other produce. Bread, hummus, other packaged foods.
Gracefully
Avenue A between 3rd and 4th
upscale produce and grocery store
Caravan of Dreams
6th St east of 1st Ave
vegan restaurant
Not much to be found, but what is there is really good
closes at 11 most days
Counter
1st Ave around 7th St
vegan restaurant/lounge
closes late (after 12:30)- good stuff my be disguised in other bags
open 24 hours, had stuff out around 7:30/8; others say to check barrels around 10pm.
Commodities
1st Ave and 10th St
health food store
seldom anything good, but others beg to differ
Urban Roots
Avenue A between 3rd and 4th Streets
Small health food store
Healthfully
4th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue
Small health food store
Bagel Bob's
University between 9th and 10th
An East Village freegan legend; out of the many bags of plain old trash, feel for the one to three bags that contains obvious bagel and bialy shapes. Huge bags of bagels, mini bagels, bagel bits (sort of like Munchkins, but bagels), cinnamon buns, struedels, and bialys not intermingled with other food and garbage Very popular. Don’t bother on Mondays.
David’s Bagels
1st Avenue between 14th and 13th St
The Black Hound
2nd Avenue between 10th & 11th Streets
decadent desserts
Dean & De Luca
11th Street and University
Taylors
2nd Avenue between 10th and 11th Streets
tray of sandwiches every night, around 10pm
Au Bon Pain
3rd Street between Broadway and Lafayette
Bread and pastry chain. This one tosses lots of pastries when it closes around 11:30 pm. Also, bagels, rolls, breadsticks, etc.
Au Bon Pain
8th Street and Mercer
Dunkin’ Donuts
1st Avenue between 12th and 13th Streets
Old Fashion Donuts
1st Avenue between 13th and 14th Streets
Soho
Gourmet Garage
453 Broome Street at Mercer
This is the flagship store, so when you can get at it, it’s a motherlode. Several giant dumpsters on the Mercer Street side. Rumor has it that these dumpsters are sometimes locked; it is more likely that security or a night manager will yell at you and/or chase you away. Go after 11pm.
Dean & Deluca
450 Broadway between Prince and Spring Sts
sushi, pastries, etc
produce stand
Southeast corner of Houston and Broadway
Gray barrels have compostable food.
Tribeca
Food Emporium
316 Greenwich St at Duane St
Massive quantities of produce, fancy cakes, and all manner of other items in dumpsters in front of the store.
Lower East Side
Essex Street Market
Essex between Rivington and Delancey
Large indoor market; check dumpsters in the afternoon.
Economy Candy
Rivington between Essex and Ludlow
Candy and nuts.
Earth Matters
Ludlow between Houston and Stanton
Small health food store.
Chinatown
Fay Da Bakery
82 Elizabeth St. between Hester & Grand
Mott & Canal
Sweet & meaty baked goods.
Financial District/Battery Park City
Know what's happening here? Have ideas for a trailblaze? Send your ideas to ask@freegan.info.
Freegan Events in NYC
MARCH FREEGAN EVENTSIN NEW YORK CITY
Join us for upcoming freegan events, trash tours and meetings
Call Janet at (347)724-6954 or email Madeline atmailto:ask@freegan.infowith questions on any event.
Events that don’t list a fee and don’t mention the organizing group
are free and are organized by Freegan.info.
Every Wednesday and Saturday * Freegan bike repair workshopLearn how to turn found bike parts into working bicycles. And build your own bike. For more info, call Christian at (917) 582-9010. Media reps are welcome on Wednesdays, but Saturdays are media free.When & Where?Starting at 6:00 pm on Wednesdays, going until at least 9:00 pm, and from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm Saturdays. 327 West 36th St. bet. 8th & 9th Aves (look for sign at entrance).
Monday, March 5th * Freegan Meeting and Trash TourJoin us for a meeting to plan upcoming freegan events and outreach. After, we will explore the area’s wasted food and other goods. The meeting is NOT open to media, but media reps may attend the trash tour, with appointment.When and Where? Meet at 7:30pm at Green Pea deli at 435 5th Avenue between 38th and 39th Streets.To come just for the tour, meet us at 9:30pm in front of the grocery on 38th Street and 3rd Avenue.
