Mom makes enough money collecting rubbish to quit her job

Texas
Mom makes enough money collecting rubbish to quit her job

Tiffany She’ree makes a living rummaging around in other people’s trash. That sounds tragic, humiliating and degrading at first. But the 32-year-old from the US state of Texas is completely satisfied with it. In fact, she earns so well with it that she has since quit her actual job.

For four and a half years, the mother of four children has been on the road to look for objects that are still usable in the garbage. This is called “Dumpster Diving” in the USA, in Germany this activity is called “Containers”. Often private individuals, but especially businesses, throw things away that are still like new. For example, Tiffany She’ree recently found a $ 750 coffee maker.

$ 800 to $ 1,000 a week collecting trash

From time to time she publishes what she finds on Instagram and TikTok: beauty products, children’s toys, electrical goods. She’ree makes such a big profit reselling the goods that she gave up her job in a café. Now she’s a full-time garbage collector – that brings her between $ 800 and $ 1,000 a week, She’ree told the Daily Mail.

The 32-year-old came across the funnel about five years ago when she saw a YouTube video on the subject. In it, two young women searched the garbage: “When I saw their prey, I knew that I had to try that too.” Her first attempt at the beginning of 2017 was a complete success: She came across a package with new make-up products worth $ 1200. Since then, Tiffany She’ree has regularly hunted prey – often her significant other or children even come with her. The most lucrative are of course the garbage dumps of large department stores that dispose of goods because of minor errors or simply want to get rid of slow-moving goods.

Much of what She’ree and her family find is sold. The family also uses some things themselves, for example clothes or decorative items for the house, and thus saves a few expenses. The family’s large TV also comes from the trash. “We furnished almost three-quarters of our house with items from the trash, from couches to tables and chairs to decorations,” says She’ree. In 2021 alone, she saved $ 3,000.

In Germany, containers are considered theft

Containers are controversial in Germany. While many argue from a moral point of view that collecting rubbish – especially discarded food – is safe and even sustainable, the legal point of view is different. The Federal Constitutional Court confirmed in 2020 that it was a criminal offense. In the case, two students had opened a locked dumpster to get food.

Tiffany She’ree is also sometimes exposed to such accusations. However, she says: “I am delighted that I can save objects from the garbage and thus do my part to protect the planet and the environment.” And apparently she’s not making bad money either.

Sources: “DailyMail”, “Dumpsterdivingmama on Instagram”, “Dumpsterdivingmama on TikTok”

This article originally appeared on stern.de.

epp / star