From scooters to shampoo – the people saving hundreds from dumpster diving

Darryl Baker was shocked to see piles of clothes dumped beside the recycling bins outside her local supermarket.

On several trips to the dumpsters she has also found a host of other items, such as “a perfectly decent” Ikea picture frame and children’s scooters.

Always on the lookout for ways to save money and appalled by the waste, the thrifty mother-of-two from north London asked supermarket staff if she could take some of it.

Permission granted, “I got my children entire new wardrobes,” says Darryl, 39, adding that she’s stuff put away for years to come.

During a six-month stint this year, “I have probably saved hundreds of pounds,” says the freelance journalist.

Darryl reels off the names of brands she has salvaged – Ralph Lauren, Nike and The North Face, among others. “My mind was blown,” she says. “This stuff is just strewn all over the floor.”