76-year-old hoards around 37,000kg of trash in house, volunteers help clear it
A 76-year-old man living alone in Taman Sentosa, Johor Bahru, reportedly became obsessed with hoarding recyclables, filling his entire home with rubbish over the years and turning his home into a “trash house”.
On Sunday (27 July) at 9am, 50 volunteers teamed up with Southern Waste Management (SWM) to carry out a massive clean-up operation.
They reportedly cleared around 37,000kg of trash from the premises, according to Shin Min Daily News.
Source: Oriental Daily News
Home was packed with old furniture, newspapers & bottles
Johor Bahru City Councillor Chan San San told Oriental Daily News that the clean-up team consisted of members from the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) volunteer group and local organisations such as the Johor Dragon and Lion Dance Sports Association.
“The cleanup operation was launched mainly because the district councillor received many complaints from nearby residents,” Ms Chan said.
Seven garbage trucks, two recycling trucks, and even an excavator were deployed to help manage the mountain of clutter. The team aimed to finish the operation by around 5pm.
The elderly man, a retired teacher, was said to be frugal and particularly obsessed with recyclables.
Over time, his home became so full of old furniture, newspapers, plastic bottles and miscellaneous waste that he could no longer sleep inside — and instead had to sleep on the veranda.
Source: Oriental Daily News
Man has family but lives alone
Despite having a family, the man reportedly lived alone for a long time.
By mid-afternoon on Sunday, the team had cleared 32,000kg of household waste and 5,000kg of recyclables.
The waste was sent to a landfill, while the recyclables were taken to a recycling centre.
Ms Chan shared that the proceeds from the recyclables will be returned to the elderly man.
Also read: Elderly hoarder lives alone in heavily cluttered Bedok Reservoir flat, showers at coffee shop
Elderly hoarder lives alone in heavily cluttered Bedok Reservoir flat, showers at coffee shop
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Featured image adapted from Oriental Daily News.Â
