One person’s trash is another’s treasure.
Binners have long taken that to heart and today some local dumpster divers got together to work on showing the value of their activities to the public and to build a community of sorts.
One binner told Global News he sometimes finds great stuff, including watches, clothing and even money.
His fellow binners agree that it’s well worth the time and effort.
Monday night some of Vancouver’s estimated 1500 to 2,000 dumpster divers gathered for The Binners Project, which engages the Canadian waste picker community to identify if there is interest in facilitating learning and exchange among waste pickers at the national level and beyond.
The social event was hosted by UBC at their learning exchange on the Downtown Eastside.
Educating the public about binning is another priority, although some people already see the value in it, saying it helps the recycling efforts and is a good thing for people who can’t hold a job.
Most binners agree, and even though they sometimes walk away empty handed, it’s tough to resist the urge to hunt for tossed away treasures.
With files from Catherine Urquhart
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