A garbage collector in Sydney earned around 61,000 euros by turning seemingly worthless waste into money.
Every morning after breakfast, 30-year-old garbage collector Leonardo Urbano sets out to search the streets of Sydney for discarded items that he can resell. Apparently it’s a lucrative business, as the items he finds in the garbage have earned him around $66,000 (about 61,000 euros), as the financial broadcaster CNBC reported.
“You find a lot of stuff,” Urbano told CNBC. Among other things, he has discovered Fendi designer bags, coffee machines, gold jewelry and even wads of cash. Often, he says, there are even working appliances thrown away by wealthier households to make room for new models. Sometimes he also finds unworn clothing and even forgotten cash in bags.
At home, Urbano then decides what he wants to keep and sells the rest on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, according to CNBC. With the money he earned from selling his garbage finds, Urbano was able to pay his rent and furnish his apartment.
In Germany, collecting rubbish is generally permitted and is even encouraged as part of various initiatives and campaigns such as the “World Cleanup Day” or local “clean-up” campaigns. Many people volunteer their free time to rid the environment of rubbish.
However, there are some rules and laws that must be observed. For example, you should be careful not to enter private property without permission or to put yourself in danger. Even rummaging through garbage containers or taking bulky waste can be legally problematic, as this can be considered theft under certain circumstances.
Lots of sun and rising temperatures are now the order of the day again. If you drive a lot, you’ll probably rely heavily on the air conditioning in your car. Not without reason, as it cools significantly more and faster than leaving the windows open while driving. But you should still be careful.
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