ragpicking
Salvaging discarded textiles
Ragpicking is the practice of collecting discarded materials—rags, scraps, recyclables—from streets or dumps to sell or reuse.
Historically it was work for the urban poor, sorting through refuse for anything of value.
The term now sometimes describes scavenging more broadly, or figuratively, piecing together something from scattered remnants: His research involved ragpicking through old archives.
Recovering discarded or damaged goods
- sortingArranging into sequence
- collectingGathering items over time
- junkmanSeller of salvaged items
- foragingSeeking wild food sources
gleaning · carting · bundling · weighing · selling · middleman · dealer · hauling
Large commercial waste bins
Extreme poverty, lacking necessities
- slumsImpoverished, crowded districts
- hardshipSuffering from difficult circumstances
- deprivationState of lacking necessities
- exploitationSelfish use of others
marginalization · underclass · dispossession · inequality · caste · stigma · invisibility · vulnerability
Moldable petroleum-based materials
- paperPressed pulp for writing
- cardboardRigid paper for containers
- glassTransparent solid from sand
- metalsLustrous conductive elements
textiles · bottles · cans · rags · scrap · e-waste · rubber · packaging
Employ something again
- upcyclingImproving discarded materials' value
- reclaimingTaking possession again
- sortingArranging into sequence
- segregationForced separation by group
salvaging
Recovering discarded or damaged goods
- sortingArranging into sequence
- collectingGathering items over time
- junkmanSeller of salvaged items
foraging · gleaning · carting · bundling · weighing · selling · middleman · dealer · hauling
dumpsters
Large commercial waste bins
destitution
Extreme poverty, lacking necessities
- slumsImpoverished, crowded districts
- hardshipSuffering from difficult circumstances
- deprivationState of lacking necessities
exploitation · marginalization · underclass · dispossession · inequality · caste · stigma · invisibility · vulnerability · precarity
plastics
Moldable petroleum-based materials
metals · textiles · bottles · cans · rags · scrap · e-waste · rubber · packaging · containers
reuse
Employ something again
- upcyclingImproving discarded materials' value
- reclaimingTaking possession again
- sortingArranging into sequence
segregation · diversion · repurposing · reclamation · secondhand
sack
Rough fabric bag
ragpickingmanufacturing
Industrial product creation
industrial production · mass production · production · fabrication · factory work
ragpickingcorporate leadership
Executives guiding a firm
investment banking · banking · luxury retail · wealth management · entrepreneurship
ragpickingdiscarding
Removing what's unwanted
throwing away · conspicuous consumption · disposal · dumping · wastefulness
pick, rag, picking, picked, scavenger, picks, picker, scavenging, garbage collection