Thursday, March 15th • Trash TourJoin us as we collect the discarded quality products that stores throw out. We give advice on how to salvage these goods and comment on the reasons for such waste. The media WILL be welcome to attend, but with appointment.When and Where? Meet us at 9:30pm in front of the grocery on 38th Street and 3rd Avenue.Friday, March 16th • Freegan FeastThis dinner is a wonderful occasion with excellent food prepared from the finds of Thursday’s trash tour. Come early to assist in preparation. Media WILL be welcome. Please RSVP to (347) 724-6954 for the location.When & Where? Help cook at 5:30pm & eat at 8. RSVP for location & details.Thursday, March 22nd • Freegan Meeting and Trash TourJoin us for a second meeting to plan upcoming freegan events and outreach. After, we will explore the area’s wasted food and other goods. The meeting and trash tour are NOT open to media.When and Where? Meet at 7:30pm at Regale deli in the rear seating area. Regale is on 5th Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets. To come just for the tour, meet us at the deli at 9:30pm.Tuesday, March 27th • Hell's Kitchen Trash TrailblazeFor experienced foragers interested in helping explore an area we are less familiar with to add to our list of locations to recommend to others. NOT open to media.When and Where? Meet us at 9pm at the southeast corner of 41st Street and 9th Avenue.
Ongoing EventsCOMPOSTINGLower East Side Ecology Center accepts organic material for composting (fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds and tea bags, egg and nut shells, cut flowers, and similar organic material). LESEC has drop-off bins at the Union Square Greenmarket (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm).
For other composting drop sites, visit http://www.nyccompost.org/resources/organizations.htmlCOMPUTER AND ELECTRONICS RECYCLING
Per Scholas is a recycling facility in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx that allows individuals to drop off up to five pieces of residential computer and electronic equipment. Keyboards, mice and speakers are not included in the count. A monetary donation is required for the six through Nth piece. They cannot accept TVs that contain wood since they cannot recycle organic matter. They accept residential equipment Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Lower East Side Ecology Center also hosts electronics recycling events.
WEEKLY BIKE REPAIR WORKSHOPS
ORGANIZED AND HOSTED BY TIMES UP!, 49 East Houston (between Mott and Mulberry), in the basement workshop.
LADIES’ BICYCLE REPAIR NIGHT: Every Monday, 6:30 p.m. No previous experience with bicycle repair required or expected.
BIKE REPAIR WORKSHOPS: Every Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. Come learn how to fix bikes, do simple maintenance and tune-ups at the bike mechanic skill share. <>FIX YOUR BIKE WORKSHOP: Every Thursday, 6:30 p.m. Share skills with other cyclists while you fix up your own bike.For more information about events at Time's Up!, visit http://www.times-up.org/calendar/calendar.phpWILD FOOD TOURS “Wildman” Steve Brill holds frequent tours where you can learn to find and harvest wild growing plants for food and medicine Fee is $12 ($6 for children under 12), sliding scale. No one is ever turned away for lack of funds. Tours this month in the NYC area are: 3/3 in Central Park; 3/4 in Prospect Park, Brooklyn; 3/10 in Forest Park, Kew Gardens, Queens; 3/11 in Marine Park, Brooklyn; 3/17 in Alley Pond Park, Douglaston, Queens; 3/18 in Central Park, 3/24 in Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan; 3/25 in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Check the details and sign up at http://wildmanstevebrill.com/ or call (914) 835-2153.GRUB COMMUNITY BUILDING MEAL
1st and 3rd Sunday of every month.A mostly freegan dinner for strangers and co-conspirators in a relaxed environment. There is no charge but donations are requested. Organized by In Our Hearts and Toy Shop collectives; at Rubulad, 338 Flushing Avenue(between Classon & Taaffe - near the Navy Yard) in Brooklyn. 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month. Doors open 6:30; dinner around 7:00. More info at http://www.toyshopcollective.com/grub.html
http://freegan.info/?page=Events
Join us for upcoming freegan events, trash tours and meetings
Call Janet at (347)724-6954 or email Madeline atmailto:ask@freegan.infowith questions on any event.
Events that don’t list a fee and don’t mention the organizing group
are free and are organized by Freegan.info.
Every Wednesday and Saturday * Freegan bike repair workshopLearn how to turn found bike parts into working bicycles. And build your own bike. For more info, call Christian at (917) 582-9010. Media reps are welcome on Wednesdays, but Saturdays are media free.When & Where?Starting at 6:00 pm on Wednesdays, going until at least 9:00 pm, and from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm Saturdays. 327 West 36th St. bet. 8th & 9th Aves (look for sign at entrance).
