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."

In addition to finding clothing for her children and her nephews and nieces, she keeps some for herself. Others she donates or sells, including recently getting £30 for a men's Barbour jacket.

Darryl has joined the ranks of so-called dumpster divers – people who rummage through commercial bins for treasures. Motivations include saving money, giving items to charity and disgust at how often perfectly usable items are being consigned to waste - or a combination of all three.

"I still dumpster dive every day by bicycle," says the 72-year old, who lives in Fort Worth, and has written books on the topic. "I still enjoy it as much, or more, than ever."

Jeff considers himself a "bit of Robin Hood mixed with anarchist direct action", only scrounging in more affluent neighbourhoods and giving away many of his finds.

"Almost everything in our home is scrounged, and I never buy, for example, soap or toiletries or medical supplies, or shoes and clothes and tools and garden supplies," he says.

Jeff looks for discarded metal to sell at a scrapyard which, he says, earns him around $150 (£110) every two weeks. His wife sells his other finds, such as "an antique or piece of jewellery", on eBay.