I live in a virus epicenter, but still go out at night to salvage recycling to sell. The streets are eerily quiet, and they were already quiet enough before this pandemic.

I wear gloves and am very cautious with what I touch and/or take. As a plus, there is virtually ZERO competition now, yet still the same amount of recyclables. I project that they may be more as people are stuck home and may start purging to make more room for new purchases or space to live.

I walked a few curbs last night on my way to the grocery store and found an automated money bill counting machine and a high end hair flat iron. After getting some groceries at 1 AM, I went home and debated whether it was worth going out again. A few hours passed while I munched on some comfort food I just bought, and then I decided to saddle up to go out at 4:30 AM. As I usually say to myself, "fuck it, let's go."

There's something exceptionally peaceful about being outside by yourself without a soul around with most terrified of being outside. While I'm as socially distant as possible, the only risk I anticipate is if the virus is on something I touch outside. It's unlikely, but I'm wearing gloves and usually only use one hand for touching stuff (or to get it in my backpack). I also "quarantine" what I find for 1-3 days in my hallway or an isolated space to allow ample time for anything on it to clear up. I then clean it after even if it looks spotless.

I need to make money and I really don't want to be inside all day. This allows me to continue to do what I enjoy in solitude, get necessary exercise and air, and also continue to help to environment. While sales are a bit slow, I also need to continue making income.

Your support matters, even if my Steem rewards are going to wither up. I enjoy the moral support as it keeps me motivated.

---

Here are some recent salvaged finds I've sold:

Clickbait alert!!

High-end pet stroller sold online for $150 to a woman with a Maltese named Zander that she rescued. Shipped to a nearby state with recycled packaging at 37 pounds and 1 ounce.

Zander was found on a tractor trailer in Arkansas. Crazy! I normally would've sold it for cash, but I agreed to ship it when she asked to help them out.

The other cool thing about this is that a friend found this for me and found it and saved it for me to sell. That was very rewarding.

Hello Zander!

Zander will surely appreciate the comfort of this plush ride after his rough experience.

Complete Miele vacuum sold for $100 cash. This weighed 13 pounds and 8 ounces.

The main unit was very dingy from a basement I presume, but after 20 minutes with rubbing alcohol, it was spotless. I built the rest of the vacuum using parts I found literally right up the road on the same night, and some spare accessories I already had at home. I always seem to find what I need. The original hose and attachments were too far gone, but it fell into place.

Double baby stroller sold for $120 cash to a Mom who immediately popped her kids in it. This really helped her out. This weighed 34 pounds and was super clean when I found it with 2 other strollers I didn't take.

The cargo netting on the bottom was partially torn, so I used black latex gloves and gorilla glue to patch the holes up. It was a stroke of genius since gloves are on everyone's minds these days.

The repair:

Paper shredder sold for $90 cash. This weighed 39 pounds and the woman was very happy with it.

Vacuum motor tested and sold online for $70. Shipped with recycled packaging at 4 pounds 2 ounces.

Design book sold online for $33. Shipped with recycled packaging at 2 pounds and 13 ounces.

I found about 20 architecture/design books along with this a while back and am still selling a few of the leftovers.

Stroller brake cable sold online for $25. Shipped with recycled packaging at 6 ounces. Innovative!

Two sets of this phone power supply sold online for $22 total. Shipped with recycled packaging at 1 pound.

---

Most people don't care that I do this, but I take ownership of a global environmental problem and try to do something about it virtually every day.

I'm outside hustling, cleaning up after wasteful people, even when my city is one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus.

No excuses.

These things should not be discarded, destroyed, and potentially in landfills.

Hopefully this will be appreciated by more people on Hive.

Thanks to the loyal crew for their interest and support.

@steemmatt