Girl in Hanoi "3 generations of scrap collector", earns hundreds of millions of dong per month

When it comes to the scrap collecting profession, many people still remember the familiar cries that echo through the streets of Hanoi . Although it is a long-standing profession, associated with the diligence of many generations, in the modern pace of life, this profession is rarely of interest to young people because of the hardship and unstable income.

Driving to collect scrap, without makeup, Cat Phuong is always proud to help her family, no matter how difficult the job is.

When she was young, Cat Phuong (real name Kim Oanh, born in 2006, Hanoi) used to feel embarrassed every time someone asked her what her parents did for a living. Her family has been in the scrap business for three generations, from her grandmother, her parents to herself - a Gen Z girl (those born between 1997 and 2012) living in the middle of a modern city.

But now, she not only proudly talks about this job but also shares every aspect of the scrap collecting profession on social networks, attracting tens of thousands of followers.

Currently, Phuong’s TikTok channel has attracted nearly 50,000 followers and 1.8 million likes. Each video about daily work such as cleaning warehouses, pressing paper, sorting scrap metal… receives great attention from netizens.

The job is not glamorous but there are months when I earn 300 million VND.

Working among the scrap piles, the young girl never lost her smile. Cat Phuong chooses a positive way of life and inspires many young people.

Cat Phuong shared that when she was in middle school, she was often teased by her friends, even insulted by her parents just because of her job as a scrap collector. Those things made Phuong feel self-conscious and inferior for a long time.

"When I was young, I often compared my parents' jobs with those of my friends and family, and felt ashamed. I didn't dare tell anyone what my parents did for a living," Phuong confided.

However, as she grew older, gained more experience and thought more maturely, Phuong gradually changed her perspective. She understood that no job is lowly if it is an honest job.

"Now, I am more aware that each job has its own value. My parents raised me and my brother with this job. I am truly grateful and love them more. Every day I see my parents happy and optimistic, I find life more precious," she said.

Cat Phuong is an office worker and also works as a photo model. After work, she takes advantage of her time at home to help her parents sort and arrange scrap.

For Phuong, scrap collecting is not only a way to make a living, but also a "golden fishing rod" that helps change her family's life. The average income of tens of millions to hundreds of millions of dong per month surprises many people, especially when they think this job is just "picking up scraps".

Her family’s daily routine starts at 4-5am. Cat Phuong’s parents collect scrap metal and bottles from small businesses, shops or industrial zones, then transport them to the warehouse for sorting.

These chores were repeated over and over again, her parents usually finished around 8-9pm. There were exceptional days when her parents worked until 2-3am the next morning.

Inside the scrap warehouse, stacked to the ceiling, there are shipments worth tens of millions of dong.

After purchasing from small retail units, Cat Phuong's family will classify the scrap into each material group for convenient resale to recycling companies.

The main source of goods comes from scrap collectors who collect scrap on the streets. Phuong's family will gather and collect them in large quantities before selling them to businesses specializing in scrap processing. Each type of material such as copper, aluminum, iron... is clearly divided and carefully priced, of which copper is the most expensive type of scrap, which can cost up to 200,000 VND/kg.

Some of it will be melted down by companies, then recast into molds to be recycled into machine parts or other industrial products. Inside the family’s warehouse, many areas are filled with scrap, some reaching as high as the ceiling. At first glance, many people may think this is just a pile of trash, but in reality it has no small value.

"That scrap is worth about 50 million VND. Normally, we have to collect a few tons before companies come to buy it. There were days when they came to collect up to 5 tons of scrap iron at once," Cat Phuong said.

The work is repetitive but not easy. The smell, dirt, sweat and even lurking dangers are inevitable, but for Phuong, this is still an honest job that she and her family are always proud of, because it has helped them have a stable life and send their children to school.

Cat Phuong added that her family's monthly income ranges from 50 million to 100 million VND, but during peak months, when scrap prices increase sharply or a large amount of rare goods are collected, the total income can reach 300 million VND.

However, she also confirmed that this high income is not regular, only appearing 1-2 times/year.

Many times I have picked up money, even gold, in piles of scrap.

Amidst the constant hardships and dangers, the scrap metal profession sometimes has its share of joys. In the scrap metal profession, picking up money is not uncommon.

Cat Phuong shared that picking up money is a daily occurrence. Every day, she can find money in lucky money envelopes, sometimes mixed in old shirt pockets, books, or discarded boxes.

According to Phuong, the reason is that when moving house, especially families who do business and have a lot of goods, they often intentionally leave a little "luck" in the discarded items, as a way to share luck. These amounts are usually around 100,000-200,000 VND, sometimes more.

