Singapore's 'freegans' find treasure in trash to reduce consumer waste

The freegans often post photos of their discoveries, including barely-worn clothing, jewellery, electronics and luxury goods such as handbags

A new movement in Singapore that seeks to reduce the amount of consumer waste in the affluent city-state is scavenging for unwanted goods, some in near-mint condition, that migrant workers can send home for the holidays. 

“Freegans”, broadly defined as people committed to cutting wasteful production and consumption, have connected with thousands of foreign labourers from lower-income countries, many of whom cannot afford the products sold in the city’s shiny shopping malls. In Singapore, the luxurious backdrop for the movie “Crazy Rich Asians”, what passes as trash for one household ends up in a shipping container on its way to the