Karung Guni! Karang Guni!
Copyright © 2005 Barang Guru. All rights reserved
The practice of Karung guni or karang guni is common in Singapore, whose practicers are
a modern form of rag and bone men that visit residences door-to-door visits are made by
these men in carts, to collect old newspapers and unwanted items for reselling at
specialized markets, that will eventually be recycled or reused. "Karung guni" is a Malay
phrase for gunny sack, which was used in the past to hold the newspapers and the karung
guni men would haul the heavy sacks on their backs as they walked their rounds to do the
collection. Today, most of them use a hand truck instead.


These people can be distinguished by their use of horns and shouts of "karang guni, ladio,
TV, zhap ji ki..." ("Rag and bone, radio, television, newspaper" in Singlish) when doing
their rounds. Depending on person, a small nominal sum of fee is paid for the quantity of
newspapers or unwanted items sold.


The karang guni industry is made highly profitable because of the dense urban nature of
Singapore, where hundreds public housing Housing Development Board apartment units
are located in one block, and often a dozen blocks in each housing estate. This gives the
karang guni men large access to sources of scrap. A number of karang guni men have
became millionaires just from doing the karang guni business. Recently, they have faced
competition from government recycling initiatives that directly collect from residents
material to be recycled. A few karang guni men have been prosecuted from attempting to
steal scrap material from the green recycling bags placed outside housing units for
collection.
35 Perak Road
Singapore 208151
Tel: +65 63963846
Fax: +65 63963856
Barang Guru