ragpicker; junk collector
Refers to a person who collects discarded items, rags, or scrap for a living. Historically common, now somewhat dated or used in historical contexts.
昔、拾い屋は街で古布や金属を集めて歩いた。
In the past, ragpickers walked around town collecting old cloth and metal.
この小説には拾い屋の老人が登場する。
An old ragpicker appears in this novel.
Compound of 拾い (ひろい, 'picking up') + 屋 (や, 'person/establishment'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term straightforwardly describes someone who picks up discarded items.