A ‘treasure hunter’ who stalks the streets and rummages through council rubbish piles in search of hidden gems says he makes as much as $52,000 a year from selling them.
Leonardo Urbano, better known as The waste lawyerhas been selling second-hand items since 2020 after being left unemployed by the pandemic.
Now the 30-year-old from Sydney sells the products full-time for a reasonable price and even comes across piles of cash every now and then.
Leonardo told FEMAIL that he has found out through trial and error what people want to buy – and that he has also managed to furnish his entire two-bedroom apartment with stylish ‘junk’.
From Dyson vacuum cleaners to a Fendi tracksuit, gold jewelery and lost wallets full of cash, Mr Urbano said it is remarkable how much is thrown away.
Leonardo Urbano, better known as The Trash Lawyer, started selling discarded items found in the trash in 2020 when he had ‘a lot of free time’ due to the pandemic
Now the 30-year-old claims he earns $1,000 a week as a full-time ‘treasure hunter’
Leonardo grew up in Liguria, Italy, so the economy was “much slower” compared to Down Under.
‘There is much less money going around and people are less wasteful. It is very difficult for young people to move without family help,” he said.
‘A lot of furniture will be passed on and never bought brand new, so when I came here it was a bit of a shock to see how much people are spending or throwing away.’
Mr Urbano moved to Australia in 2016 at the age of 22 and has previously lived in England, France, South America, the US and Asia.
Now he makes a living from what started as a side hustle and often can’t believe what people throw away and/or put in the wrong place.
“The amount of money ending up in the trash is staggering – from coins to bills to gold chains and rings,” he said.
“People forget them in the pockets of an old coat and hidden between book pages and bags.”
Growing up in Liguria, Italy, the economy was ‘much slower’ and it was a ‘big shock’ to see what life was like in Australia
From Dyson vacuum cleaners to a Fendi tracksuit, gold jewelery and lost wallets full of cash, Mr Urbano said it is remarkable how much is thrown away
He collects unwanted finds from municipal waste clean-ups, on the street, in waste containers and in the basement of his apartment building (photo)
There are a few notable things Mr. Urbano looks for when sourcing products: branding, the year it was made and whether it is a rare, limited-edition piece.
Previously, he has found an antique Victorian English green and white glass epergne worth up to $1,900, an antique Chinese vase worth $220 and another Chinese porcelain ginger jar vase worth $145.
Other finds include a Fendi tracksuit, a $3,000 artwork by two-time Archibald Prize finalist Dapeng Liu and a $400 Adidas Allen Iverson Sizers jersey.
“These items are worth more because they are rare and there is a limited supply of them – they sell quite easily,” he said.
Major brands such as Apple, Dyson, Miele, Smeg and Sony all have high resale values.
He keeps prices ‘reasonable’ to deliver the products quickly, as he has limited space in his apartment.
‘It’s usually sold within a few days, I don’t have the space to keep it all for a long time. If it doesn’t sell, I’ll donate it,” he explained.
As much as 70 percent of what he finds is in working condition and needs to be cleaned quickly, while the remaining 30 percent needs repairs.
‘I find it empowering because you learn to solve things slowly and gain skills that you didn’t have before.’
Other finds include a Fendi tracksuit, a $3,000 artwork by two-time Archibald Prize finalist Dapeng Liu (pictured) and a $400 Adidas Allen Iverson Sizers jersey
There are a few notable things Mr. Urbano looks for when sourcing products: branding, the year it was made and whether it is a rare, limited edition piece
Previously, he found an antique Chinese vase worth $220 (left) and another Chinese porcelain ginger jar vase worth $145 (right).
On the other hand, he avoids clothes and toys and donates it all to charity.
‘I think donating is the right thing to do: to reduce waste and help someone who might need it. “So much is thrown away and people don’t realize that not everything gets recycled,” he said.
‘Hopefully this will reduce the amount going to landfill’
Mr. Urbano estimates that he has probably donated $100,000 worth of goods over the years, most of which are everyday items such as plates, cutlery, children’s toys, paintings and decorations.
He has also managed to furnish his entire two-bedroom apartment with the rubbish he found for free
His house was filled within a month and a half and everything from cutlery to a TV stand was found for free
Sometimes he had to repair furniture or add a coat of paint to a piece of furniture, but he said it was all worth it
And he also managed to furnish his entire two-bedroom apartment with the rubbish he found for free.
Such a task brings with it the challenge of ensuring that the furniture matches, but Mr. Urbano has proven himself stylish with his interior design.
His house was filled within a month and a half and everything from cutlery to a TV stand was found for free.
Another way Mr. Urbano makes easy money is by going to the movies and checking for coins or bills that may have slipped through the seats.
A video shows him turning the pillows over to reveal what lies beneath. On one occasion he found a wallet filled with $750 cash.
He estimates he has found about $5,000 over the years.
“It’s also amazing how much money is lying around in gift cards: $25 here, $70 there, it all adds up,” he said.
‘People don’t realize it, but it is a lot, millions must have been forgotten.’
Mr Urbano said he will continue to find hidden treasures in the hope of reducing landfill waste – and hopes the items sold will be useful to others.