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.
In the past, ragpickers walked around town collecting old cloth and metal.
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.