HONG KONG SAR - Media OutReach Newswire - 3 April 2025 - Despite Hong Kong’s prosperity, nearly one million of the city’s residents live in poverty, and elderly women are among the most vulnerable. Many toil as “Cardboard Grannies,“ collecting recyclables for as little as HK$700 a month—without insurance, labor protection, or societal recognition.
Based on NGOs’ statistics, Hong Kong has 4,000 to 7,000 cardboard collectors, and most are elderly women. These “Cardboard Grannies” collectively recycle approximately 138 to 159 metric tons of materials daily.
They are spending more hours and more days each week collecting cardboard, and more elderly individuals are entering the field, as they have few other options, according to NGOs’ survey.
To spotlight their plight and provide tangible support, The Evangelical Lutheran Church Social Service - Hong Kong (ELCSS - HK) and YWAM Tuen Mun present “Cardboard Grannies Art,“ a special one-day exhibition featuring meaningful and symbolic artworks by acclaimed Hong Kong artist Go Hung, who transforms cardboard collected by these women into thought-provoking pieces critiquing inequality and waste.
Details of the Exhibition:
Date: 7 April 2025 (Mon)
Time: 12 PM – 9 PM
Venue: M4 Atrium, The Mills, 45 Pak Tin Par St, Tsuen Wan
Featured Artist: Go Hung
How It Works:
This initiative is built on a sustainable three-part model designed to create immediate and lasting change. First, Fair Pay for Labor: Cardboards used in the artworks were collected directly through the cardboard grannies —ensuring that they are compensated well for their tireless work. Next, Art with Purpose: The collected cardboard is handed over to artist Go Hung, whose socially conscious practice breathes new life into discarded materials. Through his creative vision, the grannies’ cardboard is transformed into 25 powerful artworks that challenge perceptions about value, waste, and inequality. Finally, Impact Through Purchase: Every artwork sold at the exhibition will directly benefit the Cardboard Grannies, with the proceeds funding essential support for them, such as food and insurance, to provide them with long-overdue security. By bridging art and activism, this project doesn’t just raise awareness—it creates a tangible and environmentally-friendly cycle of empowerment for the elderly recyclers.
