State Street is a wonderful place. But today, this famous campus road became even better - Goodwill has opened a location there.
Goodwill, of course, is a company that accepts donated used or new clothing, furniture and other items that are then resold in their stores at extremely low prices. Not only does Goodwill offer those of lower economic classes access to high quality items at reasonable prices, it also provides jobs to the disadvantaged.
It is amazing what kind of treasures one can find while thrift shopping at places like Goodwill. In addition to being environmentally friendly, thrift shopping fits nicely into the freegan lifestyle, a way of living everyone should be embracing in some way.
What is freeganism? Freegan is a combination of the words free"" and ""vegan."" It is a philosophy that boycotts the entire economic system, a scheme where profit margins trump avoiding the horrific toll that capitalism takes on the public and the environment. To avoid adding to the destruction of the world, freegans strictly limit their participation in the conventional economy and embrace the idea of practical living by their own principles.
Becoming a fully practicing freegan is a drastic change in lifestyle for many and, I admit, not right for every person. But by adopting some of their strategic tactics, the world would become healthier in many ways.
Companies bombard consumers with advertisements explaining in concerned voices that people should replace their current commodities with something newer and greater. This is a ploy to fool consumers into buying more, thereby raising the profits of major corporations.
Freegans know that constantly replacing hardly used items creates waste and uses far too many natural resources. So they use a strategy called ""urban foraging.""
Freegans rummage through the trash discarded by society and find items in perfect condition on which they can live. Items found can be everything from food to appliances to artwork. By using the castoffs from others in society, freegans are not supporting corporations and they are saving the ever-decreasing space in landfills. Before getting rid of anything, ask yourself whether it can be used longer or for another purpose.
Or go through the refuse of others and find items, for free, which may be of use to you. Also, shopping at places like Goodwill reduces waste and supports disadvantaged people.
Freegans usually do not believe in using a pollution-creating automobile for transportation. Rather, they prefer eco-friendly transportation methods such as walking, hitchhiking or skating. UW-Madison is a pedestrian-friendly campus. Walk, bike or take the bus whenever you need to go somewhere.
The food eaten in Wisconsin is often not grown in this state or even the United States. Processing and shipping food worldwide is ecologically taxing and expensive. Freegans plant community gardens instead and forage through their own backyards. Not only does this provide clean, fresh and environmentally friendly food, it also allows the community to come together over a common goal of maintaining the garden. Here in Madison, we can follow the same principles by shopping at the Dane County Farmers Market or even growing our vegetables inside our own apartments - not to mention the Eagle Heights Community garden.
Other aspects of the freegan lifestyle, such as squatting and voluntary joblessness, may be highly unreasonable for college students. But there are steps that one can take to obtain a freer, more environmentally friendly and rewarding life. I dare you to become a freegan for a day. Chances are you will like it.
Emily Houtler is a sophomore majoring in envirnonmental science and math. Please send responses to opinion@dailycardinal.com
