“He works as a “scrapper”, foraging in people’s garbage to collect cans, bottles and metal for recycling.”
In Texas (I looked it up), in order to sell scrap to a recycler, you have to have a photo ID...
http://www.scraplaws.com/scrap-laws-by-state.php?stateid=TX
But just not a valid or lawful one.
I suspect that “scrapper” is a term that inflates his status, prestige and capabilities. Kind of like calling Obama “Constitutional Scholar”