Im a proud scavenger. Not so much anymore but I am not above pulling over and sifting through garbage piles. My kids first riding toys and bikes came from discards waiting for trash day. I ve pulled toys, tools, shop vacs, furniture and other useful items.
One thing I really dont get though is why people wouldnt take those useful items to a thrift store and donate, or even call for a pick up (locally I give discards to an org that helps prevent child abuse). Even in todays social media culture there are many ways to sell stuff, and you might be surprised what people will buy.
Some of the charities don’t want anything that isn’t “new in box”; gone are the days where they’d replace a button or even clean anything.
I’ve noticed here in the NYC metro area that there are deals to be had for anyone with cash; as Americans evacuate they aren’t taking many of their belongings with them - and are selling them for cheap on craigslist and such. Plenty of things in the garbage as well; not worth storing and/or shipping, I guess.