The term freegan is derived from a blend of the words free and vegan, many of the early proponents of freeganism being vegetarian or vegan. The word has also been used to describe vegans who will eat non-vegan food because it is ‘free’, i.e. it would otherwise have been thrown away. It has also been suggested that the word freegan is short for free gain, some extreme supporters of the philosophy even advocating shoplifting or vandalism of disposal units used by supermarkets.

The term freegan is derived from a blend of the words free and vegan, many of the early proponents of freeganism being vegetarian or vegan. The word has also been used to describe vegans who will eat non-vegan food because it is ‘free’, i.e. it would otherwise have been thrown away. It has also been suggested that the word freegan is short for free gain, some extreme supporters of the philosophy even advocating shoplifting or vandalism of disposal units used by supermarkets.