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October 2024
Wednesday, October 9th, 7:30 pm ET • In-Person Freegan Meeting and (No-Media) Freeganism 101 & Trash Tour
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.
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.
When & Where: For the meeting, come at 7:30pm 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.
NOTE: Media are welcome at this event. Those who wish to attend a media-free Trash Tour are invited to join us earlier in the month, on October 9th.
We will start by having a brief, newcomer-friendly talk 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 some of the food you find on this tour to the Freegan Feast two days later, to share for the collective dinner we will be making.
Where & When: We will meet at 63rd St and 2nd Ave, on the NE corner, Manhattan, at 9:00pm ET.
If you have trouble finding us, call or text Janet at (347) 724-6954
Attendees are encouraged to participate in Tuesday’s trash tour to help rescue food to use for this Freegan Feast.
A FREE vegetarian, mostly vegan, community meal we make together with love, using the food the group rescued on the Trash Tour two nights before. We’ll meet new people, reconnect with old friends, tell stories and jokes, and generally unplug from the current pent-up world.
Please note that while freegans encompass a diversity of diets, our feasts are vegetarian (and mostly vegan).
Arrive at 5:30 pm to begin cooking and preparation indoors. Plan on lending a hand in some way even if other commitments prevent you from arriving on time.
Media WILL be welcome by appointment only, but journalists will be required to respect the wishes of those who do not want to be photographed.
The location is a volunteer’s home in Richmond Hill, Queens, accessible by NYC transit.
RSVP (at least a day ahead) to Janet at (347) 724-6954 for the location.
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 are glad to have both those who have 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, but kindly call (347) 724-6954 at least 1 day ahead of time for information.
The Really Really Free Market is a bazaar and celebration where we challenge capitalist interactions, and have fun trying new models of exchange. Previous RRFMs have included skill-sharing, clothing, and books! Bring items in good and working condition that you want to pass on to someone else; drop-offs accepted between 12:00 pm and 4:30 pm ET.
Textile recycling drop-off will be available, but general e-waste will not, so please bring working electronics only. <3 <3
No need to bring something to take something.
We will not be serving food on-site.
Where: Assembly Hall at Judson Memorial Church: 239 Thompson Street, Manhattan.
Ongoing Sustainable and Mutual Aid Events (updated September 2024)
Weekly Bike Repair Workshops by Times Up
OUTDOOR BIKE REPAIR WORKSHOPS:
La Plaza Cultural Community Garden, SW corner of 9th St & Ave C
First and third Saturday of the month, 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET:
Come and learn how to fix your bike, and do simple maintenance and tune-ups, at the bike repair classes.
FIX YOUR OWN BIKE WORKSHOPS:
626 E 14th Street, Manhattan
Sundays & Wednesdays, 5:00 – 8:00 pm ET
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, or 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 ET just outside Von King/Tompkins Park (NW corner of Lafayette Ave. & Marcy Ave.) as part of its Bed-Stuy Food Share. Volunteers welcome, starting at 3 pm!
INFO: communitysolidarity.org, or 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 ET 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, including specific item needs for aiding migrants, is 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.
Find tours in the surrounding areas, register, and see more details at wildmanstevebrill.com
Free Sailing School
Learn to sail for free, and build community, with the FreeSailingSchool.org .
For more information, see The Free Sailing School on Meetup: https://https://www.meetup.com/nycfss
Community Swaps by GrowNYC
As of June 2024, all GrowNYC Zero Waste programming has ended.
Take a look at their Zero Waste Community Resource page here: https://www.grownyc.org/blog/grownyc-zero-waste-community-resources
Check out the GrowNYC Workers Collective’s efforts to save the zero waste programs, and sign up to take action!
Composting
Curbside composting is now available in many areas of New York City – find out more here:
https://www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/collection/residents/curbside-composting.page
Lower East Side Ecology Center has closed many of their compost collection sites since the start of curbside composting, so check the list on their website before you head out!
Union Square Park greenmarket: M, W, F, Sa, 8am-5pm ET
Tompkins Square greenmarket: Sundays 8am-5pm ET
Clinton & Grand: Mondays 9am-4pm ET
East Broadway and Rutgers: Wednesday 9am-4pm ET
Mathews-Palmer Park, 445 W 45th: 7 days a week 7am-6pm ET
St. Vartan Park, 36th St. & 1st Ave: 7 days a week 6am-11pm ET
INFO: lesecologycenter.org/compost
Grow NYC’s composting program has officially ended.
Check out the GrowNYC Workers Collective’s efforts to save the zero waste programs, and sign up to take action!
City-wide list of composting resources
This is a great resource to find places city-wide to bring your food scraps.:
www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/collection/residents/food-scrap-drop-off.page
East New York Compost Project
They have resumed public food scrap collection:
Drop off at the East New York Youth Farm, 24/7
620 Schenck Ave. Brooklyn, NY
See more info here: https://ucceny.org/enyf/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!
They have a lot of collection sites, including Greenmarkets and drop-off boxes, listed on their website here:: https://www.greentreetextiles.org/donation-locations
Wearable Collections
While we are still disappointed that they do not accept fabric scraps and rags, they do have a number of Greenmarket collection sites for re-usable, intact clothing: www.wearablecollections.com/greenmarket
Electronics Recycling
The Lower East Side Ecology Center has one e-waste collection event listed for September:
9/25: Dumbo, Brooklyn at the Pearl Street Triangle, 10am-2pm
More info can be found at:www.lesecologycenter.org/e-waste/#collection-events
Also, while not ideal, NYC has a list of mostly corporate e-waste collection sites: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/collection/get-rid-of/e-waste-drop-off-sites.page
Fixers Collective
The Fixers Collective is a social experiment in improvisational fixing and aggressive asset recovery. They host monthly repair clinics at Hack Manhattan, and occasional events elsewhere. Events are usually on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, at Hack Manhattan, 34 W 37th St. between 5th and 6th Aves. (Note that the space is up a flight of stairs.)
There is a suggested $5 donation, but no one is turned away.
Check for details, and let them know what you’re bringing in for repair, on their facebook page: www.facebook.com/fixerscollective
Hack Manhattan
Hack Manhattan is a non-profit, all-volunteer hackerspace in New York City. The space is a place for people to come together and socialize, work on projects, and share knowledge. They welcome anyone interested in art, craft, and technology – whether you’re interested in electronics or gardening, textiles or 3D printing, They invite you to come, work, and be part of the community.
While they do encourage people to become paying members of the space, they host regular Project Nights/Open Houses on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7pm to 9:15pm at Hack Manhattan, 34 W 37th St. btween 5th and 6th Aves. (Please note that the space is up a flight of stairs.)
See more info here: hackmanhattan.com
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.
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