Who is Tiffany She'ree? Mom-of-four quit job to be a dumpster diver, makes $1K a week
Texas mom Tiffany She'ree gave dumpster diving a try for the first time in 2017. She ended up finding $1,200 worth of makeup and skincare products on her very first haul. Then and there, she realized that a hobby like this can not only help her sustain her family, but also fetch her a sizeable income through the resale of discarded but unused items. Ever since then, she and her husband Daniel Roach have been going on trash hunts together. Popular on social media as 'Dumpster Diving Mama', She'ree has over 2 million followers on TikTok and more than 20,400 Instagram followers.
With rising conversation around waste management and zero-waste lifestyles, the practice of dumpster diving is gaining popularity across USA. Though still frowned upon by many, the hobby involves salvaging unused products from dumpsters at large commercial, residential or industrial complexes. In fact, Tiffany She'ree has managed to inspire many of her followers to try their hands in dumpster diving.
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She'ree, a 32-year-old mother of four from Texas, previously used to work as a canteen server. However, she decided to quit her job in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, when she found out that she can earn up to $1,000 per week from dumpster diving. She mostly procures items from dumpsters outside superstores, and then she resells those in garage sales at her home.
"I’d never heard of or thought about dumpster diving before I randomly saw a video on YouTube of these girls dumpster diving. When I saw the haul they came back with I knew I had to try it for myself," She'ree told DailyMail.
Being in the pursuit for many years now, the 32-year-old now pays her bills completely from reselling salvaged commodities. Her family has even furnished their entire home with items found in the trash. In her TikTok videos, she shows her dumpster hauls outside branded retail outlets like Victoria’s Secret, Party City, and Ulta. She carefully selects reusable items, some of which might have slightly damaged packaging or returned products that were left unsold. For instance, she recently shared a video of finding a perfectly functional $750 coffee machine from Bed Bath & Beyond, and brand new makeup items worth several hundred dollars. "I’ve found bedsheets, pillows, blankets, towels, little odds and ends, even pet products like cat trees and dog cages,” she shared. In one of her Instagram posts, she showed her pet cat around a cat tree that she found in the dumpster.
There are not many legal implications of dumpster diving in the USA, unless someone is illegally trespassing in a property for a dumpster haul. However, the unconventional practice is often equated by many with stealing. In fact, Tiffany She'ree herself has had some of her dumpster diving videos removed by TikTok for "illegal activities". There is also the question of hygiene, especially in the pandemic. But for She'ree, her hobby is a noble pursuit that is helping save the planet. "I’m happy that I’m saving items from landfills and doing my bit to help the environment and keep the planet clean,” she said.