In many parts of Australia, picking up garbage or dumpster diving has become a trend, and many Chinese are also vying to join it.
From vegetables, fruits, and beverage cans to furniture and home appliances, the garbage is constantly being turned into treasure.
They said that "the main experience is the main experience", and some people have even picked up a home by picking up garbage.
*"I Pick Up Trash in Australia Again"*
Bella, a Chinese student in Melbourne, said that she was initially curious about picking up garbage, and also superimposed multiple considerations such as saving money, environmental protection, and curiosity.
She said that she usually likes to watch overseas garbage bloggers such as "Youpi", "OK Brother", and "I Pick Up Garbage in Norway", and she is always curious. It wasn't until one time that she heard about her classmates' experience of opening Sunday trash cans at Victoria Market to forage for food, and felt that she was doing something environmentally friendly, so she tried to join it.
Treasure hunt for garbage heaps (Image source: Internet)
Bella studied in the UK for graduate school and returned to China to work for a period of time before coming to Melbourne to study for a second master's degree. "Maybe it's because I've been beaten by society, even if I don't have a financial burden, I will take a slightly more economical approach." Overall, she thinks, "I was born again to pick up trash in Australia" is quite interesting.
"I'd love to try all sorts of 'weird' lifestyles and do all kinds of things that are hard to come up with at home." "There are also some small 'rebellious psychology', quitting my glamorous job in China to study in Australia, and in the face of the incomprehension of my family and friends, I have a mentality of 'even if I pick up garbage, I have to quit'."
Due to her shyness and timidity, Bella only acts together when invited by a friend. "The biggest concern is health, and it's important to judge whether it's safe to eat, because it's very expensive to eat a bad stomach," she said. There is also some shame and worry about whether it is legal. ”
*"To each according to what he needs, turn waste into treasure"*
Jack, a Melbourne-based man, is a veteran "pick-up". He takes picking up garbage as a hobby, picking up some furniture on the roadside from time to time after work, and occasionally sees information about discarded items from the Internet, pulls them by himself and sells them. At most, he said, more than $1,000 a day was sold, including mattresses.
According to him, to regain the value of roadside garbage, "there are many details and a lot of learning".
First of all, you have to understand the furniture, then you have to look at the approximate valuation of the condition, know whether it is good to sell, and know how to move and disassemble, but also know how to repair, have a car to deliver, understand English, know how to communicate with guests, and coordinate the first to come first.
"It's mostly fun, to add a little seasoning to a boring life."
Jack said that there are also environmental considerations for participating in garbage recycling, and that treasure hunting is a unique Australian culture.
"Anyway, everyone takes what they need, others don't need it but they need it, so as to turn waste into treasure."
*"Picking up garbage and picking up a home"*
When he first arrived in Australia, Alex, who lives in Brisbane, picked up furniture from the roadside to decorate his home.
He said that he went there because he saw a video of someone picking up something on the Internet, and found a gaming chair, a wine rack and a hanger, "I was really happy to be able to pick up furniture." ”
Waste household appliances next to the trash can (Image source: Internet)
According to him, before the date of the removal of bulky garbage in the council jurisdictions, many people will leave unwanted things on the side of the road, and sometimes they can see electrical appliances and furniture. To this day, Alex still hunts for treasure in the garbage heap, and at one point he found a bag worth $3,000, so he never gets tired of it.
Coincidentally, a Chinese girl in Perth also used the furniture she picked up to decorate her new home when she moved in.
She posted a blog post saying, "Picking up trash and picking up a home." "This move really shows that there is a surplus of resources in Australia, and it is completely feasible to pick up all the furniture in a room by picking up garbage."
She said that when she went to other people's homes to pick up and pick up on the roadside, she received a lot of free furniture, including a whole set of solid wood furniture, "The quality is super good, I feel that I have made a lot of money, and my sense of happiness is very strong." ”
*Earn $100,000 a year by picking up garbage! Chinese Calling Friends*
In March this year, an Australian survey found that more and more Australians began to rummage through garbage cans due to the rising cost of living. Just this month, according to Australian media reports, a 30-year-old Western-aged man in central Sydney earned 100,000 Australian dollars a year by picking up garbage, exceeding the average Australian wage. They found everything they wanted, including luxury goods, fine art, gold jewelry, and cash.
Luxury goods picked up (Image source: Internet)
On Chinese social media, many Chinese people announced that they wanted to join the ranks of picking up garbage, and some people called friends to invite friends and enjoy it.