GIVING BACK WITH COMPASSION AND TIME TO ENHANCE THE LIVES OF OUR UNDERPRIVILEGED YOUNG AND OLD

POVERTY ALLEVIATION

LOVE&CARE is set up in collaboration with the Unity One Charitable Association 聚沙成塔慈善團體 to understand and better the lives of impoverished elderly waste pickers, young adults with disabilities and children living in disadvantaged families.

PICKERS’ STORY

We lift the veil on Hong Kong’s waste pickers by reaching back into our communities with compassion and care

poverty alleviation - lift the veil

Our environment impacts directly on our standard of living, but Hong Kong’s predicament is uniquely distressing given its status as a financial hub and global city. The responsibility of recycling much of Hong Kong’s waste has fallen on the elderly who are forced to rummage through waste bins to find plastic or cardboard scraps.

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The average waste picker is a woman between 60 - 89 years old and on a good day she earns a mere $24 HKD. With little opportunity to support themselves, they are forced to labour for over 8 hours a day in order to afford their next meal. They are an integral part of Hong Kong’s ability to salvage plastic and paper for recycling. They are not, however, provided adequate government support or praise for their arduous work. At their most vulnerable state, they are disregarded by the public.

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We believe the decrease in human interaction between communities in the city has resulted in a lack of care and compassion for the people around us.

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GIVING BACK

The profits we generate go back to supporting vulnerable social groups in Hong Kong hoping to provide them with a substantially higher quality of life.

At V Cycle we have committed our time to understanding the working and living conditions of such “cardboard grannies”. We are working to provide the basic tools and means to alleviate hardship in their work.

With 70% of waste pickers living alone, not only does a friendly face help brighten their day, but we are able to provide them with financial support.

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LOVE&CARE - WHAT WE DO

Care visits

Getting in touch with the elderly working on the streets and building relationships, our volunteers take surveys to gain more knowledge on Hong Kong’s cardboard and waste collectors. We learn about their physical and mental wellbeing, where they take their materials and what issues they face.

Creating work

Our waste depots need support to sort and process the plastic bottles on location. This provides opportunities for the elderly to be trained and work in a safe environment.

Meeting needs

Using the information collected we approach ways in which help can best be offered. We invest valuable time in catering for solutions individual to each problem. It can be as simple as a home visit to help with new home technologies or even filling in a collection shift for a day!

Foster communities

We help create bridges between social groups by cultivating communities without the curtain of class divisions. Our work brings together teams from leading companies with the disadvantaged and disenfranchised of society.

[VIDEO with SOUND] Exxon Mobil x V Cycle x Unity One Upcycling workshop and elderly appreciation lunch

SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT

Creating jobs for the disadvantaged

We specifically collaborate with local and global brands to collect, sort and recycle waste and reduce the need for virgin materials; these brands use their existing platforms to raise awareness and support. Some of the collection, sorting or sewing are done by the underprivileged or those with special needs, providing them with an opportunity in the workforce and a chance to learn new skills.

Support LOVE&CARE