From scooters to shampoo: the people finding value in discarded goods - Politics and regulation

Dumpster divers say salvaging items from commercial bins helps them save money, donate to charity and prevent usable goods from going to waste. But taking discarded items is not always legally permitted.

Darryl Baker began searching supermarket dumpsters after seeing piles of clothes left beside recycling bins. With permission from staff, the north London mother of two says she found enough clothing to build new wardrobes for her children, as well as items including children’s scooters and an Ikea picture frame.

During a six-month period this year, the freelance journalist estimates she saved hundreds of pounds. She has kept some of her finds, given others to relatives or charity, and sold items including a men’s Barbour jacket for £30.

Baker is among a growing number of people who search commercial bins for reusable goods. Their reasons include saving money, donating items and frustration at seeing usable products thrown away.

In Fort Worth, Texas, 72-year-old Jeff Ferrell says he has been dumpster diving for more than 50 years and still goes out daily by bicycle. He gives away many of his finds and says he rarely buys household goods such as toiletries, clothes, shoes or tools. Ferrell also sells scrap metal, which he says earns him about $150 every two weeks, while his wife lists other valuable finds online.

London stylist Millie Diamond searches for fabric and clothing that she can remake, sometimes selling the finished pieces. She began after spotting discarded fabric from a business that had closed and says one dress she found was worth an estimated £600. She also shares videos of her searches on TikTok.

For Essex resident Charlotte Bayford, the best opportunities come when students leave the University of Essex for the summer and discard unwanted belongings. She says she has not bought shampoo in eight years, thanks to finding partly used toiletries, and has also salvaged sealed food. She gives many items to charity and sells some valuable finds.

The legality of taking goods from bins depends on where they are and the circumstances. Jeff Ferrell says dumpster diving is illegal in some US cities, where discarded items may be treated as belonging to the local authority or a waste company. Divers could also face trespass charges. In Fort Worth, he says, items can only be removed from bins on public land.

In the UK, solicitor Sunjay Versani says prosecution is unlikely in many cases involving genuinely discarded goods, but putting something in a bin does not automatically make it free to take. He advises asking the owner or business for permission if there is any doubt.

Sources: BBC News UK.