What's his local name? We call him "toot-toot man"

[Sirano100]

For years we have called the man who comes around our neighbourhood to collect newspapers and recyclables the “Toot-toot Man”

[joop]

Karang Guni man..

[durain]

they used to have a simple hand horn to do the toot-toot but now i have seen them with proper PA system with voice recording on mp3!

i tell the kids it's the recycle man now.

[Resource Consumer]

You forgot to add that he is no longer interested in newspapers or colour tv sets.

Only flat panels please.

[Sirano100]

Karang Guni man..

Thanks Joop! what does that translate to? Forgive my ignorance!

[Global Citizen]

Karung guni (a Malay word) translates to the gunny sack or burlap sack that these guys used to use traditionally to haul their goods. It used to be mainly newspapers or magazines that were collected for recycling in the olden days but of course now, pcs, tvs, radios etc., in line with the changing economic times, are accepted as well. Most of these guys have a vehicle now but the name has stuck.

[Sirano100]

Thank you for that global citizen; these Karung guni must be having such a hard time of it at the moment, so much so, they won’t even take cardboard now. Recycling is now so unprofitable/uneconomical, that local governments (in the UK) are storing recyclables in disused buildings in order to wait for the times to change!

[ksl]

Thank you for that global citizen; these Karung guni must be having such a hard time of it at the moment, so much so, they won’t even take cardboard now. Recycling is now so unprofitable/uneconomical, that local governments (in the UK) are storing recyclables in disused buildings in order to wait for the times to change!

In my time it used to be called the Rag & Bone man, they lived 3 doors away...pony and cart and came around th estates with chopped firewood and collecting all the garbage. Trust me many are very very rich
in the UK, I know many gypsies and locals, that would rather deal in scrap, than getting a job. Even scrapped cars are now broken down in the UK, with all the second hand parts shipped to Scandinavia! Big money!

[Global Citizen]

You're welcome Sirano100.

KSL, I believe the local guys are able to make a half decent living as well.
One's man's garbage is another man's prize. Things like tvs, pcs etc are sold in Batam if my memory serves me correctly. Interestingly, a lot of the used, older cars in Singapore are sold and shipped to countries as far away as in the Caribbean; Jamaica being one example.

[Dave1w]

You forgot to add that he is no longer interested in newspapers or colour tv sets.

Only flat panels please.

Yeah, the local guy wanted the TV, but refused to take a CRT monitor, so I sent him away and dropped them both at the Salvation Army