{
  "id": 7524168,
  "title": "‘Lazy economy’: US$15 monthly rubbish services in China gain popularity, benefitting elderly",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/15/lazy-economy-us-15-monthly-rubbish-services-in-china-gain-popularity",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-15T10:00:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3367598/lazy-economy-us15-monthly-rubbish-services-china-gain-popularity-benefitting-elderly"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In China, a novel trend has emerged where young individuals are paid to collect rubbish for others, proving to be a surprisingly popular service. Entrepreneurs offer this monthly rubbish removal service at a rate of around 100 yuan (US$15), involving daily collection where clients simply place their rubbish bags outside their door. This innovative idea forms part of the \"lazy economy,\" which emphasizes time-saving, labor-saving, and convenient services, similar to other viral offerings like after-school child pickups and parcel deliveries.\n\nSome people find the service puzzling, questioning whether it's just an incidental task. However, many residents have expressed a genuine need for this rubbish disposal service. For instance, someone dealing with depression shared that they dispose of rubbish late at night due to fear of encountering others, and the service provides much-needed assistance. Another client from Shanghai, whose city implemented a mandatory household waste-sorting system, mentioned that some residential compounds only allow rubbish collection during limited hours, making it difficult for ordinary office workers to comply.\n\nService providers like Fei in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province, offer assistance to elderly individuals with mobility issues who live on upper floors without lifts. Fei's team received three orders in their first month, and she plans to expand by collaborating with communities and focusing on elderly clients. Another provider from Hangzhou, Mihan, secured over 20 orders within just three days of launching her business, occasionally picking up parcels for clients as an additional service. Mihan explained that the affordability of the service, with costs ranging from three to five yuan per pickup and 100 yuan for a monthly package, is key to its success. She noted that office workers are willing to spend a little money to save time, and the convenience of not needing to meet clients in person is a significant advantage.",
  "summary": "A new business trend has emerged in China where young people get paid to throw out rubbish for others at a small fee – and it is proving to be a surprising success. While many people consider taking out the rubbish merely an incidental chore, it has evolved into a paid service in China. On social media platforms, some entrepreneurs promote their rubbish disposal services. Their fees range from…",
  "key_points": [
    "Novel trend: young paid to collect rubbish for others at $15/month",
    "\"Lazy economy\" emphasizes time-saving, labor-saving services",
    "Service benefits elderly with mobility issues in Jiaxing"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}