I am a scrounger. That sounds better than “garbage picker”. Essentially, it is the same thing. One man’s trash is my treasure.
Today’s score: two rusty urns that will look great in the entrance to my upper garden.
I like the term “repurpose”. It’s my contribution to landfill overcrowding.
It has taken my husband years to come to terms with it.
Picking through the rubbish of others can be a real money saving technique. All of the tomato cages in my garden were someone else’s cast-offs. I have a great street sign that needs a hefty metal post. I found an old clothesline pole on the terrace. It’s a perfect fit. My potato bins were all procured for less than $5 each. Most of them were garbage picking finds. Tomato cages at big box stores are $5 each. I don’t want to sink good money into those. I could plant those potatoes in half oak barrels at $40 apiece. I have so many better ways to spend money. My son’s teeth extraction comes to mind.
If you are not a scrounger, give it a try. Go scrounging with a friend and make an adventure of it. Make a list of the things that you need. Ask garage sale hosts if they have anything on your list. Let your friends know what you need. Watch neighborhoods to determine trash days. People purposefully leave their still usable items on the terrace to be taken and used by someone else. Do your bit to save the environment and repurpose something!
WARNING: There is a fine line between scrounging and hoarding. Take only what you immediately need and leave the rest.
Book Picks:
“Into the Beautiful North” by Luis Alberto Urrea. Trash pickers (and librarians) are guardian angels.
“Inherit the Land” by Jack Lueders-Booth. Chronicles the lives of professional trash pickers in Mexico.
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