Featured Image Credit: Facebook
Topics: Australia, World News, Money
Bec Oakes
A junk remover found a hidden treasure while sorting through an elderly woman's trash, but what he did next is even more incredible.
Jess Stewart runs Get It Gone Rubbish Removal in Brisbane, Australia, and spends his days sorting through and recycling other people's junk.
The Aussie recently received the surprise of his life during a routine visit to the local tip, calling what he discovered the 'best thing he's ever found.'
Stewart recalls the moment he found the unexpected treasure while discarding an old entertainment unit.
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"I thought I’d look in the drawer, and there was that little black container," he told news.com.au.
"I didn’t think too much of it but when I picked it up it was heavy, and I was like, 'I wonder what’s in there.'"
When he opened the plastic medicine bottle, Stewart found a wad of cash totalling a whopping $4,700.
"I just saw a big bundle of notes – it was crazy.
"I couldn't believe it, man. That was the best thing I've ever found."
The junk remover admitted that he'd love to have kept the cash but didn't have the heart to do it.
"To be honest, my first thought was to keep it," he joked. "The person who owned it has treated me really well over the last year of working for her. I just felt too guilty, I could not keep it."
So, Stewart tracked down the client it belonged to — an elderly woman who hadn't even realised it had gone missing. She was so grateful for its return that she gave him a $200 reward.
"I was pretty happy – I got paid for the initial job as well."
And social media users were quick to praise the junk remover for his honesty.
One person wrote on his business' Facebook page: "Great work – good to see there are still good people out there."
Another said: "You are truly amazing – not a lot left that would do that."
And a third added: "Got some rubbish needing removing soon? You’ll have my business."
But, the wad of cash isn't the only interesting thing Jesse has come across on shift.
The junk remover has previously come across everything from vintage pianos to electric scooters to rare guitars
Jesse makes a point of repurposing and upcycling when he can and attributes this to his recent fortune.
"I repurpose a lot of stuff; a lot of people (other operators) are pretty wasteful; they’ll just throw it out. I try and re-recycle everything I possibly can."
But, he says the cash find definitely 'took the cake' and doubts he'll ever find something like that again.