A Living out of Garbage Bins

Every street in Chennai has a huge garbage bin, courtesy Neel metal fanalca. The garbage bin is where we throw all the rotten waste of our home. But do you know some people live out of these garbage bins? Yes, there are a lot of people.

Some gypsies who earned their living by selling chains made with tiger nails or Bear's hair (they claim that) are no longer able to do that as no one is showing interest in these products nowadays. So some of these people have started to make a living by collecting waste papers and polythene bags. These papers and bags will then reach waste paper shops. You can find these people exploring the garbage bins and collecting the wastes. They also use some good tools. They carry a stick with a long nail in the top and they use it to pick the papers. I recently found a man using an iron rod with a thick magnet at the tip. He used it in garbage bins and in roads to collect metal pieces. I guess they can make more money from metals.

So how they grow in this? here is a man who visits all the garbage bins in my locality. He rides a fish cart (A cycle with three wheels which is used to carry small load). He brings gunny bags with him every day. He explores all the garbage bins, ransack them and collect all that will be useful to him. He fills all his bags, throw it in the cart and leave the place. Best of all, he comes early in the morning before the Neel metal fanalcans plunder all the garbage in the bins. I have photographed him along with his fish cart for you.




In a few months, he can buy a motor powered fishing cart and in a few more years he can buy a truck on his own and collect the garbages and he can grow. I am not making fun or joking here. Anything is possible with hard work.

So, bottom line: If you think anything is waste, think again.