For College Students, Summer Is Vacation—For Scavengers, It’s Christmas

Each year, as college students move out for the summer, a unique group of scavengers seize the opportunity to salvage valuable items left behind. This year, as in many others, these individuals are rescuing expensive household goods and luxury items discarded by departing students, particularly in college towns.

Lena Geller, a 26-year-old who lives in Durham, N.C., found a variety of high-end goods in the trash at her apartment building after Duke University students moved out. Among her haul were Valentino sneakers, a Tovala toaster oven, and a Lucite table, valued at nearly $6,600 in total. “It feels wrong for this much stuff to have been thrown out,” Geller said, keeping track of her finds in a spreadsheet. She even joked that her friends suggested turning her discoveries into a business plan.

Every year, following graduation, many students dispose of items like furniture, electronics, and designer goods instead of donating or taking them home. Local scavengers and residents eagerly pick up what others leave behind, and many now showcase their finds on social media, where the trend is gaining momentum.

Peter Valley, a software company founder, has been collecting discarded books from college campuses for years, eventually turning it into a side income. His early success came from dumpster diving at Caltech, where he and his girlfriend collected thousands of dollars’ worth of books. Today, while his main focus is on his software business, reselling books continues to earn him a solid side income.

The trend has also spread to social media, where scavengers share their finds in videos that garner millions of views. TikTok user @bethanytaylorr shared a 27-second video of herself rummaging through a college dumpster, which has received nearly four million views. Megan Godinez, who has nearly half a million followers on TikTok, sees dumpster diving as a way to fight waste and pollution. “College stuff is home stuff—cleaning products, toilet paper, Tide Pods—things that are useful,” she said.

Scavengers also report finding items that have real resale value. Carla Manlapaz, 62, from north-central Texas, discovered a Fender guitar, which she plans to sell for $200. “It’s a thrill to see all this good stuff that I can either sell, use, or donate,” she said.

While dumpster diving for college items is not a new practice, social media has amplified its visibility. In cities with large student populations, like Boston, this time of year is known for the abundance of abandoned goods. The term “Allston Christmas” refers to the items left on the sidewalks by students in Boston each year. Similarly, “Hippie Christmas” in Madison, Wisconsin, marks a period when students discard everything they can’t take with them.

Despite the growing interest in rescuing items, there are some challenges associated with scavenging, particularly issues of access and safety. Only certain individuals may know where and when to scavenge, and not everyone has the physical ability to sift through trash. There’s also the risk of being mistaken for a trespasser, especially in university settings with restricted access.

Some universities have tried to address the issue of waste, such as Georgetown, which organizes donation drives. But many campuses still fail to provide adequate alternatives, leaving the responsibility of salvaging these items to scavengers. Experts like Anna Sacks, a waste expert in Manhattan, have criticized universities like Columbia for not doing enough to make donated items available for students or to resell them, particularly larger items like mini-fridges.

For those looking to get into the scavenging game, experts recommend targeting schools with large international student populations, as they are less likely to transport large items home. Scavengers also suggest going in groups for safety and camaraderie, with hand sanitizer as a must-have when sorting through discarded items.

While some universities are making strides to reduce waste, the tradition of scavenging remains a popular, if unorthodox, solution to the problem of discarded items. For many, it’s an exciting and rewarding way to reuse what others deem unnecessary.