This karang guni man makes up to a $1,000 a day

DAVID TANG never realised he could have it so good after he retired from his job as a house painter at the end of last year.

A month ago. he joined Recycling Point Dot Corn as an area manager, collecting reusable waste from households and businesses.

On a good day, he can make $1,000.

"People think it’s dirty work but as long as I have a pair of hands and it’s meaningful. why not?" said Tang. who says he is in his 50s.

He’s one of 40 area managers in the age group 20 to 50 years employed by Recycling Point Dot Com.

They include people from all walks of life — ex-IT professionals. supervisors and cleaners who left their old jobs to collect junk full time.

It can be hard and dirty work, but it doesn’t pay badly.

Joseph Tan, founder of Recycling Point Dot Com, said he’s had area managers who made up to $10,000 a month.

HOW does it work?

Area managers buy reusable waste - anything from paper and shoes to appliances and computer monitors — from households or organisations for a nominal sum, which they then sell to Recycling Point.

They are paid on volume and type of material. Computer monitors, for example, are more valuable.

The company then resells the material to third parties, such as paper mills. Some used goods, such as carpets, are sold oft to developing countries.

"I’ll keep doing this because even if the economy does badly, people will always generate waste which can he recycled," said Tang, laughing.

If you don’t mind the karaag guni label, it seems a pretty stable and lucrative industry to work in.

 

 

 

Source : Project Eyeball, Mar 30, 2001

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