Freegan Events in New York
If you come to an event & can’t find us, call Madeline: (917) 538-7505
More info? ask@freegan.info * www.freegan.info
Are you someone who might write, record, or make images about a freegan.info event? We ask you to ask yourself, am I media or not?
Freegan Bike Workshop and Sewing Workshop temporarily on hold!
Sadly, because of a eviction of the 123 Community Space, the bike workshop and sewing workshop will not be regularly scheduled while they search for new locations. Check back to see future workshop plans! If you know of a cheap Bed-Stuy basement for rent, let us know!
Meanwhile, Time’s Up is going strong in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
And sewing is available thru Sewing Rebellion, which takes place at Spacecraft in Williamsburg (355 Bedford ave, between South 4th and South 5th).
Monday, February 15 • Freegan Meeting, Freeganism 101 and Trash Tour
Join us for an organizational meeting to report on working group activities and discuss and decide on policies and activities. Meetings are for freegan.info volunteers and people interested in volunteering. At 9pm, we will end our business meeting, and have a brief introductory discussion about freeganism. Newcomers are always welcome and encouraged to attend our full meeting, but if you just want an introduction to freeganism, you can come just for the Freeganism 101 discussion. After, we will explore the area’s wasted food and other goods. We give advice on how to salvage these goods and comment on the reasons for such waste. The meeting is NOT open to media, but the trash tour WILL be open to media that has scheduled in advance.
When and Where? Meet at 7:30pm at the Marketplace Cafe on the east side of 6th Ave. btwn. 8th St. and Waverly in Manhattan. To come just for the tour, meet us at 9:30pm in front of Grocer John’s on 14th Street, between 5th and 6th Aves.
Tuesday, February 16 • Freegan Feast
A FREE and mostly vegan community meal made with love from the discards of our wasteful society. We share meal planning, cooking, and other food prep skills, tell stories and jokes, meet new people and reconnect with old friends, and generally unplug from the current world order as we build community. Media WILL be welcome with appointment.
When & Where? Madeline & Maikel’s apartment in Flatbush, Brooklyn, 2 blocks from the Q train at Newkirk Avenue. RSVP at least a day ahead to Madeline at (917) 538-7505. Meet at 5pm to help cook, or later and be prepared to stay for cleanup. We try to eat around 8pm, and be cleaned up and on to the rest of our evening by 10pm.
Thursday, February 25 • Reading Group
A great way to learn about social and ecological issues related to freeganism. We’ll be reading What We Leave Behind, an “impassioned guide to living a truly responsible life on earth,” by environmentalist Derrick Jensen, 4 copies are available in the NYC library system and 1 in Brooklyn. There may be more available in your local or university library. To help those who can’t get the book or can’t read it all by the meeting date, 3 of us agreed to read and summarize a section each for the group. So even if you can’t get the book or don’t have time to read it all– come anyway! Bring freegan snacks to share.
Afterwards we’ll do an informal trash tour in the neighborhood.
When & Where? 7pm, Sakia Atrium, 42nd Street opposite Grand Central Station.
Working group meetings
Want to get involved in a particular aspect of freeganism? Groups and individuals in New York are working on media relations; maintaining and improving this website; organizing freegan films & forums, bike repair workshops, sewing workshops, and a reading group; and helping develop freegan groups outside of NYC. If’ you’d like to get involved in any of these efforts, come to our general meetings or email ask@freegan.info.
Friday, February 26 • Media working group meeting
Join us to discuss and strategize about our work with the media. We’ll discuss our current and pending media requests, and talk about the logistics of our media work. Anyone who is interested in helping with our work with the media is welcome to attend!
When and Where? Meet at 7:30pm at the Marketplace Cafe on the east side of 6th Ave. btwn. 8th St. and Waverly in Manhattan.
Check back for details on a freegan film night in February– most likely February 9!
Ongoing Sustainable and Freegan Events
Sunday, February 28 • Really Really Free Market
The Really Really Free Market is a bazaar & celebration, where we discard capitalist notions of interaction and have fun trying new models of exchange. Expect and share free food, skills, clothing, books and fun! For more information, contact getyourfreeon@gmail.com . If you’d like to help freegan.info and others gather and prepare food, contact ask@freegan.info
When and Where? 3-7pm at Judson Memorial Church at 55 Washington Square South. They won’t be letting folks in early, unless you are signed up ahead of time to volunteer – so either show up at or after 3pm, or contact them at getyourfreeon@gmail.com to sign up to help set up!
Composting
Lower East Side Ecology Center accepts organic material for composting (fruit and vegetable peelings, cut flowers and similar organic material). LESEC has drop-off bins at the Union Square Greenmarket (Mon, Wed, Fri, & Sat. from 8am-5pm), or drop off at the center on E. 7th St. btwn. Aves. B & C on Sundays ONLY, 8am – 5pm. For more info see www.lesecologycenter.org
The W. 181st St. Beautification Project has compost drop-off at the garden at 880 W. 181st St. in Washington Heights.
Computer and Electronics Recycling
Per Scholas is a recycling facility in Hunts Point that allows individuals to drop off residential computer & electronic equipment. They accept equipment Mon. to Fri. 9am-4pm at 1575 Bronx River Ave. in the Bronx.
