What makes you think "people's living standards have improved"?

Zhihu Hot Answer:
Twenty years ago, reading Yilin, I couldn't understand—
"On a street corner in the U.S., local residents pile up furniture and appliances they don't want; the furniture is mostly 80-90% new. The appliances are also good.
We came to the U.S., rented a house, and on the street corner, pulled the furniture we liked back home, arranged it, and we could live there."
Back then in China, not to mention furniture and appliances, even wine bottles and cardboard boxes had to be kept to sell for money; no one was willing to throw them away.
Twenty years later—
"Are you a scrap collector? I have a refrigerator I don't want anymore, 90% new. How much can you pay me?"
"Give me 200 yuan, and I’ll help you throw it away."
PS: Is this true? What's the address? I’ll go and throw it away for free.