I Make $20,000 a Year Digging Through Dumpsters in Buffalo — Here’s How

They found love in a hopeless place.

A Buffalo scavenger couple whose romance began in the bottom of a dumpster say they haven’t let the arrival of a baby slow down their trash-clearing exploits.

Dave Sheffield, 35, a scrap metal enthusiast, met his wife Erin, 39, when he was in college. The trash-loving duo became friends while Dave was digging through a pile of debris looking for something of value, SWNS reported.

After 15 years together — and a wedding in 2021 — the couple have now welcomed their first child, who sleeps in a bed found in the trash.

The debris-loving duo discovered they were pregnant in 2023, giving their particular passion a new kind of focus.

They were able to find a baby bed, a swing, unopened baby bottles and much more.

Now that their daughter Evelyn is born, the Sheffields say they are looking forward to welcoming her into the family business.

“Evelyn is doing really well, she’s growing really fast. We’re really happy,” said Erin, who has a more traditional job as a charity coordinator.

“We found a portable crib that she sleeps in now,” explained the mother who watches over the trash.

“Brand new, it was worth $150. We found it in a long dumpster in the back of a department store where they were throwing all their baby stuff,” she said.

“They had car seats, but we already had it. Luckily, my husband ran into another mom who was there going through the trash and took the seat,” Erin said.

The Refuse-Niks met in 2009 while James was attending SUNY Buffalo and Erin was working at a local bike shop.

“We met in a dumpster. I saw him, poked my head in and asked him what he was doing,” Erin said. “He jumped out, we cleaned up and spent the day digging through the dumpster.”

Over time, their friendship turned into something more, like so many piles of treasure thrown into the trash.

“We exchanged numbers, we continued to see each other and since then we have been diving as a couple,” she said.

The couple’s journey into the world of trash began slowly, taking advantage of the enormous amount of items left behind by students at the end of each semester, with finds ranging from textbooks to unused laundry detergent and office supplies.

With more free time during the pandemic, Erin and Dave threw themselves into their mission, selling furniture, scrap metal and more through eBay and Facebook Marketplace.

Today, Dave estimates they are able to earn $20,000 a year selling their unusual finds.

They do, however, prefer to keep some things: a handful of their prizes have been reused as birthday gifts.

“I found roses in a dumpster for our anniversary. They were perfect, they weren’t even old,” Dave admitted. “I bought her coffee mugs, candlesticks, candles and flower pots.”

Evelyn’s arrival has cut Erin’s scrapyard trips short for the time being – apparently the new member of the family is a little short on joie de vivre – but that hasn’t stopped Dave from performing his extraordinary feats.

“I’m still taking a little break, but my husband is dumpster diving,” Erin said. “We’re hoping that as she gets older, she’ll enjoy it more.”