Looking for more info?: ask@freegan.info
Ask yourself: am I media or not?
December 2023
Friday, December 8th, 7:30 pm ET • Freegan Meeting on Zoom
Help make freeganism happen in NYC!
At our organizational meetings we discuss and decide on future activities and group direction. Participants are encouraged to step up and introduce new freegan projects with the support of the group, or take roles such as facilitating meetings. We welcome both those with experience taking part in non-hierarchical, consensus-based groups and those participating for the first time.
We welcome those interested in attending the Zoom meeting! Kindly call (347) 724-6954 at least 1 day ahead of time for information.
Help make freeganism happen in NYC!
At our organizational meetings we discuss and decide on future activities and group direction.
Participants are encouraged to step up and introduce new freegan projects with the support of the group, or take roles such as facilitating meetings or bottom-lining events. We welcome both those with experience taking part in non-hierarchical consensus-based groups and those participating for the first time.
Please bring a mask for the meeting in case it would make others feel more comfortable.
At 9pm we will have a brief, newcomer-friendly discussion about freeganism before exploring 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. Consider bringing the food you find to the Freegan Feast and Gift Exchange the next day, to share for the collective dinner we will be making.
When & Where: For the meeting, come at 7:30pm ET to the seating area in the Whole Foods at 95 East Houston Street, Manhattan.
For the Freeganism 101 and beginning of the Trash Tour, meet us at 9pm in the same location.
If you have trouble finding us, call or text Janet at (347) 724-6954.
Special this month, we will have a no-pressure freegan gift exchange in conjunction with our feast.
Bring any wrapped items (newspaper wrapping is fantastic!) that you may have and not want, and that could be of use to someone else. These items can also be found from other places as well. If you have a surplus of items, feel free to bring more than one so that those who come to the feast can participate even if they did not bring anything.
This is a FREE and mostly vegan community meal we make together with love, mostly using food we rescued from the trash on the Tour the day before. We share meal planning, cooking and other food prep skills, tell stories and jokes, meet new people, reconnect with old friends and generally unplug from the current world order as we build community. If you are not a skilled cook, it’s OK! If you are, that’s great! You can plan a dish or two from the ingredients we have on hand and get help if you want it. All participants should plan to help in some way, even if other commitments prevent you from arriving on time.
Please note that while freegans encompass a diversity of diets, our feasts are vegetarian (and mostly vegan).
When & Where: The feast will be held at a volunteer’s home in Greenwich Village.
Please RSVP (at least a day ahead) to Janet at (347) 724-6954 for the location.
We’ll meet at 5:30pm to begin cooking and preparation.
Step off of the shopping treadmill with freegan.info! There are ways to show the love without buying!
For this freegan craft day we will be showing us how to create new, gift-worthy items from found and repurposed materials.
Join us to make gifts from the heart rather than purchase them this holiday season. Great for all ages!
Please bring a mask in case it would make others feel more comfortable.
When & Where: Meet at 6pm ET in the Wall Street Atrium, at 60 Wall Street, Manhattan.
If you arrive and cannot find us, call Janet at (347) 724-6954.
Ongoing Sustainable and Mutual Aid Events (updated October 2023)
Weekly Bike Repair Workshops by Times Up
Outdoor Bike Workshop:
La Plaza Cultural Community Garden, SW corner of 9th St & Ave C
Second and last Thursday of the month, 5pm
Come and learn how to fix your bike, and do simple maintenance and tune-ups, at the bike repair classes.
Indoor Fix Your Own Bike Workshop:
99 South 6th Street, off Bedford Avenue under the Williamsburg Bridge
Sundays & Wednesdays: 6:00 pm-8:30 pm
Open shop — you use our tools and stands to work on your bike.
Experienced mechanics will be present to answer questions, but you do the work. Bike workshops are free, but we strongly encourage you to make a donation or become a Time’s Up member to help support our efforts. If you have a big project in mind, please be considerate of the time and plan ahead.
INFO: times-up.org
EMAIL: xupbicyclecoop@gmail.com
Food Not Bombs
Long Island Food Not Bombs currently shares free groceries and hot meals every Saturday at 3:45 pm just outside Von King/Tompkins Park (NW corner of Lafayette Ave. & Marcy Ave.) as part of its Bed-Stuy Food Share. Volunteers can show up at 3pm.
INFO: communitysolidarity.org
EMAIL: info@communitysolidarity.org
Food Not Bombs in Manhattan offers a vegetarian meal share (using donated food that would otherwise be wasted) Sundays at 4:30 pm in Tompkins Square Park (7th St & Ave. A)
Contact them if you’re interested in helping to cook and prepare food. The most up-to-date info seems to be on their facebook page: facebook.com/lowermanhattanfoodnotbombs
Wild Food Tours
“Wildman” Steve Brill holds frequent tours where you can learn to find and harvest wild growing plants for food and medicine.
Suggested donation is $20 ($10 for children under 12), sliding scale.
No one is ever turned away for lack of funds.
