From scooters to shampoo - the people saving hundreds from dumpster diving
The men and women who rummage through commercial bins to take clothes and other items.
Darryl Baker discovered a variety of items tossed into the dumpster outside her local store in north London, including clothes, a decor piece from Ikea, and scooters for her children. She gained permission to take some of the items, which she says has saved her hundreds of pounds. Darryl salvages clothing from brands like Ralph Lauren, Nike, and The North Face, and either keeps, donates, or sells the items.
She is one of the many people known as dumpster divers, who rummage through bins for discarded treasures to save money, help charity, and express disgust at the waste. Jeff Ferrell, a 72-year-old from Fort Worth, Texas, has been dumpster diving for over 50 years and considers himself a "Robin Hood mixed with anarchist direct action," giving away many of his finds to those in need.
Jeff estimates his annual earnings from scrapping metal and selling valuable items to be in the tens of thousands of dollars. Millie Diamond, a London-based stylist, posts videos on TikTok showing her finding fabrics and clothing to salvage and refashion into new items, including one dress worth £600. Charlotte Bayford, a sales assistant from Essex, takes advantage of student summer breaks to find half-filled toiletries, which have saved her money on shampoo for eight years.
She donates most of her finds to charity but also sells valuable items. Dumpster diving is considered illegal in some US cities, including New York, Cleveland, and Wichita, as it is seen as the property of cities or the companies providing trash services. In the UK, the law on dumpster diving is unclear, but it is generally safest to ask the owner or business for permission before taking any items.
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