How dumpster diving went from taboo to trendy: ‘It’s a treasure hunt’

As Americans worry about inflation and no planet B', some look to the trash for answers

When Annemarie Cox drives around San Diego, she scans the urban landscape for one thing that the rest of the population likely ignores: dumpsters. Where other people see trash, she sees possibilities - quirky secondhand clothes, collectible antiques, even family heirlooms and photographs that have been casually discarded.

On one recent Tuesday in southern California, the mid-morning sun already beating down, Cox's usual quest was under way. She paid a visit to one of her favorite local dumpsters, first resting her forearms comfortably on the sides and then reaching barehanded towards whatever was at the bottom. Other than a broken TV atop a huge stack of cardboard boxes, there wasn't much to find this time around.