: Ways to make money off trash? Besides becoming a garbageman, selling dumpster finds and curb furniture on eBay/Craigslist, or selling metal to scrapyards, what are some ways to make under-the-table

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@Cyn has a good answer I will try not to repeat.

Used to be, you could collect things from the trash to recycle, like aluminum cans, and sell them for a pound or something.

In some states, unbroken glass soda bottles have a return value of 5c or 10c by law; you could look for those and collect them.

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I wrote up this answer then saw the comment that this question belongs on Worldbuilding. Whoops! I am going back and forth between the sites now and I thought it was Worldbuilding. I'll still put it in but I agree with the comments above.

Lots of people make art from found objects.

You can sell working throwaways (blenders, toasters, car parts) as used ones, but since you don't know why they were thrown out and some will be dangerous or in worse shape than it seems from just turning them on, it won't be legal.

Some people throw out prescription or OTC meds in the original bottles in the trash because they're done with them (the throwing out is illegal too, not just reselling them). There are also pill collection programs to keep meds out of the landfill. Your character can go door to door fake-collecting for them.

"Put your gently used items out on the curb for our (totally fake) charity!" How many of those notices do you get a year? I get 3-4. All for real charities I'm pretty sure.

Collection boxes (big metal ones with locks) for used shoes and clothes. These are legal but a lot of them just resell the items and don't even pretend to be for charity. But people think they are. I find that morally problematic.

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