Declining numbers

Since quitting her job in a factory for health reasons about 30 years ago, Beijing native Cheng Fang has collected recyclable waste for a living.

The 63-year-old used to ride a tricycle to collect trash in a radius of 20 km around her home, before selling it to stations. However, she had surgery on her right hip about six months ago, so now she is only active in her home community, earning 20 to 30 yuan a day.

She insists on sorting waste precisely, such as putting bottles and their caps into separate bags because they are made from different raw materials.

"I discovered that environmental pollution is serious, regardless of the waste in communities. I have often seen news reports about animals dying after eating plastic waste," she said. "Many people are unwilling to do the job, but I raised my daughter by collecting and selling waste when we faced hard times."

She has also felt pressured because her daughter doesn't like her choice of work. "We have argued about it twice-I think it is good, both for me and for the environmental, but she disagrees," Cheng said.

She recalled that about five years ago, there were five times the number of waste collectors like her on the streets, but the number has fallen dramatically.

Wang said the falling number of waste collectors has resulted in a corresponding decline in the volume of items arriving at his recycling center. In addition, most recycling stations are located in suburban areas, more than 50 km from the downtown, which few junkmen are willing to visit.

"Five years ago, Beijing had more than 200 stations like mine, but there are less than 100 now, and they are all located in remote areas," he said.

Wu Zixing, from Gushi county, Henan, buys waste from junkmen and residents to sell to stations. He also complained that business is hard.

The 38-year-old started his business in 2005. At 4:30 am every day, he drives to an intersection near densely populated communities in Dongcheng district, and leaves at 9 am having collected about 200 kilograms of recyclable waste.

About five years ago, he could collect 2 to 3 tons of waste and more than 10,000 bottles and cans every day, including items he bought from junkmen. Now, the amount has fallen to about 4,000 bottles and cans a day. "The departure of so many junkmen is the main reason for the decline in the amount of waste collected," Wu said.

"I was active in nearby communities for 14 years; many people here know me, and they often greet me in the morning. I can feel that the space for junkmen is shrinking."