Register for a tour and get more details at: wildmanstevebrill.com
Free Sailing School
Learn to sail for free, and build community, with the FreeSailingSchool.org — founded and operated with freegan principles.
For more information, see The Free Sailing School on Meetup: https://meetu.ps/c/4ZFQ3/5Spsz/a
Community Swaps by GrowNYC
GrowNYC has ongoing Stop’N’Swap community events. Bring clean, reusable, portable items such as clothing, housewares, games, books, and toys that you no longer need, and take home something new-to-you, free! You don’t have to bring something to take something.
No furniture or large items, please.
Check www.grownyc.org/swap for upcoming swaps!
Events are subject to cancellation or postponement due to weather; keep an eye on their page for updates.
Composting
Lower East Side Ecology Center has many compost collection sites.
MANHATTAN
Union Square Park greenmarket: M, W, F, Sa, 8am-5pm
Tompkins Square greenmarket: Sun. 8am-5pm
1st Ave & 1st St: Mondays 9am-2pm
24th St & 8th Ave: Wednesdays 9am-2pm
Clinton & Grand: Mondays 9am-2pm
East Broadway & Rutgers: Fridays 9am-2pm
Hudson Square: Spring St & 6th Ave: Wednesdays 9am-2pm
Christopher Park: 7th Ave & West 4th St: Wednesdays 9am-2pm
Corlears Hook Park, 397 FDR Drive (SE corner of Cherry & Jackson): Thursdays 9am-2pm
BROOKLYN
Rappaport Playground, NW corner of Fort Hamilton Pkwy & 53rd St: Tuesdays 10am-2pm
Bay Parkway at 86th Street, near NW corner: Tuesdays 10am-2pm
Avenue X at West Street, SW corner, Brooklyn: Wednesdays 10am-2pm
Albermarle Road & McDonald Ave, SW corner: Tuesdays 10am-2pm
18th Ave at 64th Street: Tuesdays 10am-2pm
Bay Parkway at 66th Street: Tuesdays 10am-2pm
Kings Highway & East 16th Street, NE corner: Wednesdays 10am-2pm
Avenue U & East 16th Street, SE corner: Wednesdays 10am-2pm
Brighton Beach Ave & Ocean Parkway (SE corner): Wednesdays 10am-2pm
Brighton Beach Ave at Coney Island Ave: Wednesdays 10am-2pm
Rockaway Avenue Community Compost Site, 1149 Rockaway Avenue, near Ave D: open 24/7
INFO: lesecologycenter.org/programs/compost/compost-drop-off-locations
Grow NYC has many composting and drop-off sites as well.
See their up-to-date list here: www.grownyc.org/compost
City-wide list of composting resources
The Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has a comprehensive list of compost drop-off sites here: www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/services/food-scraps-and-yard-waste-page/nyc-food-scrap-drop-off-locations to find places city-wide to bring your food scraps.
And there is information on upcoming city-wide curbside composting here: www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/services/food-scraps-and-yard-waste-page/composting-residents-organics
East New York Compost Project
They have various sites around East New York; many close for the winter. Find the map and more information here: ucceny.org/enyf-old/compost
Textile Recycling
Green Tree Textiles has textile-recycling-collection at a few Greenmarkets, AND they accept fabric and textile scraps along with intact, usable pieces!
Most of their farmers’ market locations stop for the winter, but you can find a list of drop-box locations here: www.greentreetextiles.org/donate
Wearable Collections
While we are still disappointed that they do not accept fabric scraps and rags, they do have a number of year-round Greenmarket collection sites for re-usable, intact clothing:
MANHATTAN
Tompkins Sq Park, Sunday 9am-1pm
Columbia University Greenmarket, Sunday 9am-12pm
77th/79th Street Greenmarket, Sunday 9am-12:30pm
BROOKLYN
McCarren Park Greenmarket, Saturday 8:30am-1pm
Ft Greene Park Greenmarket, Saturday 8am-1:30pm
Grand Army Plaza, Saturday 8am-2pm
Carroll Gardens Greenmarket, Sunday 8am-1:30pm
QUEENS
Sunnyside Greenmarket, Saturday, 8am-12:30pm
www.wearablecollections.com
Electronics Recycling
Lower East Side Ecology Center lists e-waste collection events here:
www.lesecologycenter.org/programs/ewaste/collection-events
Also, while not ideal, NYC has a list of mostly corporate e-waste collection sites: https://tinyurl.com/y3x9jaqd
DEAR FRIENDS: KEEP FREEGAN.INFO ONLINE!
If you like this website, or come to our events, consider helping keep freegan.info afloat.
We’re still trying to keep up with our basic expenses by raising a few funds here: www.gofundme.com/f/help-keep-freeganinfo-online
We operate on a nearly zero budget, we’re all volunteers, we only use spaces we can access for free, and we certainly don’t buy anything for our events – but… our web tools cost us money.
We provide events for hundreds of people each year (and have been since 2005!!) and salvage thousands of pounds of food and other goods each year.
Can you help us stay online?