Akarung guni (locally/ˌkɑːɹʌŋˈɡuːni,-ɒŋ-/,Malay pronunciation:[karɔŋɡuni]), also spelled askarang guni, is a type of scrap dealer inSingapore andMalaysia. Its practitioners are a modern form ofrag and bone man that visitresidencesdoor-to-door to acquire unwanted items.[1]
"Karung guni" is aMalay phrase forgunny sack, which was used in the past to hold the newspapers. Thekarung guni would haul the heavy sacks on their backs as they walked their rounds to do the collection. Today, most of them use ahand truck instead.
Karung guni either walk along corridors (if that particularHDB estate has amultistorey 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 eventuallyrecycled or reused.
These people can be distinguished by their use ofhorns or (rarely) hand bell and shouts of "karang guni, poh zhua gu sa kor, pai leh-lio, dian si ki..." ("Rag and bone,newspapers and old clothes, spoiltradios,televisions" inSingaporean Hokkien) when making their rounds.[2] Depending on the person, a nominal fee is paid for the quantity of newspapers or unwanted items sold.
Thekarung guni industry is made highly profitable due to the dense urban nature ofSingapore, where hundreds ofpublic housingapartment units are located in one block, with often a dozen blocks in eachhousing estate. This gives the karang guni men large access to sources of scrap.[3] There are reported stories of rag-to-riches,karung guni men who have becomemillionaires just from the karang guni business.[4] Today, however, competition is usually too great due to the over-saturation.[5]
In the past, second-hand items in good condition bought by thekarung guni are usually resold inflea markets such at the now defunctSungei Road, though in recent times some have begun listing items additionally ononline auctions.[6] Becausekarung 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.[7][8]
At the beginning of the 21st century,karung guni men have been facingcompetition due torecycling initiatives and charities that directly collect from residents material to be recycled.[9][10]