"I once found a lucky money envelope in an old shirt pocket containing 4.5 million VND, including cash and other small bills. There was also a time when I broke open a rusty iron box and found 500,000 VND inside. Although it was not often, each time it was an unforgettable memory," Cat Phuong recalled.

To outsiders, old cardboard boxes and cloth bags are just trash, but to Phuong, they are sometimes a treasure.

Not only money, Cat Phuong also picked up... real gold. Once, while cleaning the warehouse for a customer, she accidentally discovered a gold ring deep in the crevice of an old wooden table.

"At first I thought it was a toy, but when I took it to the store I realized it was real gold. I told the customer and they said consider it a blessing for the child," she said with a big smile.

Cat Phuong also said that picking up gold is a very rare thing, such moments make her feel that the scrap metal job is not only dusty and hard, but sometimes also brings unexpected rewards.

Missing Tet due to gas tank explosion and the risks behind the scrap business

Having been a scrap collector since childhood, Cat Phuong has witnessed many occupational accidents, both her own and those of her relatives. One of the most haunting memories for her was the gas stove explosion on the night of the 28th of Tet in 2016 - less than 2 days before the new year.

It was a fateful evening. While cleaning up at the end of the year, Phuong’s father – a man who has spent most of his life collecting scrap metal – had a habit of checking the gas tank after cooking. Even though he had turned off the valve, he still turned it on to ensure safety. But at that moment, the small house suddenly exploded, making everyone stunned.

Phuong understood the hardships of the scrap metal job, she was even more grateful to her parents.

"I remember that moment clearly. Dad just turned it on a little bit and the whole kitchen exploded. Fire erupted right into his face and body. Mom ran out screaming, the whole family panicked," Phuong recounted.

The cause of the explosion was not only because the gas valve was not tight, but also because on that day, Phuong's family had compressed many mini gas cylinders and travel cylinders - which are often found in the scrap pile collected at the end of the year. Despite being careful, the gas still accumulated tightly in the narrow space. When there was a spark, all the gas in the house exploded, causing the fire to spread in the blink of an eye.

Phuong's father suffered burns to about 20% of his body, especially his hands and face. His hands are still rough and he cannot clench his fists like before.

"At that time, he had to take half a year off work, undergoing painful and expensive treatment. The family's income was almost zero during that time. My family also gave up the gas stove, switched to using an electric stove completely and stopped accepting mini gas cylinders," she shared.

Luckily, the fire did not burn down the entire house. As the flames raged, her mother still risked her life to save up her savings for the year.

Fortunately, the goods in the house are usually sold out at the end of the year, so there are not many assets such as scrap paper, scrap metal, etc. left on the 28th of Tet. Her family did not suffer much material damage, but the mental shock lasted a long time afterwards.

Traces of the gas explosion still remain on the walls.

After that event, what touched Phuong's family the most was the kind help from neighbors. Some brought vegetables, some gave banh chung, and some helped collect goods while Phuong's father was in the hospital.

"Neighborhood love is precious. Without everyone, my family would not have been able to get through that difficult time," Phuong said emotionally.

According to Phuong, the scrap metal job also has many other potential risks: cut hands, broken nails, falling off motorbikes, back pain, dislocations from carrying heavy loads...

"I once pressed cardboard and broke my fingernail, it hurt so much. My mother slipped and had to wear a cast for several weeks. Sometimes I feel so sorry for my parents. They work no matter the weather, no complaints," Cat Phuong shared.

The girl also said that to avoid risks, her family complies with fire prevention and fighting and labor safety regulations.

As the youngest child in the family, Cat Phuong admits that most of the hardship falls on her parents. She was lucky to be born when her job was more stable, not having to struggle like her older siblings.

Currently, Cat Phuong still helps her parents in her free time. In addition to working as an office worker and model, she still helps her family classify, weigh goods, and arrange the warehouse.

The Gen Z girl also takes on many different jobs, including modeling (Photo: Character provided).

When asked whether she would follow her family's profession for a long time, the 10X girl confided: "I'm not sure if I will follow this profession for the rest of my life because this job is quite hard and affects my health a lot. My parents don't want me to continue, they just want me to have a more stable and easier job.

I myself am pursuing a different career path. Whether I will continue my career or not is really hard to say, because it depends on many factors. But I am always ready to help my parents whenever possible. Thanks to this career, I have a full life, can study well, and can be myself," she expressed.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/doi-song/co-gai-o-ha-noi-3-doi-lam-nghe-dong-nat-co-thang-kiem-ca-tram-trieu-dong-20250508171902675.htm