I made $52,000 selling rubbish on the street AND furnished my two-bedroom apartment for free in one month: Here’s how I did it

A ‘treasure hunter’ who scours through streets and rummages through council rubbish piles looking for hidden gems says he makes as much as $52,000 a year from selling them.

Leonardo Urbano, better known as The Trash Lawyer, has been selling preloved items since 2020 after the pandemic left him jobless. 

Now the 30-year-old from Sydney sells the products for a reasonable price full-time and even stumbles across piles of cash on occasion. 

Leonardo told FEMAIL he’s managed to work out through trial and error what people want to buy – and he’s also managed to furnish his entire two-bedroom apartment with stylish ‘rubbish’.

From Dyson vacuum cleaners to a Fendi tracksuit, gold jewellery and lost wallets filled with cash, Mr Urbano said it’s remarkable how much is discarded.

Leonardo Urbano, better known as The Trash Lawyer, started selling discarded items found in the rubbish in 2020 when he had ‘lots of free time’ due to the pandemic 

Now the 30-year-old claimed he makes $1000 a week as a full-time 'treasure hunter'

Now the 30-year-old claimed he makes $1000 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’s far less money going around and people are less wasteful. It’s very hard for young people to move out without help from the family,’ he said. 

‘A lot of furniture will be passed down and never bought brand new so coming here it was a bit of a shock to see how much people spend or throw away.’ 

Mr Urbano moved to Australia at age 22 in 2016 and has previously lived in England, France, South America, the US and Asia.

Now he’s made a living from what started out as a side-hustle and he often can’t believe what people throw away and/or misplace. 

‘The amount of money that ends up in the trash is staggering – from coins to bills to gold chains and rings,’ he said. 

‘People forget them in the pockets of old jacket and hidden in between books pages and bags.’ 

Growing up in Liguria, Italy, the economy as a 'much slower' and seeing what life was like in Australia was a 'big shock'

Growing up in Liguria, Italy, the economy as a ‘much slower’ and seeing what life was like in Australia was a ‘big shock’ 

From Dyson vacuum cleaners to a Fendi tracksuit, gold jewellery and lost wallets filled with cash, Mr Urbano said it's remarkable how much is discarded

From Dyson vacuum cleaners to a Fendi tracksuit, gold jewellery and lost wallets filled with cash, Mr Urbano said it’s remarkable how much is discarded 

He sources the unwanted finds at council rubbish clean ups, on streets, in dumpster bins and in the basement discard room of his apartment building (pictured)

He sources the unwanted finds at council rubbish clean ups, on streets, in dumpster bins and in the basement discard room of his apartment building (pictured) 

There’s a few noteworthy things Mr Urbano looks for when sourcing products – branding, the year it’s made, and if it’s a rare, limited-edition piece.

Previously he’s found an antique Victorian English green and white glass epergne worth up to $1900, an antique Chinese vase worth $220 and another Chinese porcelain ginger jar vase worth $145.

Other finds include a Fendi tracksuit, $3000 artwork by two-time Archibald Prize finalist Dapeng Liu and Adidas Allen Iverson Sizers jersey worth $400.

‘These items are worth more because they’re rare and there’s a limited amount – they sell quite easily,’ he said.

Big-name brands such as Apple, Dyson, Miele, Smeg and Sony all have a high resell value.

He keeps prices ‘reasonable’ in order to turn over the products quickly, as he is has limited space in his apartment. 

‘It usually sells in a few days, I don’t have the space to keep it all for long periods of time. If it doesn’t sell, I donate it,’ he explained. 

A staggering 70 per cent of what he finds is in working condition and needs a quick clean, while the other 30 per cent need to be fixed. 

‘I find it empowering because you learn how to fix things slowly and gain skills you didn’t have before.’ 

Other finds include a Fendi tracksuit, $3000 artwork by two-time Archibald Prize finalist Dapeng Liu (pictured) and Adidas Allen Iverson Sizers jersey worth $400

Other finds include a Fendi tracksuit, $3000 artwork by two-time Archibald Prize finalist Dapeng Liu (pictured) and Adidas Allen Iverson Sizers jersey worth $400

There's a few noteworthy things Mr Urbano looks for when sourcing products - branding, the year it's made, and if it's a rare, limited-edition piece

There’s a few noteworthy things Mr Urbano looks for when sourcing products – branding, the year it’s made, and if it’s a rare, limited-edition piece

Pictured: Antique Chinese vase worth $220

Pictured: Chinese porcelain ginger jar vase worth $145

Previously he’s found an antique Chinese vase worth $220 (left) and another Chinese porcelain ginger jar vase worth $145 (right) 

On the other hand, he avoids clothing and toys, and instead donates it all to charity.

‘I think donating is the right thing to do – to reduce landfill and help someone out who may need it. There’s so much that’s discarded and people don’t realise not everything gets recycled,’ he said.

‘Hopefully it will reduce the amount going to landfill’

Mr Urbano estimates he’s likely donated $100,000 worth of goods over the years – majority being everyday items such as plates, cutlery, kids toys, paintings, and decorations.

He's also managed to furnish his entire two-bedroom apartment for free using rubbish he's found

He’s also managed to furnish his entire two-bedroom apartment for free using rubbish he’s found

His home was filled in just a month and a half, with everything from cutlery to a tv unit found for free

Pictured: study area

His home was filled in just a month and a half, with everything from cutlery to a tv unit found for free

Pictured: coffee machine

Pictured: outside balcony

Sometimes he’s had to fix furniture or add a lick of paint to a piece, but he said it’s all worth it

And he also managed to furnish his entire two-bedroom apartment for free using rubbish he’s found. 

Such a task comes with a challenge of ensuring the furniture matches – but Mr Urbano has proven he’s stylish with his interior design. 

His home was filled in just a month and a half, with everything from cutlery to a tv unit found for free. 

Another way Mr Urbano makes easy cash is by going to the movies and checking for coins or notes that may have slipped through the chairs. 

A video shows him flipping the cushions to expose what’s lurking underneath – on one occasion he found a wallet filled with $750 cash. 

Over the years he estimates he’s found around $5,000. 

‘It’s amazing the amount of money lying around in gift cards too – $25 here, $70 there, it all adds up,’ he said.  

‘People don’t realise but it’s a lot, there must be millions forgotten about.’ 

Mr Urbano said he’ll continue to find hidden treasures in hopes of reducing landfill – and hopes the items sold are useful to others.  



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