In Texas, it’s perfectly legal to go through trash cans, and Tiffany Butler knows that. The mum-of-four has been making headlines since she explained she no longer goes to a single store, and has started supporting herself by just rummaging through trash cans.
Thus, she harvests food at Aldi or Starbucks, but also searches in front of various stores, recovering makeup products or electrical appliances. Trash digging started out as a hobby, but it turned into a job that earns him more than €70,000 a month.
Many items saved
Thanks to it, thousands of objects are saved from landfill every month. Her electrician husband often carries out the necessary repairs for electrical appliances, which allows them to resell 75% of their finds.
The young woman shares her best finds on TikTok, where she is followed by 2.5 million people. What she doesn’t sell, Tiffany uses for herself, or donates to loved ones.
The treasures recovered range from expensive hair tools to aquariums, treadmills, makeup and snacks, which they then share with TikTok’s 2.5 million followers.
Leave the dumpster clean
“Stores throw away a lot of clothes that I salvage. Most store managers are happy that I save some items from the landfill. I discovered that Aldi throws away a lot of things that you can collect at closing time”; she explains to “NeedToKnow”.
The mother does not feel any embarrassment to be seen rummaging through the trash cans. However, she does point out that you should always find out about the legality of dumpster diving in your city. “Always leave the dumpster cleaner than you found it,” she laughs. She concludes by saying to be careful, because the practice is addictive. So, shall we get started?