Freegan Events in New York City


Looking for more info?: ask@freegan.info

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Ask yourself: am I media or not?


March 2024

Monday, March 11th, 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, but kindly call ‭(347) 724-6954 at least 1 day ahead of time for information.

Thursday, March 21st, 9:00 pm ET • Freeganism 101 & Trash Tour (No Media)



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 Freeganism 101 and trash tour, meet us at 9pm indoors at the David Rubinstein Atrium, 61 W 62nd Street, corner Broadway.
If you have trouble finding us, call or text Janet at ‭(347) 724-6954‬.

Friday, March 22nd, 5:30 pm ET • Freegan Vegetarian Feast in Midtown West



**Attendees are encouraged to participate in Thursday’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 the night 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 Midtown West, Manhattan, accessible by NYC transit.
RSVP (at least a day ahead) to Janet at (347) 724-6954 for the location.


Ongoing Sustainable and Mutual Aid Events (updated March 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 (note new location!):
626 E 14th Street, Manhattan
Sundays & Wednesdays: 4:30 – 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
EMAIL: xupbicyclecoop@gmail.com

Food Not Bombs
Long Island Food Not Bombs currently shares free groceries and hot meals every Saturday at 3:00 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!
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 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 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.
Tours for March in the NYC area are:
3/16: Prospect Park, Brooklyn – Grand Army Plaza Entrance, 11am
3/17: Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan – Dykeman St. & Broadway, 11am
3/24: Central Park, Manhattan – CPWest and 103rd St, 11am
3/30: Prospect Park, Brooklyn – Grand Army Plaza Entrance, 11am
3/31: Forest Park, Kew Gardens, Queens – Forest Park Dr. & Park Lane, 11am
See 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://https://www.meetup.com/nycfss

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.
Upcoming swaps for March:
3/16: PS 9, Sarah Smith Garnet School, Prospect Heights, Brooklyn; 80 Underhill Ave; 12-3pm ET
3/23: St. Mary’s Church, West Harlem, Manhattan; 521 W. 126th St; 12-3pm ET – APPAREL ONLY
Check www.grownyc.org/swap for details!

Composting
Curbside composting is now available in many areas of New York City – find out more here: www.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/services/food-scraps-and-yard-waste-page/composting-residents-organics

Lower East Side Ecology Center has closed many of their compost collection sites since the start of curbside composting, so check the list or 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 & Rutgers: Wednesdays 9am-2pm ET
INFO: lesecologycenter.org/compost

Grow NYC also has many composting sites.
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 places, city-wide, to bring your food scraps. : www1.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/services/food-scraps-and-yard-waste-page/nyc-food-scrap-drop-off-locations

East New York Compost Project
Their public compost collection is on hold until spring – see more info 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!
Check their site for farmers’ market locations still operating in the winter, and also for a list of drop-box locations: www.greentreetextiles.org

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 ET
Columbia University Greenmarket, Sunday 9am-12pm ET
77th/79th Street Greenmarket, Sunday 9am-12:00pm ET
BROOKLYN
McCarren Park Greenmarket, Saturday 8:30am-1:30pm
Ft Greene Park Greenmarket, Saturday 8am-1:30pm ET
Grand Army Plaza, Saturday 8am-2pm
Carroll Gardens Greenmarket, Sunday 8am-1:30pm
QUEENS
Sunnyside Greenmarket, Saturday, 8am-2:00pm ET
www.wearablecollections.com/greenmarket

Electronics Recycling
Lower East Side Ecology Center does not have e-waste events for March, but you can keep an eye on their calendar here:
www.lesecologycenter.org/e-waste/#collection-events

Also, while not ideal, NYC has a list of mostly corporate e-waste collection sites: www.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/site/services/electronics/electronics-drop-off-locations


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?