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From scooters to shampoo – the people saving hundreds from dumpster diving
People across the UK and US are searching commercial bins for usable clothes, household goods and other discarded items, saving money and preventing waste. Their finds can support families, charities and creative projects, while some items are sold on.
North Londoner Darryl Baker says six months of salvaging clothes and other goods saved her hundreds of pounds; she has also sold a Barbour jacket for £30. In Texas, Jeff Ferrell says scrap metal earns him about $150 (£110) every two weeks, while his wider finds are worth tens of thousands of dollars a year. Stylist Millie Diamond reworks discarded textiles, and Essex resident Charlotte Bayford says salvaged toiletries mean she has not bought shampoo for eight years.
In short
- Dumpster divers salvage useful goods and save money.
- Finds include clothing, toiletries, food and household items.
- Some donate, sell or refashion what they recover.