Monday, March 5th * Freegan Meeting and Trash TourJoin us for a meeting to plan upcoming freegan events and outreach. After, we will explore the area’s wasted food and other goods. The meeting is NOT open to media, but media reps may attend the trash tour, with appointment.When and Where? Meet at 7:30pm at Green Pea deli at 435 5th Avenue between 38th and 39th Streets.To come just for the tour, meet us at 9:30pm in front of the grocery on 38th Street and 3rd Avenue.
Thursday, March 15th • Trash TourJoin us as we collect the discarded quality products that stores throw out. We give advice on how to salvage these goods and comment on the reasons for such waste. The media WILL be welcome to attend, but with appointment.When and Where? Meet us at 9:30pm in front of the grocery on 38th Street and 3rd Avenue.Friday, March 16th • Freegan FeastThis dinner is a wonderful occasion with excellent food prepared from the finds of Thursday’s trash tour. Come early to assist in preparation. Media WILL be welcome. Please RSVP to (347) 724-6954 for the location.When & Where? Help cook at 5:30pm & eat at 8. RSVP for location & details.Thursday, March 22nd • Freegan Meeting and Trash TourJoin us for a second meeting to plan upcoming freegan events and outreach. After, we will explore the area’s wasted food and other goods. The meeting and trash tour are NOT open to media.When and Where? Meet at 7:30pm at Regale deli in the rear seating area. Regale is on 5th Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets. To come just for the tour, meet us at the deli at 9:30pm.Tuesday, March 27th • Hell's Kitchen Trash TrailblazeFor experienced foragers interested in helping explore an area we are less familiar with to add to our list of locations to recommend to others. NOT open to media.When and Where? Meet us at 9pm at the southeast corner of 41st Street and 9th Avenue.
Ongoing EventsCOMPOSTINGLower East Side Ecology Center accepts organic material for composting (fruit and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds and tea bags, egg and nut shells, cut flowers, and similar organic material). LESEC has drop-off bins at the Union Square Greenmarket (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm).
For other composting drop sites, visit http://www.nyccompost.org/resources/organizations.htmlCOMPUTER AND ELECTRONICS RECYCLING
Per Scholas is a recycling facility in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx that allows individuals to drop off up to five pieces of residential computer and electronic equipment. Keyboards, mice and speakers are not included in the count. A monetary donation is required for the six through Nth piece. They cannot accept TVs that contain wood since they cannot recycle organic matter. They accept residential equipment Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. Lower East Side Ecology Center also hosts electronics recycling events.
WEEKLY BIKE REPAIR WORKSHOPS
ORGANIZED AND HOSTED BY TIMES UP!, 49 East Houston (between Mott and Mulberry), in the basement workshop.
LADIES’ BICYCLE REPAIR NIGHT: Every Monday, 6:30 p.m. No previous experience with bicycle repair required or expected.
BIKE REPAIR WORKSHOPS: Every Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. Come learn how to fix bikes, do simple maintenance and tune-ups at the bike mechanic skill share. <>FIX YOUR BIKE WORKSHOP: Every Thursday, 6:30 p.m. Share skills with other cyclists while you fix up your own bike.For more information about events at Time's Up!, visit http://www.times-up.org/calendar/calendar.phpWILD FOOD TOURS “Wildman” Steve Brill holds frequent tours where you can learn to find and harvest wild growing plants for food and medicine Fee is $12 ($6 for children under 12), sliding scale. No one is ever turned away for lack of funds. Tours this month in the NYC area are: 3/3 in Central Park; 3/4 in Prospect Park, Brooklyn; 3/10 in Forest Park, Kew Gardens, Queens; 3/11 in Marine Park, Brooklyn; 3/17 in Alley Pond Park, Douglaston, Queens; 3/18 in Central Park, 3/24 in Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan; 3/25 in Prospect Park, Brooklyn. Check the details and sign up at http://wildmanstevebrill.com/ or call (914) 835-2153.GRUB COMMUNITY BUILDING MEAL
1st and 3rd Sunday of every month.A mostly freegan dinner for strangers and co-conspirators in a relaxed environment. There is no charge but donations are requested. Organized by In Our Hearts and Toy Shop collectives; at Rubulad, 338 Flushing Avenue(between Classon & Taaffe - near the Navy Yard) in Brooklyn. 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month. Doors open 6:30; dinner around 7:00. More info at http://www.toyshopcollective.com/grub.html
http://freegan.info/?page=Events
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