Latest news with #scavenging
ABC News
24-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
Can you take items from other people's kerbside collection?
James Straker has been collecting things off the streets since he could drive. "Having things doesn't make me happy, but finding things does," the 53-year-old from Brisbane/Meanjin says. "Part of the fun is deep diving. A surfboard I found, I learnt all about who that surfboard maker was, contacted him, and asked if he wanted it back. "I find glass bottles from the early 1900s and research the companies — who they were and what they did." It means Brisbane City Council's kerbside collection calendar is something James follows closely. But he says there's a certain etiquette to hunting through other people's hard rubbish. The laws around salvaging or taking items that would otherwise be destined for landfill are decided by your local council. The advice in most capital cities is that any junk left on the kerb for council collection is fair game. City of Logan Mayor Jon Raven says council is "very happy" for people to take items waiting for kerbside collection. "People doing scavenging and removing things that can be recycled diverts things from landfill and has an economic impact," Cr Raven says. While it's generally accepted that people are welcome to rummage through one another's kerbside collections, Brisbane City Council's chair of city standards Councillor Sarah Hutton says they encourage people to be mindful when doing so. "While there are no specific regulations around people taking items off the kerb, we do obviously encourage residents to be considerate and respectful. "[Ensuring] you don't smash anything … or cover the footpath," she says for example. Cr Raven says leaving the pile tidy is important, which also helps "maintain street pride". While James doesn't ask property owners before taking items, he often ends up chatting to them anyway. "I really like meeting strangers. "I've had instances where I go back inside to help someone move more stuff out, and they will say 'My dad has a bunch of records, do you want them?'" Cr Raven says there are people who supplement their income from travelling around the city collecting items from the kerb to upcycle and sell. One of James's most iconic finds was a book filled with religious stories printed in 1790. "It was the most beautiful book I've been able to touch," he says. "It was in the back of Kelvin Grove, just sitting in a laundry basket with some other old books. "I sold it the next day for $300, but it was probably worth more than that." James says he goes through waves of emotions when he comes across a great find. "I get upset someone would throw it out, then I get really excited they threw it out. "Some people just don't see the value in some things." Cr Raven says the kerbside collection service is especially helpful for those who can't dispose of their own hard rubbish. "It's sometimes hard when you have units or townhouses … there can be up to three semitrailer loads of waste in the one driveway. "But often it's the people who live in units who have the most need; they might not have a ute, or are retirees or people with disability." He says people love the "egalitarian nature" of kerbside pick-up. "Kerbside is available for everybody, whether they are renters or ratepayers — nobody misses out." Are you good at getting free stuff, or making money from upcycling? We'd love to hear about your best hacks. Share your story here. Acceptable items will vary across Australia, but generally items such as whitegoods, furniture, carpet, rugs and bikes are able to be left out for collection. Most councils won't accept items including hazardous waste, car batteries, bricks and concrete, gas bottles, glass and mirrors. In some areas, including Logan, all items are crushed on the truck and taken to landfill. But Brisbane, for example, has a recycling truck which comes around to select items that can be recycled or sold at in their "trash and treasure" type stores, before the clean-up team arrives. Cr Hutton says there have been some amazing items picked up by their teams over the years. "Pianos … also some vintage furniture, which has gone for top dollar at our treasure trove stores. "There are a lot of great things that go out on the kerb, and if people can find a second life for these, then great."
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sharks surprise scientists by sharing a meal
Of the over 500 known shark species, many of these giant fish are hunters and not scavengers–particularly those found in the open ocean. White sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) ambush their prey from below and even sharks closer to shore like reef sharks are known to chase their prey into smaller crevices before eating them. Yet a small portion of the diets of most sharks still comes from picking apart already dead animals. Sometimes, these usually solitary hunters will even scavenge in groups. In a study published May 29 in the journal Frontiers in Fish Science, a team from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa describe an unusual aggregation of sharks coming together to feed on a decaying carcass of an unidentified animal. 'To our knowledge, this is the first study to document a feeding aggregation of tiger sharks and oceanic whitetip sharks scavenging concurrently, and peacefully, on a carcass,' study co-author Molly Scott said in a statement. 'These species are rarely seen together in the wild because of the vastly different habitats they occupy.' Oceanic whitetips (Carcharhinus longimanus) are a highly migratory and threatened species of shark. They grow to an average of 6.5 feet long, spend most of their time roaming the oceans alone. Their preferred habitat in the open ocean make them difficult for biologists to study, but they do aggregate near Hawai'i's Big Island during the spring and summer months. Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are slightly bigger at about 10 to 13 feet long. They are also more coastal and like true locals, live in the waters around the Big Island all year round. 'It is incredibly rare for these two species to overlap in space and time,' Scott said. In April 2024, a tourist boat spotted a heavily decayed carcass about 6.2 miles off the west coast of Big Island. The spectators on board observed the feeding event for 8.5 hours, spotting at least nine oceanic whitetip sharks and five tiger sharks. 'Even though up to 12 individual sharks were feeding intermittently from a very small, highly degraded carcass we did not observe any agonistic inter- or intra-species aggression,' Scott said. 'This was surprising to me; I would assume some agonistic behaviors would exist when there are that many sharks attempting to feed around such a small carcass. But it seems all individuals knew their place in the social hierarchy.' Most likely due to their larger size, tiger sharks were the more dominant species during this group scavenge. All of the tiger sharks–except one smaller female–and the two largest oceanic whitetips were more frequently observed feeding directly on the carcass. The smaller sharks primarily stayed under the surface, feeding on scraps of flesh drifting away. These sharks were potentially attracted to the scene by scraps and regurgitations left behind by the larger tiger sharks, according to the team. Additionally, there could have been some other reasons behind which sharks got the first bites of food. 'Some individuals, like the female tiger shark, may have been shier or less bold, likely again due to her size. Also, with the other sharks having established the feeding hierarchy before the female tiger shark arrived, maybe she didn't feel too welcome to get in on the action,' Scott explained. [ Related: Whale shark pre-mating ritual observed for the first time. ] One of the limitations to this particular study is one that often occurs in moving bodies of water. The carcass could not be located again the next day, so the study was conducted over a short period of time. Despite this, the team believes that considering the size of the carcass and the number of sharks present, this research could provide new insights into relationships and social interactions between shark species that don't typically inhabit the same waters. It also can offer a new perspective on sharks for us humans, as they are not the mindless maneaters they've been made out to be. 'There were between two and three humans in the water at all times filming more than 12 sharks feeding. None of the photographers reported any scary, aggressive, or harmful interactions with the sharks,' Scott concluded. 'I hope this provides a new perspective that sharks are not the human-eating predators they are made out to be.'
