Occupational Conditions and Well‐Being Among Informal Waste Pickers in Hong Kong: A Comparative Study of 2018 and 2023
- 1Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR China
- 2Department of Health Policy and Management Korea University Seoul Republic of Korea
- 3Waste Picker Platform, New Arrivals Limited Hong Kong SAR China
Abstract
Background: Informal waste pickers play a crucial role in urban recycling systems but often face precarious employment and systematic marginalization. This study examines the evolving demographic, occupational, and health trends of informal waste pickers in Hong Kong between 2018 and 2023.
Methods: This study utilized a face‐to‐face structured questionnaire to collect cross‐sectional survey data in 2018 (N = 505) and 2023 (N = 701) across Hong Kong. Independent‐samples t‐tests were conducted to compare demographic variables, working conditions, income sources and levels, physical health, and negative encounters (e.g., property theft and scale manipulation) between the two periods.
Results: The surveys show that the waste picker population remains predominantly older adults. Between 2018 and 2023, their living conditions exhibited significant changes across four core dimensions. First, the average monthly income from recycling and the proportion relying on the Old Age Living Allowance increased significantly. Second, a greater number of waste pickers reported being motivated by earning a basic livelihood and supporting environmental protection. Third, the proportion experiencing weighing‐scale manipulation and physical injury increased. Finally, despite a significant increase in daily work rounds, the proportion reporting physical strain declined.
Conclusions: Despite nominal income gains, Hong Kong's predominantly female waste pickers face intensified structural violence via unfair markets and discrimination. Hence, female‐friendly policies and other procedures, including sector formalization, the establishment of waste picker organizations, intermediary regulation, retirement and health support, and anti‐discrimination public education, are suggested.
Related
- Porting Deep‐Learning Phase Pickers From TensorFlow to PyTorch for SeisBench Without Retraining
- Valorization of Beach-Cast Biomass from the Invasive Seaweed Rugulopteryx okamurae on the Moroccan Coast: A Comparative Assessment of Extraction Conditions for Sodium Alginate Recovery
- Residential proximity to oil and gas development and socioeconomic conditions: a comparative analysis of 33 countries
- Co-production as a mechanism for long-term Nature-based Solution viability: evidence from urban biofilters in an informal settlement of the Global South
- Flooding-driven sanitation failure and enteric disease risk in urban informal settlements: Cholera as an illustrative case for climate-resilient sanitation in low- and middle-income countries
BibTeX
@article{chan2026occupational,
title = {{Occupational Conditions and Well‐Being Among Informal Waste Pickers in Hong Kong: A Comparative Study of 2018 and 2023}},
author = {Siu‐Ming Chan and Alan Tam and Heng Xu and Yu‐tian He and Yuen‐Ki Tang and Gum‐Ryeong Park and Wing‐Him Tang},
journal = {American Journal of Industrial Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1002/ajim.70134},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.70134},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Occupational Conditions and Well‐Being Among Informal Waste Pickers in Hong Kong: A Comparative Study of 2018 and 2023
AU - Siu‐Ming Chan
AU - Alan Tam
AU - Heng Xu
AU - Yu‐tian He
AU - Yuen‐Ki Tang
AU - Gum‐Ryeong Park
AU - Wing‐Him Tang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/12
JO - American Journal of Industrial Medicine
DO - 10.1002/ajim.70134
UR - https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.70134
AB - Background: Informal waste pickers play a crucial role in urban recycling systems but often face precarious employment and systematic marginalization. This study examines the evolving demographic, occupational, and health trends of informal waste pickers in Hong Kong between 2018 and 2023. Methods: This study utilized a face‐to‐face structured questionnaire to collect cross‐sectional survey data in 2018 (N = 505) and 2023 (N = 701) across Hong Kong. Independent‐samples t‐tests were conducted to compare demographic variables, working conditions, income sources and levels, physical health, and negative encounters (e.g., property theft and scale manipulation) between the two periods. Results: The surveys show that the waste picker population remains predominantly older adults. Between 2018 and 2023, their living conditions exhibited significant changes across four core dimensions. First, the average monthly income from recycling and the proportion relying on the Old Age Living Allowance increased significantly. Second, a greater number of waste pickers reported being motivated by earning a basic livelihood and supporting environmental protection. Third, the proportion experiencing weighing‐scale manipulation and physical injury increased. Finally, despite a significant increase in daily work rounds, the proportion reporting physical strain declined. Conclusions: Despite nominal income gains, Hong Kong's predominantly female waste pickers face intensified structural violence via unfair markets and discrimination. Hence, female‐friendly policies and other procedures, including sector formalization, the establishment of waste picker organizations, intermediary regulation, retirement and health support, and anti‐discrimination public education, are suggested.
SN - 0271-3586
SN - 1097-0274
ER -