Karung guni either walk along corridors (if that particular
HDB estate has a
multistorey car park) or for certain HDB estates where the carpark is right under the HDB blocks, walk through the carpark downstairs honking a horn. Around landed properties, they may drive around in a lorry with a horn attached to it, instead of going door-to-door. They make visits in carts, collecting old newspapers and other unwanted items. These will be resold at specialized markets and eventually
recycled or reused. These
karung guni are distinguished by their use of
horns and hand bells, as well as their shouts that can be heard as they make their rounds in high-density residential areas:
karang guni, poh zhua, gu sa kor, pai leh lio, dian si ki... (“
Karung guni,
newspapers and old clothes, spoilt
radios,
televisions”). Depending on the person, a nominal fee is paid for the quantity of newspapers or unwanted items sold. The
karung guni industry is made highly profitable due to the dense urban nature of
Singapore, where hundreds of
public housing apartment units are located in one block, with often a dozen blocks in each
housing estate. This gives the karang guni men large access to sources of scrap. There are reported stories of rag-to-riches,
karung guni men who have become
millionaires just from the karang guni business. Today, however, competition is usually too great due to the over-saturation. In the past, second-hand items in good condition bought by the
karung guni are usually resold in
flea markets such at the now defunct
Sungei Road, though in recent times some have begun listing items additionally on
online auctions. Because
karung guni are motivated by the resale value of these materials on the market, there are also reported cases where some collectors have been selective in what to receive from households, even though they may be still recyclable or reusable. At the beginning of the 21st century,
karung guni men have been facing
competition due to
recycling initiatives and charities that directly collect from residents material to be recycled. ==Notes==