Residents’ old items enter the second-hand market
Mr. Song recently moved into a new house in the six districts of Fushan and was planning a renovation. As he looked through the old furniture and appliances in his home, he found a local recycler near his community. For these “leftover†items, it was enough for someone to take them away, regardless of the price. A double bed with a mattress could be sold for 30 yuan, a 26-inch TV for 40 yuan, and an old electric water heater for 50 yuan. Since the recycler didn’t check the table or benches, Mr. Song ended up giving them to another party.
The old items from Mr. Song’s home were quickly loaded onto a small truck and taken directly to Qinghai Road Flea Market. “Most of it ends up here, where we sort and resell,†said Master Chen, a recycler who handles such goods. According to industry standards, most of the old furniture and appliances from residents end up in the same market.
Items like beds, TVs, and water heaters from Mr. Song’s home were sold to different stores at the market. “If they’re in good condition, they’re sold as second-hand goods. Most of what we collect is functional and only needs minor repairs.†One store owner explained.
After visiting more than ten thrift shops, the reporter found that most of these old items are handled by individuals—migrant workers, people who just started working, or those renting homes without appliances. Some of the damaged items are bought by landlords, who then use them in their rental properties. Others are purchased by small hotels needing basic furnishings like old TVs and beds.
Waste stations manually dismantle and send to furnace
Whether the items are sold in the flea market or collected directly from homes, most of these old appliances and furniture eventually reach waste recycling stations. These stations act as small dismantling plants, but the process is largely manual and done piece by piece.
On the afternoon of the 28th, the reporter visited a recycling station near Hexi on Tailiu Road. The yard was filled with piles of scrap metal, wires, tires, and plastics. “We do some basic sorting because recycling manufacturers have specific material requirements,†said Mr. Han, the station owner. After receiving old appliances, they are usually broken down into parts. For example, a TV is separated into circuit boards, wires, and picture tubes, each sent to different factories for reuse or melting. The finest sorting is often just stripping wires.
“Old furniture isn’t very profitable,†Mr. Han added. “The only valuable part is the wood. We break down the furniture into planks, which are then recycled by companies. Some parts, like picture tubes, are considered useless and end up as garbage.â€
Primitive classification and waste
In the chain from households to the second-hand market and finally to waste recycling stations, the classification and dismantling processes are still very basic. Despite efforts to sort and recycle, many items are not properly processed. At the Qinghai Road Flea Market, the reporter noticed that even when parts are removed or sorted, there are cases of incomplete dismantling and poor classification. Some reusable scraps are discarded as regular garbage, leaving their final destination unclear.
Most of the operators in this chain are small businesses with limited resources. Due to low profits, there is little incentive to focus on proper dismantling and classification. “Those circuit boards aren’t worth much. Last week, I only made 200 yuan from two big bags of them,†said Mr. Zhou, a worker at a recycling store. Dismantling is often done as an afterthought, and sometimes not done at all.
Even at more professional recycling stations, lack of funding and motivation hinders deep dismantling and accurate classification. “The finer the disassembly, the more categories, the better the resale value,†said Mr. Han. However, the required investment in time, space, and equipment is too high for many operators.
As the system stands, the recycling of used household items remains inefficient, with many opportunities for improvement.
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