ragpicker; wastepaper collector
Refers to a person who collects wastepaper or rags, often for recycling or resale. The term is somewhat dated and may evoke historical or literary contexts.
In the old days, ragpickers walked around town collecting wastepaper.
Compound of 紙屑 (wastepaper) and 拾い (picker, from 拾う 'to pick up'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term likely arose from the practice of collecting discarded paper for reuse.