The Lower East Side Ecology Center will host five e-waste collections in January. Sun. Jan. 3, 10am-4pm @ Union Square, 17th St. and Broadway; Sat. Jan. 9, 10am-4pm @ Riverside Drive at Dyckman St; Sun. Jan. 10, 10am-4pm @ 331 E. 70th St. btwn. 1st and 2nd; Sat. Jan. 16, 10am-4pm @ Tekserve, 119 W 23rd St; and Sun. Jan. 17, 10am-4pm @ Prospect Park West & 3rd St, Brooklyn. Visit www.lesecologycenter.org for more info.
Plastics Recycling
Park Slope Food Co-op accepts many plastics for recycling that are NOT collected by the city. They accept: #1 and #6 transparent plastics (but NOT bottles, which NYC recycles), #5 plastics (remove any paper labels), and clear plastic film only. All plastics must be CLEAN AND DRY.
When & Where? They’re open every month on the 2nd Sat, 10am-2pm; the 3rd Thurs, 7pm-9pm; & the last Sun, 10am-2pm. The co-op is at 782 Union St. (btwn. 6th & 7th Aves.) in Park Slope.
Whole Foods now accepts #5 plastics and Brita filters (bagged after being allowed to dry out for 3 days) at their stores at Union Square, Columbus Circle, Greenwhich St. Columbus Ave, 7th Ave, and Houston St. Due to tightened regulations from the US Department of Transportation, Whole Foods stores in Manhattan NO LONGER accept household batteries for recycling.
Weekly Bike Repair Workshops by Times Up
Times Up! bike repair workshops are now in two locations!
Manhattan workshops are in the basement of ABC No Rio, at 156 Rivington St. between Suffolk and Clinton in the Lower East Side.
Women & Trans Bicycle Repair Night: Every Mon, 6:30pm. No previous experience required.
Bike Repair Workshops: Every Tuesday, 6:30pm. Come learn how to fix bikes, do simple maintenance and tune-ups at the bike mechanic skill share.
1st Sunday- Basics for Beginners
2nd Sunday- Brakes and Gears
3rd Sunday- Cups, Cones, and Bearings
4th Sunday- Wheels and Spokes
Fix Your Bike Workshop: Every Thursday, 6:30pm. Share skills and fix up your own bike.
Brooklyn workshops are at the new Times Up Brooklyn space at 99 South 6th Street, off Bedford Avenue
Fix Your Bike Workshop: Every Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. Share skills and fix up your own bike.
Bike Repair Workshops: Every Sunday, Lessons from 2-4 p.m., Open Workshop from 4-6 p.m.
1st Sunday- Basics for Beginners
2nd Sunday- Brakes and Gears
3rd Sunday- Cups, Cones, and Bearings
4th Sunday- Wheels and Spokes
Textile Recycling
Of course, the best thing to do with clothes and other textiles is to reuse them! BUT, if you have scraps that can’t be used even one more time, there is textile recycling.
Fridays: 8am-2pm at the 97th St. Greenmarket, 97th & Columbus in Manhattan
Saturdays: 8am-6pm at the Union Square Greenmarket in Manhattan;
8am-4pm at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket in Brooklyn;
8am-3pm at the Inwood Greenmarket on Isham St between Seaman & Cooper in Manhattan;
8am-3pm at the Fort Greene Greenmarket in Washington Park at DeKalb in Brooklyn; and
8am-2pm at the McCarren Park Greenmarket on Bedford & Lorimer in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Sundays: 8am-4pm at the Tompkins Square Greenmarket, E. 7th St. & Ave. A; and
Jackson Heights collections will resume in June
Mondays: 8am-6pm at the Union Square Greenmarket in Manhattan
Food Not Bombs
Food Not Bombs in Manhattan offers a vegetarian meal share (using donated food that would otherwise be wasted) Sundays at 3:30pm in Tompkins Square Park. Help cook at ABC No Rio, 156 Rivington St. btwn. Clinton & Suffolk at 1pm. More info: fnb@abcnorio.org or (212) 254-3697 ext.395
Bed-Stuy Food Not Bombs is currently looking for other cooking spaces after the eviction of the 123 Community Space but continues to serve food every Saturday at 3pm just outside Von King/Tompkins Park (NW corner of Lafayette Ave. & Marcy Ave.). For more info email bedstuyfnb@gmail.com or see bedstuyfnb.org
Bushwick Food Not Bombs prepares food Thursdays at 10:30am at Surrealist Hate, 1st floor of 13 Thames St. (L to Morgan) and serves at 1pm at Maria Hernandez Park, formerly Bushwick Park, at Knickerbocker Ave. & Starr St. in Brooklyn. For more info email fnbbushwick@gmail.com or call (972) 743-5669.
Wild Food Tours
“Wildman” Steve Brill has stopped tours for the winter – check back in March at www.wildmanstevebrill.com
Grub Community Building Meal
1st & 3rd Sunday every month. A mostly freegan dinner for strangers and co-conspirators in a relaxed environment. There is no charge but donations are requested. At Rubulad, 338 Flushing Ave. (btwn. Classon & Taaffe) in Brooklyn. Doors at 6:30pm; dinner at 7. www.suckapants.com/grub.html
Sewing Rebellion
For anyone missing the freegan sewing workshop, or anyone looking for a place to repair, refashion, or create clothes and other textile projects, come to the monthly Sewing Rebellion workshop! It’s the third Sunday of every month, so next month’s will be January 17th, from 6pm to 8:30pm, at Spacecraft in Williamsburg, Brooklyn (355 Bedford Ave, between South 4th and South 5th – L to Bedford). Bring your projects, bring ideas, and bring supplies and skills to share – or just bring yourself and some creativity! See more info on the Sewing Rebellion here.