Is picking through garbage demeaning?

No

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by Mark Waybill

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Do I think that picking through garbage is demeaning? Well I certainly hope it is not considered to be demeaning, as I myself do not see any reason why it should be perceived in this fashion. Garbage is refuse and certainly can be seen as unhygienic, but then again it is also a resource, and a resourceful person can make use of much of it.

In this present age of recycling and environmentalism you would think people would be less opposed to rummaging through waste to pick up useful finds. After all, as the old saying goes, one mans trash is another mans treasure. And this is certainly the case. Rubbish often contains very useful resources that can be used, but not by its previous owner.

For instance say you throw away an old computer when you replace it. Somebody who is less financially fortunate can use this computer, and as there is no proper system of organized recycling of useful materials and resources for redistribution to less wealthy people, why should they not do rummaging of their own?

It is not only the poor who would find rummaging through waste a beneficial pastime. Artists, especially sculptors, often find useful bits of material in waste for their creations, as do hobbyists and model makers. Many hobbyists can save lots of money by getting materials from rubbish tips and bins, and this all leads to recycling, which is viewed by most as being a good thing.

So, with this current mania for saving the environment and recycling, it would seem that people would not be opposed to resourcefulness and thrift. After all we are also in a world financial crisis, and who would not think it appropriate to save money by reusing old goods and materials? The arguments that rubbish is unhygienic and thus that rummaging is damaging to the health are preposterous.

As long as one takes precautions like the wearing of gloves (in case there are sharp objects or disease ridden dirt) and does not paste oneself with refuse, it is perfectly healthy. After all it comes from things we use everyday, and if it is so unhygienic in the bin, surely it was always that way to some degree.

Resourcefulness and thrift may be looked upon by some as being demeaning, but I daresay if this were wartime and rationing was in place, and you were one of those who had loudly protested the act of rummaging through garbage, you would be a little quieter in your outcries for cleanliness. Certainly for many there is no need for this act, but why not make use of resources that are public property?

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